A Sustainable Legacy: Planning Strategies For MIT's Historic Main Group

William Colehower, LEED® AP, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Tim Winstead, AIA, LEED AP, The Freelon Group

MIT's core teaching laboratories are clustered together in a 1-million-square-foot interconnected facility in Cambridge, Massachusetts, called "The Main Group." For almost 100 years, The Main Group has housed more Nobel laureates in engineering and science than any other building in America. Noted architectural historian Mark Jarzombek writes, "Few if any academic buildings of that era (1913) could, in their construction, be considered as advanced as MIT. The (Freeman’s) factory aesthetic would years later be celebrated as 'modern' in the world of Walter Gropius and Le Corbusier . . . Finally, it is important to appreciate that, unlike many scientific buildings of that era that eventually had to be altered, transformed, or demolished to accommodate changing needs, the MIT building has resolutely withstood the test of time."

Nearly 100 years has passed and The Main Group has become an iconic symbol of academic architecture. In 2009, MIT took on the challenge of increasing efficiency and achieving high energy performance with a comprehensive planning strategy conducted for The Main Group.

The objective of this project is to develop a set of "rules to live by" for the next 100 years, sustaining the building in a manner that respects the academic achievements to date and prepares for the innovative thinking yet to come. As we prepare for the future, we want to maximize the value of the asset by taking advantage of the lessons learned, defining the appropriate level of new infrastructure and developing rational economic strategies for renovations. These "rules to live by" for The Main Group address the following:

  • Preservation of MIT's core academic values while providing modern, technology-equipped space for students and researchers.
  • Planning efficiencies, making the most efficient use of the space available.
  • Energy efficiency through zoning of the building to consolidate the spaces requiring the greatest technical capacity and optimizing the approach to building mechanical systems.
  • Preparation of the building's infrastructure for the future. Evolving building codes, technology, mechanical/electrical systems, etc., have challenged the building's ability to accommodate ongoing renovations.
  • Development of a renovation strategy that minimizes downtime for faculty and students and allows for systematic replacement of infrastructure.

This presentation will provide a view of the planning process, the alternatives considered, and the proposed approach for moving MIT's laboratory resources forward into another century. The lessons learned will serve as a framework for other institutions considering the sustainable reuse and renewal of historic buildings for laboratory use.

Biographies:

William Colehower joined MIT in 2007 as senior planner in thedepartment of facilities. Prior to coming to MIT, he was the associate director of campus planning at Yale University. Over the past 20 years, Mr. Colehower has led large- and small-scale campus and facilities planning efforts for over thirty institutions throughout the United States and South America, including Ohio State University, the University of Florida, the University of Denver, Marquette University, Johns Hopkins University, Oberlin College, Lawrence University, Xavier University, Washington and Lee, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute. He has been an active presenter with the Society for College and University Planning, the American Planning Association, and the Association of College and University Housing Officers.

As a member of the campus planning and design team, Mr. Colehower's responsibilities have focused on leading feasibility studies for building renewal and renovation projects. These high-level studies include assessments of planning, design, and the financial impacts of building renovation and deferred maintenance projects at MIT. Central to these studies are considerations of energy and sustainable design practices.

Mr. Colehower has a master's degree in urban planning from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Bachelor of Arts degree in environmental studies and geography from Ohio Wesleyan University. He is a LEED Accredited Professional and a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners.

Tim Winstead is a principal and vice president of The Freelon Group. As director of science and technology, he leads the firm's efforts in the programming, planning, and design of teaching and research buildings for both academic and corporate clients.

Mr. Winstead's broad range of experience with science facilities includes undergraduate and graduate teaching/research facilities, in addition to research and development facilities for the pharmaceutical industry. He has been involved with the planning and redevelopment of over 1 million square feet on Science Hill, located on the Yale University campus, for almost 20 years.

His corporate and institutional projects include Novartis, Johnson & Johnson, GlaxoSmithKline, DuPont Pharmaceuticals, Merial, Wyeth-Ayerst, and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. His work on academic science facilities includes projects at Yale, University of Connecticut, Duke University, Hartwick College, MIT, North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina Central University, North Carolina State University, South Carolina State University, SUNY Albany, and Winston Salem State University.

Mr. Winstead has a bachelor’s degree in architecture and environmental design in architecture from North Carolina State University. He has served as a peer reviewer for the National Institutes of Health and guest lecturer at MIT and has been on ongoing participant with Project Kaleidoscope for over 15 years. He is a LEED Accredited Professional, a member of the American Institute of Architects, and a member of the International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineering.