From Cafe to Commons

Harvard Law School Harkness Commons – Cambridge, MA

At the center of Harvard Law School’s bustling campus, a familiar café has taken on a new life. Evergreen Architecture was asked to re-envision the well-loved space into a student group meeting and lounge area that create balance amid the intensity of law school life. The design honors the memory of the former café while inviting a calmer, more reflective atmosphere. Portions of the original interior palette were carefully salvaged and reinterpreted, blending old and new through continuity of tone and texture. New elements — furniture, flooring, and custom casework — introduce a sense of quiet precision, supporting both casual collaboration and solitary focus.