The design team worked closely with Harvard University to create a new home for the ESS Department’s Events and Media Production Center. The project scope included the interior renovation of approximately 8,300 sf and increased curb appeal to give the Center a new identity. The fully equipped Production Studios at 50 Church Street in Cambridge, MA provide a wide range of audio and video production and post-production services to the Harvard community and beyond.
Nestled into a basement space, the project entailed an extensive planning phase to ensure the desired physical and visual adjacencies between the production rooms was met, along with optimal room proportions within the existing column grid. The control rooms, podcast room, iso-booth, and post production suites – programs that don’t require natural daylight – made use of the deep floorplate and clustered towards the center. As acoustically sensitive spaces, these technical rooms were built with “room within a room” construction, which isolated them from adjacent noises and vibrations. Strategically placed interior windows created direct sightlines between the performance space and control rooms.
The Center serves educational purposes and is intended to be used by students, faculty, and the broader community. Interior windows not only set up sightlines between technical rooms, but also from outside peering in, creating moments for learning and transparency. An activated ‘Social Spine’ creates an open, welcoming, and loosely programmed zone with seating nooks that foster casual interactions and collaboration. This communal area is brightened by clerestory windows.
Ultimately, the Center is designed and built with performance and functionality at the forefront, driven by a mission of inclusion, education, and community. The space is fully accessible with thoughtfully designed ramps and signage integrated into the design. The final product delivers a space for creativity and collaboration, equipped with the tools for highly sophisticated productions.
