Work Completed at Utile, Inc.

Cumnock Hall is situated at the west end of the main quad at Harvard Business School. This full gut renovation of the first floor, common areas, and circulation spaces reorganized the building while keeping key infrastructure in place and maintaining the fundamental architectural gestures of the 1974 Earl Flansburgh-designed building.

The main program component is a suite of faculty offices that were reconceptualized to accommodate the new normal of virtual teaching, where professors are frequently delivering lectures and leading seminars from their desks. Careful attention was paid to acoustics, lighting, and mise-en-scène of the Zoom environment. Finely appointed lounge spaces are placed at the large floor-to-ceiling picture windows that are highly visible from the Batten Way dropoff circle. The renovation also includes a new hybrid conference space and case-study classroom.

The atmosphere of the space needed to be elegant and formal, with comfortable, luxurious accents. The crisp base palette contrasts soft grey carpet and cottony-white walls with ebonized oak doors and frames, and charcoal acoustic panels. White oak millwork, brass fixtures, and camel leather upholstery add warmth, with lively accents in classic Harvard Crimson.