The Landscape Architect’s Guide to

Northwest Laboratory Courtyard

Your Guide

The Northwest Labs building (NWL) is a multi-disciplinary research building that emphasizes collaborative learning between the fields of bio-engineering, systems biology, and computational analysis. The NWL Courtyard is a landscape room that facilitates this teamwork outside, with a flexible design that welcomes one or many.

The entire landscape surrounding NWL also plays a role here, providing a sylvan setting that is experienced from within the building’s laboratories and common spaces. Formerly a parking lot with aging academic labs, the new landscape features passive areas on residential streets, thus projecting a more positive face to a neighborhood context of academic buildings and private homes.

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North Yard

Few know that Harvard has another “Yard” - the North Yard off of Oxford Street, which fronts the University’s Museum of Natural History. (Go see the glass flowers inside!) Like its counterpart, trees and lawn predominate but the walks are fewer here and the planting palette relaxes, with ornamental trees like magnolias and redbuds adding spring color.

Image: MVVA NW 2

Beyond the Berm

Adjacent to the North Yard is the Northwest Laboratories Courtyard. Despite its proximity, the courtyard is not visible from the Yard because it is obscured by a grassy berm, which is a device that landscape architects use to buffer spaces and direct movement. Seen from a distance, this berm seems to extend the North Yard, giving the illusion that it continues through the science complex.

Image: MVVA NW 3

Gathering Spot

At the top of the path leading to the front door, the NWL Courtyard reveals itself as a lively gathering spot for students. Located next to the NWL café, the landscape is a hub of activity. Free-standing, generous marble slabs dot the Courtyard and provide flexible seating that can provide moments of privacy or be in the middle of social activity.

Image: MVVA NW 4

Skylights

The skylights that are integrated into the landscape are a vital building component that brings light to below grade floors. Instead of hiding these large boxes, the design embraces them as part of the composition. They are clad with a wide marble border to create a unified material palette with the benches and also provide another option for seating.

Image: MVVA NW 5

Construction Considerations

Almost 50 percent of the Northwest Labs building footprint is underground, below the Courtyard and beyond. As a “roof deck” landscape, there were extreme structural limitations for weight and soil depth. Although the buried roof is 9 feet lower, only 4 feet of soil was allowed, the difference being made up by geofoam, a lightweight fill.

Image: MVVA NW 6

Worth the Wait

American yellowwood, an uncommon North American native tree, is used in the Courtyard. Slow-growing, it is worth the wait because of its breath-taking pendulous, foot-long wisteria-like clusters of fragrant white flowers that appear in early June. As it matures it will develop a smooth gray bark and vase form of wide spreading branches, all contributing to a stunning winter appearance.

Image: MVVA NW 7

Relax on the Lawn

Throughout the University, lawns are meant to be used. The berm that surrounds the active center of the Courtyard forms a gentle grass bowl that is perfect for relaxing, reading, or just watching. The American yellowwoods are also employed here and are arranged to provide both shady and sunny spots.

Image: MVVA