By Lindsey Coulter

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Construction of the new American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) at Harvard University recently marked a major construction milestone with the ceremonial topping out of the new David E. and Stacey L. Goel Center for Creativity & Performance. The A.R.T. plans to welcome audiences in early 2027.

Located in the Allston neighborhood of Boston, the new home for the A.R.T. was designed to foster groundbreaking performance, public gathering, teaching and international research. The Goel Center for Creativity & Performance is designed by Haworth Tompkins (architect and design lead) and ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge (architect of record), in collaboration with theater and acoustic consultant Charcoalblue. Shawmut Design and Construction serves as the project’s construction manager.

“Reaching the topping off milestone on the new home of the American Repertory Theater is an incredible moment for everyone involved in bringing this visionary project to life,” said Kevin Sullivan, Executive Vice President of Shawmut Design and Construction’s New England Region. “This structure represents both a remarkable technical achievement and a new benchmark for sustainable, low-carbon construction. Raising the final piece of the mass timber structure not only marks the next chapter in the A.R.T.’s story, but also stands as a symbol of innovation, collaboration, and community impact that will define this building for decades to come.”

Conceived through core principles of openness, artistic flexibility, collaboration, sustainability, and regenerative design, the Goel Center will provide interconnected, adaptable, multi-use spaces that support creativity and embrace future change. It will include two flexible performance venues — one seating 700 guests and capable of hosting large-scale productions as well as a versatile and intimate 300-seat black box theater. Additional spaces will include light-filled rehearsal studios and teaching spaces, a spacious public lobby, a café, and an outdoor performance yard. The building will also include dressing rooms, technical shops and administrative offices

A blend of peer review and scientific contributions from across Harvard University informed a rigorous design process. Members of The Harvard Healthy Buildings Academy, the Harvard Office for Sustainability, the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Health, the Arnold Arboretum, and the Harvard Graduate School of Design each contributed to the project.

The center advances Harvard’s ambitious sustainability priorities and is designed with a blend of environmental and social strategies to minimize embodied and operational carbon, maximize wellbeing, boost biodiversity and enhance resiliency. This holistic approach to sustainable and regenerative design sets up the Goel Center to achieve Living Building Challenge Core accreditation from the International Living Future Institute, recognizing that it gives more to its environment than it takes.

A key driver of this commitment is the use of low-carbon, responsibly sourced materials. The building is constructed with laminate mass timber, reclaimed brick and cedar cladding to minimize its lifetime carbon budget. More than 2,000 individual mass timber components have been installed, including columns, beams, floors, walls, stairways and elevator shafts.

“We’re celebrating not just the placement of the final piece of mass timber but also the 50% point of construction.” said Susan Malaab, Senior Project Manager with Harvard Capital Projects. “The planning for the A.R.T. performance center began in 2018 with workshops that prioritized the goals of the project. Flexibility, public gathering, accessibility and a model of sustainability would shape the design. The design and construction team formed a partnership to reach those goals while maintaining the scope and budgetary requirements. The construction of the building will support the incremental expansion of the innovation ecosystem for the arts in Allston.”

The building’s chilled water, hot water and electric utilities will be supplied by Harvard’s new lower-carbon District Energy Facility. Additional clean energy will be generated by rooftop solar panels, while natural ventilation will reduce energy use and enhance occupant comfort. A green roof and extensive plantings will aid stormwater attenuation, increase biodiversity, and promote occupant wellbeing.

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The project team also includes New York-based Marvel, with Cambridge firm NorthStar Project & Real Estate Services serving as project manager.��

“The topping off of 100 South Campus Drive is a milestone moment for both the Harvard and Allston communities,” said Kevin Sullivan, executive vice president of Shawmut’s New England Region, in a statement. “We’re proud to partner with Harvard on this transformative project, delivering critical sustainable housing and public spaces. Together with the new home of the American Repertory Theater, the reimagining of 175 North Harvard Street will establish a dynamic, sustainable live-play hub for the community.”��

The project’s ground level will include 75 car parking spaces and 250 sheltered bicycle parking spaces. It will also include tree-lined areas and numerous green spaces, fostering a biophilic environment for urban connectivity, as well as an integrated stormwater-management system.��������

When complete, the low-rise building will also feature a plethora of natural daylight. The facade will showcase multiple windows using triple-glazed technology as well as an optimized window-to-wall ratio and double-height glass enclosures to help maintain energy efficiency while also bridging the gap between indoor and outdoor spaces.����

The building is set to achieve Living Building Challenge Certification from the International Living Future Institute, a certification program that recognizes projects that perform exceptionally in the areas of water, energy and materials use — and measures metrics such as equity, beauty, place, health and happiness.����

The new American Repertory Theater (A.R.T) in Allston, also built��by Shawmut Design and Construction, began construction in March 2024 and is slated to open doors in 2026. The A.R.T.’s predecessor, the Loeb Drama Center, was undersized for current needs and faced aging-related maintenance challenges.��The new community-integrated, highly sustainable complex will provide both entertainment and collaborative public spaces.��

The David E. and Stacy L. Goel Center for Creativity & Performance within the A.R.T. is the first project in the US designed by UK-based architecture firm Haworth Tompkins, which was selected for its experience with theater and sustainable design as well as urban development.��The firm designed the facility to achieve Living Building Challenge core accreditation from the International Living Future Institute through its sustainable and regenerative design.��The structure itself will minimize carbon use through the integration of laminate mass timber, recycled brick and cedar cladding. Rooftop solar panels will capture clean energy, while a green roof featuring a variety of plants will help manage stormwater and promote biodiversity. The building’s water and electric utilities will be derived from Harvard University’s new 58,000-square-foot lower-carbon District Energy Facility that was completed in 2021 and has since earned LEED Gold certification.��

The center’s West Stage will support large-scale productions while the East Stage will accommodate more intimate shows. Technical shops and administrative offices will be located throughout the building. The A.R.T will also house state-of-the-art rehearsal studios, a spacious lobby and an outdoor performance yard that will host free and ticketed performances. With a focus on community, the complex will offer food and beverage services, public restrooms, meeting spaces, art installations and room rental opportunities as well as��free Wi-Fi.��

Once the A.R.T. is complete, the Loeb Center is set to be renovated and transitioned into an additional space for theater, dance and media program students with private bathrooms and showers, an on-site costume shop, rehearsal spaces and above-ground dressing rooms.����

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