Sustainability

Embracing Solar Energy

A new 29.61-kilowatt system of solar panels—94 in all—has been installed on the fourth-floor roof of the Harvard Art Museums.

Energy Efficiency Pays Off

As the 2016 fiscal year concluded, leaders of our facilities team were pleased to report a significant savings in energy usage and utilities costs, down about 30 percent from the previous year. 

Green—and Gold

We’re proud to announce our LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Recycling Our History

Sculptor and artist Liz Glynn talks to us about the works she created while a visiting artist at the Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts: full-scale replicas of Le Corbusier’s iconic furniture using recycled concrete from the Harvard Art Museums renovation project

A Sign of the Times

A bold granite sign identifying the Harvard Art Museums now graces the Quincy Street entrance of the new facility, which opens to the public on November 16. “Having the new sign installed is definitely a milestone moment,” said Steven Waldron, creative director.

A Conscientious Move

The Harvard Art Museums took steps to reduce waste and energy use by donating existing cabinets and exhibition cases to our campus peers.

A Light Touch

When the Harvard Art Museums open this November, the new lighting system will operate on a digital platform, allowing staff to control hundreds of lights just by touching a screen. Use of this system, together with LED lighting, will mean cost and energy savings for the museums.

A Winter Glow

The Harvard Art Museums’ new facility adds a spot of brightness to the winter season with its new glass galleries.

Lighting the Way

Student correspondent Sarah Rosenthal explains how the use of LEDs in the new Harvard Art Museums facility will aid the preservation of light-sensitive objects, provide an ideal light source for viewing works of art, and will save money and increase energy efficiency. 

By Sarah Rosenthal

A Case Study in Contemporary Construction

The Harvard Art Museums’ facility is much more than just a gallery space where we display our collections—it’s a classroom that’s used by a wide range of faculty at Harvard University. While many of these professors are thinking about how they’ll use our resources in their curriculum when we open in...