Harvard is building a new conference centre – and it’s made entirely of wood

Harvard University is building a new conference centre, to open in autumn 2025. It will be the university’s first campus-wide conference facility – but that’s not the most impressive thing about it.

The David Rubenstein Treehouse will be constructed almost entirely from wood. The conference centre is designed to give visitors the impression of being “up in the canopy”. It uses a rare type of frame, made from “engineered wood”, and will feature a wraparound balcony on the upper levels and an abundance of natural light.

How is it built?

The new building has what’s known as a “mass timber” structure – a relatively new construction method. The wood in use isn’t solid wood. Instead, the building will use “engineered wood”, which involves gluing wood fibres together with adhesives.

The resulting material is about the same strength of concrete or steel, but much lighter. This composite wood will form the actual frame of the building.

It’s common for conference centres to use wood in certain parts of the construction. But to have the base structure made of wood, instead of steel or concrete, is very rare.

The David Rubenstein Treehouse will be one of the first major conference venues in North America to be built like this. Other conference venues constructed using a wood frame include The Canada House at Killarney Mountain Lodge in Ontario (the largest of its kind at 34,000sqft) and Green Acres Event Center in Minnesota.

What will the venue be used for?

The Treehouse will serve as a hub for the wider Enterprise Research Campus development project, spanning 36 acres. With a capacity of 600, it will host international summits, alumni events, recruitment fairs and academic conferences.

Designed to feel like you’re “up in the canopy”

The building’s design is inspired by the idea of climbing up a tree. Visitors climb up a central staircase to the upper floors, where mass timber columns branch outward like limbs. Skylights and large windows will let in natural light.

On the upper floor, there will be a wraparound balcony to give guests the feeling of being “up in the canopy.”

Inside, the building will feature a double-height lobby, flexible meeting spaces, and open-air terraces that blend indoor and outdoor space. “Visitors will really be able to see it and feel it – and know that they are in a timber building,” said lead architect Jeanne Gang.

The Treehouse was designed by Jeanne Gang’s architecture studio, Studio Gang – known for its experimentation with materials and general focus on sustainability. The centre is being constructed by Consigli and Smoot.

Sustainability methods

The “mass timber” method is more sustainable. Creating steel and concrete (the two most common materials in construction) requires industrial processes that produce a lot of pollutants.

But the venue is also adopting a number of other environmentally-conscious practices:

All-electric – The Treehouse will run entirely on electricity, avoiding fossil fuels for heating and cooling

Rooftop solar panels – Photovoltaic panels on the roof provide on-site clean energy, supplementing grid electricity.

Powered by Harvard’s own energy plant – The building draws its power from a nearby lower-carbon, climate-resilient energy plant operated by Harvard.

Rainwater harvesting – The roof and surrounding bioswales collect and reuse rainwater for landscape irrigation, reducing water waste.

Self-shading – The building’s exterior is designed to reduce solar heat gain and minimise cooling demand.

The Treehouse is named after David Rubenstein, a philanthropist, Harvard Corporation member and co-founder of the global investment firm The Carlyle Group. Rubenstein is a long-standing supporter of Harvard and other major universities.

If nothing else, we predict that Harvard will now have a much better shot bidding for the International Mass Timber Conference.