Design Committee Hires Teen Artists to Add Vitality to Sustainable Renovation Projects 

Three local teens employed in the Painting Studio program with the non-profit Artists for Humanity (AFH) were honored by Harvard University Housing and Real Estate (HUHRE), and the Office for Sustainability (OFS), for their nature-inspired artwork that is prominently displayed at 5 Sacramento Street and 13 Kirkland Place. 

The young artists partnered with a Harvard staff design committee comprised of Olivia Percy, Assistant Director of Sustainable Real Estate, Office for Sustainability (OFS); Levee Ann Mollineau, Area Manager for Botanic Group, Harvard University Housing and Real Estate (HUHRE); Veronica Dea Santana, Associate Director of Graduate Commons Program, HUHRE; and Shelbea West, Assistant Director of Communications and Administration, HUHRE. Together they sought to create something unique and meaningful for each location.  

“I feel as though when you allow a high school student to engage in a project from inception through to completion, it empowers them with the ability to make positive change in their community,” said Jason Talbot, co-founder and managing director of programs, Artists for Humanity. “I also feel as though it helps them engage with their education set goals for themselves, and hopefully have a bright sustainable future.” 

The teens created large-scale mural panels for installations at the buildings’ bike shelters on Harvard’s campus as part of their AFH work experience. The artists are Asia Gomes, 17, who attends Boston Arts Academy; Rose Christian, 18, who attends Excel High School; and, Nia Nolan, 18, who attends Fenway High School. Two of the three artists—Gomes and Nolan, were on campus recently to receive a certificate of community impact for the work they did. 

“I really enjoyed working on the project. It was fun. I like that a lot of people are going to see my work. And it was really nice to collaborate with Asia. She’s really talented. I love the parts that she added to it,” said Nolan. “It just really brings it all together. Yeah, it’s been fun.” 

The commissioned pieces were part of Harvard University Housing and Real Estate’s landmark sustainable renovation of the two historically significant residential properties. As part of their efforts to achieve the International Living Future Institute’s Living Building Challenge Core Certification and its Imperative for Beauty and Biophilia, the on-site bicycle facilities have been turned into works of public art.  

“I wanted to capture a lot of the life here. And so I did a lot of research on Sacramento (Road). I also liked the challenges, painting something that big. I’ve never done anything like that. It was really cool. And seeing it in person is like a big accomplishment. It feels really good,” said Gomes. 

The murals echo the regenerative landscape of the site with the inclusion of native plants and pollinator species, while also tying in the importance of neighborhood identity and historic preservation with tile, brick, and natural history references. In addition to LBC (Living Building Challenge) Core Certification, the properties have also been awarded passive house certification from the Passive House Institute US and meet Harvard University’s standards for healthier buildings.  

You can learn more about the Sustainable Living features of these properties and the certifications they achieved by visiting Sustainable Living at Harvard Housing. 

“They came out terrific,” said P.J. Connors, director of property operations at Harvard, adding that the murals represent a meaningful integration of community, nature, and biophilia into the living space. “This more holistic approach really incorporates lifestyle, humanity, equity into these projects, doing so in a way that is so well-captured with the designs.”