Cambridge, MA
Harvard Kennedy School Snow Guard Retrofit
Scope/Solutions
Looking to reinvent the campus, Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) completed a major project in 2017 to add three new buildings linking the existing structures. During the first winter after the additions were put into service, snow accumulated on horizontal metal shelves and subsequently slid off onto the walkways below. SGH helped HKS by evaluating the existing buildings’ conditions and designing a retrofit to prevent snow and ice from sliding off.
Without available industry guidance for snow retention designs, SGH developed a plan to test the performance of several snow retention options to find the best solution for the school, given the variability of weather conditions and building elements. Highlights of our work included:
- Reviewing the buildings’ design and identifying existing conditions leading to the accumulation of snow and ice
- Evaluated three mockups during the 2019 winter season
- Developed design documents for the retrofit
- Assisted HKS during the bid phase by providing a list of bidders, leading a pre-bid meeting, issuing meeting minutes and addenda, answering bidders’ questions, reviewing bids, and recommending a firm to execute the work
- Worked with HKS to develop phasing plans and review value engineering options
- Provided construction administration services, including reviewing contractor submittals to compare with the design intent, periodically visiting the site to observe installation of the snow guard system, and helping the contractor address field conditions
1 of 3
Project Summary
2017
Completion Date
25k
Construction Value
Services
Building Enclosures | Applied Science & Research
Markets
Education
Client(s)
Harvard Kennedy School
Specialized Capabilities
Facades & Glazing
Key team members
Additional Projects
Northeast
Bowdoin College, Schiller Coastal Studies Center
SGH provided building enclosure consulting services for all six buildings and served as the project’s Passive House Institute US Verifier (PHIUS+ Verifier) for the Living & Learning building.
Northeast
Groton School
Groton School, founded in 1884, is a private boarding school offering curriculum for 8th to 12th grades. SGH has provided building enclosure and material science consulting services for projects at Groton School since 2002.