Anticipating growth in the departments of sciences, social sciences, and humanities, Harvard University hired SOM to create a comprehensive framework that would guide development on its north campus. Harvard wanted a plan that could be implemented incrementally over a period of years, yet allowed for a quick response to unpredicted needs.

SOM’s design continues the existing pattern of buildings and quadrangles, creates meaningful and useable open spaces, identifies in-fill opportunities, and calls for construction of an underground garage in order to minimize surface parking. The plan also recommends orienting new buildings in a way that establishes a permeable edge between the campus and nearby residential areas.

Following the master plan project, SOM designed a new multidisciplinary facility for the north campus — the Northwest Science Building, which houses space for numerous departments, including neuroscience, bioengineering, and computational analysis.