Harvard University engaged Redgate to provide Owner’s Project Management services for the renewal of Gund Hall, the Graduate School of Design’s iconic 1972 academic building. The project focused on modernizing aging enclosure systems to improve energy performance, durability, and occupant comfort through replacement of the original curtainwall and glazing systems serving the building’s studio trays. Redgate led the effort from feasibility through construction, coordinating energy performance evaluations, cost analyses, constructability reviews, design-assist procurement, and implementation planning. The team also managed engagement with the Building Committee, University leadership, project stakeholders, and donors, helping to translate complex technical, budget, and schedule considerations into informed project decisions.
The selected solution incorporated hybrid vacuum insulated glass (VIG) within the existing, modified curtainwall framing, representing an early large-scale application of hybrid VIG technology in the United States. Redgate helped Harvard evaluate emerging enclosure technologies and navigate evolving energy code requirements while preserving the character-defining features of a historically significant building. The resulting façade exceeded the performance requirements of Massachusetts’ most stringent energy codes, improving thermal resistance, reducing air leakage, mitigating condensation concerns, and lowering operational energy demand. Design and construction activities were carefully sequenced around the academic calendar and operational requirements of an occupied university facility, resulting in the successful renewal of one of Harvard’s most recognizable academic buildings.
