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Harvard Business School
Cumnock Hall

Can remote learning be just as engaging and impactful as in-person? Our answer here is “yes!” This phased renovation addresses deferred maintenance, reimagines faculty workspaces, and surgically inserts cutting-edge virtual caserooms that set a new high bar for remote instruction.

  • Location

    • Boston, MA

    Size

    • 24,000 GSF

    Program

    • Virtual classrooms, control rooms, conference rooms, faculty offices, lounge space, public lobby

    Practice area

    Certifications

    • LEED v4 Cl Certified

Future-focused design, steeped in history

The case study method of instruction originated at Harvard Business School over 100 years ago. This intense, hands-on method—and the “caseroom”-style classrooms that developed to support it—is a fundamental part of the HBS education. With the growth of distance learning enrollment at HBS, the caseroom needed to go virtual.

The design of the new Live Online Classrooms benefitted from significant faculty collaboration. From the scale and arc of the many-screened walls, to the weight of the digital “chalk,” the finished classrooms are immediately intuitive for instructors. And for students logging in from around the globe, they provide a learning experience with the immediacy and power of in-person instruction.

An original Cumnock caseroom, circa 1974 (image credit: HBS Archives, Baker Library, Harvard Business School)
Full-size mockups were essential to conveying the feel of the space, intensity of lighting, and ergonomics of engaging with students.
Virtual blackboards, teaching podium, and even the pieces of digital “chalk” were carefully designed for ease of use.
Behind the scenes production staff ensure a seamless student experience.
Breakout rooms support group activities outside the Live Online classroom space.
Full-scale mock-ups were also used to right-size faculty offices. Throughout the project, mockups facilitated quick decision-making and eased adoption.
User feedback on our mockup improved the final office designs, increasing faculty satisfaction.
Finishes and furniture were renewed in keeping with modern campus standards
Even though the students are virtual, the technology makes it feel like they are fully present in the room with you…truly an incredible experience.
InstructorHarvard Business School
Communal tables and individual offices make way for a variety of group work spaces.

Reimagining faculty offices for new ways of working

On the third floor, we reorganized the floorplan to accommodate well-appointed offices, conference rooms, and a shared kitchen. New room configurations provide increased flexibility and serve as an attractive home base for visiting faculty and guests. Previously dated spaces have been redesigned to reflect modern standards consistent with the rest of the campus.

Flexible workspaces accommodate visiting faculty and guests.
Right-sized faculty offices and an open administrative core create a modern, welcoming, and accessible environment.
Project impact
  • 90+

    Student capacity in Live Online classrooms

  • 85″

    Touch video monitors allow the instructor to communicate via a “virtual chalkboard”

The depth of Goody Clancy’s expertise is planning and executing phased renovations allowed them to frame decisions of complex issues with clarity and insight. This enabled us to act quickly and decisively, maintaining the project’s momentum and enabling on-schedule completion. The result is a renovation that exceeds our expectations.
Andrew O’BrienChief of Operations

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Project Team

Atelier Ten

Baker Design Group

BR+A Consulting Engineers

Cavanaugh Tocci Associates

Jensen Hughes

Kalin Associates

Robert Silman Associates

Theatre Projects

Utile

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