Harvard University Begins Construction on Enterprise Research Campus

Harvard University celebrated the beginning of construction on the Enterprise Research Campus in November of 2023. Located in the Allston neighborhood of Boston, the mixed-use project will feature leasable lab and office facilities surrounded by inviting public spaces, pedestrian walkways, restaurants, and retail amenities. The nine-acre development is strategically sited next to the Science and Engineering Complex and the Harvard Business School to further enhance the university’s thriving innovation ecosystem. Targeting LEED Gold sustainable design certification, the first 900,000-sf phase of construction will include:

• a $263 million life science center comprised of two buildings providing a total of 440,000 sf of lab and office space.
• a $78 million, 250-room hotel offering meeting rooms and a rooftop restaurant.
• a $158 million, 343-unit residential complex consisting of two towers.
• the David Rubenstein Treehouse, a conference center integrating mass timber components.

The design team includes Henning Larsen, Studio Gang, Moody Nolan, Utile, MVRDV, and Marlon Blackwell Architects. Breakthrough Properties is responsible for building, leasing, and operating the research facilities, which will be delivered by Turner Construction in association with J&J Contractors and Janey Construction Management. Development partner Tishman Speyer has secured $750 million in financing for the first phase of the Enterprise Research Campus, which is slated for completion in 2026. Harvard Allston Land Company is acting as the university’s planning and management organization for the project.