• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
9Wood

9Wood

Home Your wood ceiling experts. Design to delivery.

Contact Sales
MENUMENU
  • Projects
  • Products
        • New Products True Access
        • Grilles 1000 Series
        • Linears 2000 Series
        • Acoustic 3000 Series
        • Tiles 4000 Series
        • Perf Tiles 5000 Series
        • Cubes 6000 Series
        • Coffers 7000 Series
        • Waves 8000 Series
        • Custom Engineered-to-Order
        • Trims 0100 Trims
        • SPECIES & FINISHES
  • Learning Center
    • Blog
    • Videos
    • Case Studies
  • Tools
    • Fast>Track Program
    • Fast>Track Options
    • Pricing
    • Reveal Calculator

Harvard University – Smith Campus Center

April 5, 2019

About andrewcox

Harvard University – Smith Campus Center — Cambridge, MA

Solid European Beech with Clear Finish
SKU(s):1112-5


The Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Campus Center at Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass., features an 18,075 sq. ft. crosspiece backer wood grille ceiling and wall system. They include over 1,500 individual wood grille panels and 72 specialty access panels.

The FSC certified beech used for the ceiling and wall system was sourced in Germany from the largest beech supplier in the world. Natural outdoor light activates “the warm hue and deep texture of the European beech walls and ceilings,” the architect says.

The Smith Campus Center is a dream come true, according to Harvard University’s new president. It’s a common space where, she says, “people could bump into each other, share ideas, find spaces in which to have meetings.”

The architect is happy with the results. “Precise alignments from wall to ceiling with immaculate detailing at every opening reinforces the main gathering space and is visible from the adjacent street,” the architect says.

“It was the most complicated wood job we’ve ever done,” the subcontractor says. “It was difficult to make it beautiful. But, we made it happen.”

Read More
9Wood's 1100 Cross Piece Grille in FSC certified Solid European Beech with Clear Finish at The Smith Campus Center, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Hopkins Architects and Bruner/Cott Architects. Allan Construction installed the 18,075 sq. ft. wood grille ceilings from the beginning of July to late August 2018, — in time for the fall semester.
9Wood's 1100 Cross Piece Grille in FSC certified Solid European Beech with Clear Finish at The Smith Campus Center, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Hopkins Architects and Bruner/Cott Architects. 

The new campus center at Harvard University features 18,075 sq. ft. of crosspiece backer wood grille ceilings and walls. The high-profile building connects the various colleges at a central hub on campus.
9Wood's 1100 Cross Piece Grille in FSC certified Solid European Beech with Clear Finish at The Smith Campus Center, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Hopkins Architects and Bruner/Cott Architects. The wood grille ceilings feature 1 in. by 2 in. FSC certified European beech (solid, clear, mixed grain) wood members. The suspension system used a 15/16 in. heavy-duty t-bar and hanger wires attached directly to the structure.
9Wood's 1100 Cross Piece Grille in FSC certified Solid European Beech with Clear Finish at The Smith Campus Center, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Hopkins Architects and Bruner/Cott Architects. The FSC certified beech used for the wood grille ceiling was sourced in Germany from the largest beech supplier in the world. Natural outdoor light activates “the warm hue and deep texture of the European beech walls and ceilings,” the architect says.
9Wood's 1100 Cross Piece Grille in FSC certified Solid European Beech with Clear Finish at The Smith Campus Center, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Hopkins Architects and Bruner/Cott Architects. The 18,075 sq. ft. of wood grille ceilings were suspended on multiple levels and needed to match precisely the grille wall systems installed by a separate millwork contractor.
9Wood's 1100 Cross Piece Grille in FSC certified Solid European Beech with Clear Finish at The Smith Campus Center, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Hopkins Architects and Bruner/Cott Architects. While some panels were only 1 ft. by 2 ft. wide. Panels 9 to 11 ft. in length were common in the space’s upper and lower mezzanine areas.
9Wood's 1100 Cross Piece Grille in FSC certified Solid European Beech with Clear Finish at The Smith Campus Center, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Hopkins Architects and Bruner/Cott Architects. 9Wood designed and fabricated 72 special wood grille access panels to cover two kinds of circular light fixtures in the space. This required coordination with the subcontractor to give the final installation between the access panels and wood grilles a seamless quality.
9Wood's 1100 Cross Piece Grille in FSC certified Solid European Beech with Clear Finish at The Smith Campus Center, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Hopkins Architects and Bruner/Cott Architects. Being a high-profile building, the architect required a high level of craftsmanship to match the prestige of the university and please its donors.
9Wood's 1100 Cross Piece Grille in FSC certified Solid European Beech with Clear Finish at The Smith Campus Center, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Hopkins Architects and Bruner/Cott Architects. Much of the intricate work came by cutting around light boxes and other integrations in the ceiling.
9Wood's 1100 Cross Piece Grille in FSC certified Solid European Beech with Clear Finish at The Smith Campus Center, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Hopkins Architects and Bruner/Cott Architects. “It was difficult to get everything just right,” the subcontractor says. “I’d say it was the most complicated wood job we’ve ever done.”

Featured Systems

1100 Cross Piece Grille

An elegant and practical system that is seismically compliant and simple to install and remove.

Featured Article

Design Guide for Common Types of Wood Paneling

Anyone who has visited a library, airport, restaurant, church, or college campus has been exposed to a variety of wood paneling types. A natural insulator,…

Featured Video

Custom Stains for Wood Ceilings

Our methodology is to really enhance the beauty of wood through our custom stains. We don’t want to cover the grain up, we want the grain and the wood to be the star of the show.


Get a Sample

Project Details

BUILDING TYPE
Education
ARCHITECT

Hopkins Architects, London, England, Bruner/Cott Architects, Boston, Massachusetts

CONTRACTOR

Allan Construction, Salem, New Hampshire

SCOPE
14,309
COMPLETION DATE
July 2018
AWARDS
2019 CISCA Award of Excellence (East Region/Education)
9WOOD PROJECT
12020

Case Study

The Center of Attention

“Precise alignments from wall to ceiling with immaculate detailing at every opening reinforces the main gathering space."

Download Case Study

Similar Projects

True North - Winnepeg

Winnipeg, Mannitoba

True North - Winnepeg

Winnipeg, Mannitoba

University of Washington Lander Hall

Seattle, WA

University of Washington Lander Hall

Seattle, WA

Fairfield Elementary School

Eugene, OR

Fairfield Elementary School

Eugene, OR


Similar Buildings

University of Oregon - Yamada Language Center

Eugene, OR

University of Oregon - Yamada Language Center

Eugene, OR

Michigan State University - Eli Broad College of Business

East Lansing, MI

Michigan State University - Eli Broad College of Business

East Lansing, MI

Legacy Peak Elementary School

Colorado Springs, CO

Legacy Peak Elementary School

Colorado Springs, CO

Footer

Division 9 Custom Wood Ceilings. Your wood ceiling experts. Design to delivery.

  • Fast>Track
  • Products
    • 1000 Grilles
    • 2000 Linears
    • 3000 Acoustics
    • 4000 Tiles
    • 5000 Perf Tiles
    • 6000 Cubes
    • 7000 Coffers
    • 8000 Waves
  • Library
  • Species & Finishes
  • AIA CE
  • Projects
    • Fast>Track
    • Award Winners
    • Case Studies
  • About 9Wood
    • Values
    • Jobs at 9Wood
    • Our People
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact Us
  • Secure Pay

Follow Us

© 2023 9Wood | All rights reserved. | FSC® License Code FSC-C012655. The contents, graphics, design and other matters related to this site are protected under applicable copyrights, trademarks and other proprietary rights. You have a limited license to use the site solely for internal, personal or non-commercial purposes and to print out information from the site solely for internal, personal or non-commercial purposes provided you maintain all copyright and other policies contained therein. Big thanks and Site by SJ.



This website uses cookies.YesPrivacy Policy