An exposed mass-timber structure designed to resemble a tree gives a “distinct architectural identity” to this Harvard University student centre, designed by American architecture firm Studio Gang. Rubenstein Treehouse is a social hub at Harvard’s Allston Enterprise Research Campus, which sits across the Charles River from the university’s main facilities in Cambridge, outside Boston. Studio Gang designed the two-storey structure with a central core made of a low-carbon concrete mix, combined with branching mass-timber ceiling supports and columns on the exterior. “The building’s exposed mass-timber structure creates its distinct architectural identity and reinforces it as a destination for innovation,” said the studio. “On the facade, canted timber columns branch outward like a tree to support a cantilevered upper floor.” Rubenstein Treehouse’s wood-clad facade is “strategically inflected”, creating a faceted appearance.