Lewis Center at Harvard Law School

The Lewis International Law Center at the Harvard Law School is a 21st century learning and work environment for students, faculty, and staff, as well as law clinic clients.

The project transformed a 1959 modernist building, originally designed by Shepley Bulfinch Richardson & Abbott as a library stacks building, with a new entrance, increased teaching and office space, a new circulation system, and high-performance glazing. Zinc and glass additions complement the original limestone, metal, and glass building and create a tuned coherence between old and new. A new floor and roof terrace were added to the top of the building, and formerly opaque walls were opened up to bring natural light into the core of the building.

Inside, several sections of floor were removed to create interlocking spaces that foster collaboration, learning, and co-working. Flexible conference and meeting rooms and collaborative areas encourage interdisciplinary work. At the same time, discreet areas are separated for focused work, including study carrels, private offices, and client consultation rooms. The project also houses a cutting-edge laboratory on law and cyberspace for the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society.

The adaptive reuse of the existing building structure and enclosure resulted in a 40% reduction in embodied carbon emissions compared to a new construction building using standard industry materials. Overall, the adaptive reuse of the building saved about one million tons of embodied carbon, which is the equivalent to the annual energy use of 120,000 homes.