ESL was designed by internationally-known architect Minoru Yamasaki (famous for his design of the World Trade Center in New York City) specifically as a high temperature gas lab.

The building was flexible for the purposes of experimentation on gases—“the walls and ceilings are lined with channels of space, approximately two feet by three feet, through which piping of all sorts can be easily run” (Harvard Crimson)—and the precast concrete system was important in the design. Since its creation the building has been renovated several times to modernize the interior.

On the northern end of the SEAS campus, the four-story building has its own entrance off Oxford Street.

Built: 1964
Architect: Minoru Yamasaki
Program: Laboratories, Graduate Student Space
Areas/Offices: Bioengineering and Environmental Science and Engineering
Gross SF: 38,760 GSF

6. Northwest Building

Virtual Tour

Tour Stops

Tour Stops

https://seas.harvard.edu/tour/allston/1/science-and-engineering-complex-sec

https://seas.harvard.edu/tour/allston/2/114-western-avenue

https://seas.harvard.edu/tour/allston/3/east-atrium

https://seas.harvard.edu/tour/allston/4/main-atrium

https://seas.harvard.edu/tour/allston/10/engineering-yard

https://seas.harvard.edu/tour/allston/5/lower-level-1

https://seas.harvard.edu/tour/allston/6/lower-level-2

https://seas.harvard.edu/tour/allston/9/library

https://seas.harvard.edu/tour/allston/9/upper-floors

https://seas.harvard.edu/tour/allston/11/classrooms

https://seas.harvard.edu/tour/allston/12/allston-neighborhood

https://seas.harvard.edu/tour/allston/8/sustainability

https://seas.harvard.edu/tour/allston/7/active-learning-labs

https://seas.harvard.edu/tour/cambridge/1/harvard-yard

https://seas.harvard.edu/tour/cambridge/2/science-center-and-seas-history

https://seas.harvard.edu/tour/cambridge/3/labs-cruft-lise-mckay

https://seas.harvard.edu/tour/cambridge/4/pierce-hall

https://seas.harvard.edu/tour/cambridge/5/maxwell-dworkin

https://seas.harvard.edu/tour/cambridge/6/northwest-building

https://seas.harvard.edu/tour/cambridge/7/engineering-sciences-lab

7. Engineering Sciences Lab