Harvard Real Estate, David Rubenstein Treehouse at Harvard University

The David Rubenstein Treehouse is a mass timber conference and convening center located on Harvard University’s Enterprise Research Campus (ERC) in Allston, Massachusetts. Designed by Jeanne Gang and her firm Studio Gang, the building serves as Harvard’s first university-wide conference center and a welcoming gateway to the new research and innovation district.

The three-story building is conceived as a highly social gathering space that encourages collaboration between academia, industry, and the broader community. With flexible meeting rooms, event spaces, and a large conference venue, the facility supports a wide range of activities including academic conferences, public programs, executive education, and community events.

The project’s architecture draws inspiration from the experience of climbing into a treehouse. Exposed mass timber beams branch upward through the building, creating a warm interior environment and visually connecting multiple levels of gathering spaces. A skylit central stair reinforces this vertical experience, while the building’s main event space—Canopy Hall—sits on the upper level and offers sweeping views of the surrounding campus and landscape.
Mass timber plays a central role in the building’s structural system and sustainability strategy. The structure uses cross-laminated timber (CLT) floor and roof panels supported by exposed glulam columns and beams. This approach significantly reduces embodied carbon compared to conventional steel or concrete construction while also creating a natural, biophilic interior environment.

Sustainability goals for the project extend beyond the timber structure. The all-electric building incorporates rooftop solar panels, rainwater harvesting, and nature-based stormwater management systems such as bioswales. Additional strategies—including low-carbon concrete, extensive daylighting, and under-floor ventilation systems—help reduce operational energy use while supporting healthy indoor environments.

As one of the first completed buildings within Harvard’s Enterprise Research Campus, the Rubenstein Treehouse demonstrates how mass timber can support low-carbon construction while creating welcoming, human-centered spaces for collaboration and innovation.