Aldrich Hall is a 102,825-square-foot classroom serving the Harvard Business School’s MBA program. The building, originally built in 1955, recently completed a three-phase gut renovation. The three stories above grade, with supporting areas below grade, regularly accommodate more than 1,700 students and faculty. The renovation provided an opportunity to update the technological capacity of the classrooms; including desk-integrated polling stations, individual laptop power supplies, and sophisticated audio visual equipment; as well as to improve the building’s lighting and HVAC systems.
Harvard Business School (HBS) has made a significant commitment to reducing its environmental impact and improving the health and comfort of students, faculty, staff, and visitors. Prior to completing Aldrich Hall, Hamilton and Wyss Halls had used the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system to achieve gold ratings. While Aldrich did not initially target LEED certification, a comfortable and healthy indoor environment, environmentally friendly materials selection, and improved energy efficiency were project goals from the beginning.