Frequently Asked Questions
The project managers of the Sloan School Expansion answer your questions.
What are goals of this project?
- To create a social and academic “heart” for MIT Sloan School
- To address faculty office, classroom and group study room needs
- To develop a high performance “Green” building
- To improve the MIT campus and our surrounding Cambridge community
What is the scope of the project? Where will it be located?
Located just east of the current Sloan Building (E52) at 50 Memorial Drive, the MIT Sloan School of Management's new building, E62, will extend from Memorial Drive to Main Street and will serve as an eastern gateway to the MIT campus. The building, which will have an address of 100 Main Street, is approximately 215,000 sq.ft. atop a 425-car, 190,000 sq.ft. underground garage.
Who are the project team members?
The MIT project managers are Michael Hand, Richard Quade and Lahkan Verma from Facilities, and Cindy Hill from the Sloan School of Management.
The architects are Moore Ruble Yudell Architects & Planners of Santa Monica, California, and Bruner / Cott Associates of Cambridge, supported by a team of engineers and consultants.
Walsh Brothers, Inc. has been retained to serve as Construction Manager.
What will the new building be called?
The new building will be numbered E62. At this time, it has not been assigned a name.
What are some of the sustainable features of the building?
The project team interprets sustainable design broadly to include issues like energy efficient operation, use of renewable materials, recycling, limiting embodied energy (including constructing a building designed for a very long service life), and designing for user comfort and control. The project incorporates a high-performance envelope with operable windows in office areas, (partial) green roof, low-wattage lighting, demand ventilation, occupancy sensor controls, water-based terminal heating and cooling units, and easy access to usable outdoor spaces. Though installation of this system is not part of the current project, the building’s five penthouse roofs are designed to anticipate later addition of a photovoltaic panel array, and the penthouses are sized to hold its supporting equipment. The garage, which represents no increase in overall campus parking and has facilities for Zip Cars, is also designed to provide a large area of enclosed bicycle parking and support facilities for cyclists. Other bike parking is distributed around the site.
How high will the new building be?
Zoning regulations limit the height of the building to 120’, but in fact its highest penthouse roof is several feet below that level. Speaking of penthouses, the five provided are designed to contain all rooftop equipment, facilitating both maintenance and visual control.
Is anything being taken down to accommodate this project?
Building E56 must be demolished to make room for the project, but more than 90% of its mass will be diverted away from landfill, and the new project is configured to enhance the relevance of Building E60 to campus, thus better assuring that National Historic Landmark’s future. Major elements of the garden in front of Building E56 (including trees up to 17 tons) were relocated to a new campus park-like area on Carleton Street, east of the entry to MIT Medical, and the bank of rhododendrons formerly lining the south wall of E56 were transplanted by MIT Grounds gardeners and personnel to the rhododendron beds in Killian Court,
What are the hours of construction?
Anticipated work hours run from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM Monday through Friday, although there may be some days when construction lasts an hour or two later in the day, or times when Saturday work is required. The community will be notified if there are any significant changes to the schedule.
When will the project be completed?
The underground garage should be built back to grade-level around June 2008. The new building above is scheduled to be completed in June of 2010. Both parts of the project should be ready for occupancy prior to the start of fall semester 2010.
How will occupants be notified of shutdowns?
We will use MIT Facilities’ standard notification process. In addition, we will send out emails and bulletins to departments and individuals whose areas may be affected.
How interconnected are the building’s systems; will electrical shutdowns impact buildings otherwise unaffected by construction?
Upgrades of utility service to portions of the block are part of the project, and some of the new building’s systems will support other buildings as well. Planning will attempt to minimize the extent to which other interconnected buildings will be affected, but when shutdowns must occur, occupants will be notified via email.
New Building E62 will physically connect to both Buildings E52 and E60 and some of its systems will also relate to Building E53, and possibly Building E55.
What is the anticipated small scale activity in otherwise unaffected areas?
Part of the infrastructure work includes an extension of sprinkler and fire alarm systems. This may affect some areas for a few days at a time to allow for the installation of these systems. Those affected will be notified in advance of this work.
How will the project affect occupants of the nearby buildings and dorms?
Some construction impact issues include:
- Noise generating activities
- Dust generating activities
- Mud control
- Diesel exhaust
- Pest control
- Access to Buildings E60, E52, E53, E55
What is the vibration impact?
Noise and vibration are inevitably parts of construction, but project design is attempting to minimize vibration by planning required demolition without using implosion or “head ache ball” methods, and by eliminating driven sheet piles or structural piles. A limited number of pressure injected footings are anticipated that will create impact vibrations, but that work is being planned to occur in a concentrated time window of about two weeks.
Construction Updates are provided regularly via the web, email announcements and public notices.
