Vanserg Hall was built in 1943 originally serving as a radar laboratory for the U.S. Office of Scientific Research and Development. Years later, the building was transformed to occupy Harvard’s ROTC. Today the 58,000 SF three-story structure holds offices, a child care center, and language teaching spaces for the Harvard-Yenching Institute.
SCOPE OF WORK
The extents of the project included providing elevator access to all floors and the renovation of 6,500 SF of classrooms including the common space on the second floor.
The goal of the second floor renovation was to reconfigure classrooms to better serve the needs of the Harvard-Yenching Institute. A second floor common area provides a space for small-group conversations and collaboration outside of the classroom.
CLASS RECONFIGURATION
The existing building column grid is subdivided in a way that has produced poorly proportioned small drill classrooms and large drill classrooms with columns in the center of the space. These columns block student views to presentation walls in large portions of existing classrooms.
Through space planning studies, in an effort to work with the existing structural system, a new classroom configuration was created that reduces the overall area of blocked views and allows classroom spaces to better serve the needs and class sizes of the language department.
ACOUSTIC DOT WALL
Custom perforated acoustic walls line the perimeter of the Language Common. They create a partial enclosure that give definition and flexibility to the common space. The acoustic dots are a dark blue wool felt and vary in size between a 1/2” and 2”. The dots buffer sound allowing collaborative and classroom spaces to coexist. The dot design brings a playful spirit and sense of ownership to the Harvard-Yenching Institute.
Original Floor Plan
New Floor Plan
LANGUAGE COMMON
The re-configuration of the classrooms allow for an open central common space partially enclosed with perforated partition walls. The space is filled with natural light from newly inserted skylights helping make it a comfortable and inviting space for students to study and collaborate between classes. The high table work bars line the north hallway for small group and individual studying. Fitted with whiteboard surfaces and power outlets, the work bar is a great place for group discussions right before a presentation or a coinvent spot for longer work sessions between classes. The Language Common helps bring a stronger identity to the Harvard-Yenching Institute, a department that currently lacks any communal areas.
