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Wellesley College Science Complex (2022), Innovation Hub, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts.

AAP
Alumni
Archive

Jon H. Alvarez

B.Arch. '77

Wellesley College Science Complex (2022), Innovation Hub, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts.

Improving Education by Design

by Elisa Gallaro

Jon H. Alvarez (B.Arch. '77) spent much of his childhood meeting architects and talking with them about their craft. As far back as he can remember, he was a fixture at the office of his uncle, a New Jersey architect. By age 10, Alvarez was accompanying his dad, a building products salesperson, on rounds to architectural firms. "I always loved it," Alvarez says.

His decision to become an architect was "almost predestined," and his choice of Cornell followed suit. "I was searching for an undergraduate program in architecture, and that narrowed the field," he says. "Cornell had the preeminent program."

Alvarez has been consistently surprised at where his degree and his Cornell experience have taken him — and the resulting impact on some of the Northeast's best-known college campuses.

Photo of an older man with gray hair, dressed in a business suit.

Jon H. Alvarez.

Three female students watch another student and a professor play instruments in a rehearsal hall.

Wellesley College Pendleton Hall West (2017), acoustical wall system in rehearsal hall, Wellesley, Massachusetts. Michael Moran / OTTO

Left:

Jon H. Alvarez.

Right:

Wellesley College Pendleton Hall West (2017), acoustical wall system in rehearsal hall, Wellesley, Massachusetts. Michael Moran / OTTO

At the University of Connecticut, from 1995 through 2005, Alvarez managed the 10-year $1 billion UConn 2000 program, which transformed the campus of Connecticut's flagship university. As senior project manager, he oversaw the design and construction of more than 85 facilities, including dormitories and teaching and research centers. 

Alvarez played a similar role at Wellesley College in Massachusetts, where he served from 2014 to 2017 as director of Design and Construction for the most ambitious capital program in Wellesley's history. Among his favorite projects was an award-winning renovation and expansion — designed by Philadelphia architectural firm KieranTimberlake — that connected two buildings to integrate the arts and meet the needs of a new generation of students. 

Since 2017, Alvarez has been director of Campus Planning at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), responsible for a $5.2 billion program. Recently completed projects include a 434-bed dormitory designed by Michael Maltzan Architecture of Los Angeles, and a multiuse building — featuring graduate housing, MIT Admissions, and the MIT Museum — designed by Nader Tehrani, principal of NADAAA in Boston. Work is underway on a new music building, designed by Pritzker Prize–winning SANAA Architects of Tokyo, and on the new MIT Stephen A. Schwarzman College of Computing building designed by SOM of New York City.

"This was not something I ever envisioned. I'm not even sure I knew these roles existed back when I was at Cornell," Alvarez says. "But they offer opportunities to work with some of the world's most talented architects and help clear a path for them to do their best work." 

"You see the tremendous impact these projects — and, particularly, good design — can have on the campus environment and the students," he adds. "These are lasting legacies. When I talk with my team, I remind them that generations will benefit from the work we're doing now."

Rendering of bikers and pedestrians in a plaza in front of a glass building.

MIT Stephen A. Schwarzman College of Computing (2023), Building 45 center facade rendering, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Rendering by SOM, courtesy of MIT.

MIT Stephen A. Schwarzman College of Computing (2023), Building 45 center facade rendering, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Rendering by SOM, courtesy of MIT.

Alvarez got his first job with an architecture firm by chance while in high school, before he started at Cornell. He was sweeping the sidewalk in front of a local pharmacy where he worked as a clerk, when he was approached by a partner at Moore, Lyndon, Turnbull, and Whitaker (MLTW). The firm had recently opened an office down the street, and the partner "asked if I'd be interested in pushing a broom at his architectural office. I jumped at the opportunity," Alvarez says. He ended up working at both places, sweeping outdoors as part of his pharmacy duties and indoors at MLTW.

When he made the job offer, the MLTW partner "had no idea what my interests were," Alvarez says. That changed soon after he started working there.

"Partners from that era still recall that my broom handle was curved from hours of leaning on it, as I paused at the drawing boards of the architects and talked to them about everything under the sun," he says.

The experience introduced Alvarez to renowned architect Charles W. Moore. The two would connect again in the 1980s, when Moore was the O'Neil Ford Centennial Chair in Architecture at the University of Texas at Austin. By then, Alvarez was with Shefelman & Nix Architects in Austin, which partnered with Moore's Los Angeles firm, Moore Ruble Yudell, to win an international design competition. 

"Charles Moore was the only genius I have ever known and was a major influence on my career," Alvarez says. "I took every available opportunity to see him lecture both while at Cornell and after I graduated."

Alvarez began his career as an architect working for John Franzen (B.Arch. '70, M.Arch. '75), who had been a teaching assistant at AAP when Alvarez was an undergraduate. The job was with a small firm that designed houses on speculation, after which he honed his skills at other private firms, including Shefelman & Nix.

In 1985, he launched his own practice and over the next two years built a small team and a portfolio of residential and light commercial projects. Then, in October 1987, came Black Monday, which "unfortunately foretold the demise of my residential practice," Alvarez says. Attracted by the stability and potential to influence government projects, Alvarez accepted a position as project manager with the Connecticut Department of Public Works. 

These are lasting legacies. When I talk with my team, I remind them that generations will benefit from the work we're doing now.

Exterior of a reddish-tan block building at dusk.

Yale University Maurice R. Greenberg Conference Center (2009), New Haven, Connecticut. Peter Aaron / OTTO

Yale University Maurice R. Greenberg Conference Center (2009), New Haven, Connecticut. Peter Aaron / OTTO

Most of his assignments involved UConn, where Alvarez discovered his passion. In 1995, when the university was granted autonomy to oversee the UConn 2000 construction and renovation program, Alvarez successfully applied to serve as senior project manager. From then on, except for a brief stint with KPMG's real estate and construction advisory group, Alvarez has focused on enhancing the college environment and experience.

Partly to stay connected to his constituents at MIT — as he did previously at Wellesley — Alvarez taps his considerable tennis skills as a volunteer assistant coach for the women's team. "I get to know a cohort of students and hear what they think of the campus, the buildings, the experience, and things in general," he says. "That keeps me really grounded in what our mission is, and I think it pays dividends in the work we do."

Looking back on his own college days, Alvarez has great appreciation for his Cornell education and its enduring contributions to his success. In 1976, as a fourth-year student, Alvarez was part of a multidisciplinary team — including classmates from AAP and the College of Human Ecology — charged with converting a barn into an energy self-reliant independent school. The design incorporated composting toilets and used solar and wind-generated energy sources, innovations that were almost unheard of back then. Equally important, as lead designer, Alvarez gained real-world experience collaborating on the project and interacting with clients.

"I got a tremendous education," he says, although it wasn’t until after he graduated that Alvarez "discovered how well-equipped I was to deal with the work, especially problem solving." 

In addition, he cites the connections, the network, and the name. "I don’t think I realized how much Cornell would open doors for me throughout my career," Alvarez says. "For more than 40 years, being part of the Cornell family has been an incredibly valuable calling card."

Projects

Yale University Maurice R. Greenberg Conference Center (2009)

Campus plan

Robert A.M. Stern Architects (architect), campus plan, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.

Campus plan

Site plan

Robert A.M. Stern Architects (architect), site plan, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. 

Site plan

Site plan

Robert A.M. Stern Architects (architect), site plan, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.

Site plan

Ground floor plan

Robert A.M. Stern Architects (architect), ground floor plan, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.

Ground floor plan

Lower level plan

Robert A.M. Stern Architects (architect), lower level plan, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.

Lower level plan

East-west section

Robert A.M. Stern Architects (architect), east-west section, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.

East-west section

North-south section

Robert A.M. Stern Architects (architect), north-south section, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.

North-south section

Sketch

Robert A.M. Stern Architects (architect), sketch of view from lawn by Jeffery Povero, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.

Sketch of view from lawn

Illustrated rendering a building exterior.

Robert A.M. Stern Architects (architect), rendering of view from southwest by Thomas Schaller, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.

Rendering of view from southwest

Model

Robert A.M. Stern Architects (architect), aerial view of model, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.

Aerial view of model

Model

Robert A.M. Stern Architects (architect), aerial view of model, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.

Aerial view of model

Model

Robert A.M. Stern Architects (architect), aerial view of model, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.

Aerial view of model

Exterior

Robert A.M. Stern Architects (architect), exterior view from southwest, 14,000 square feet, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. Peter Aaron / OTTO

View from southwest

Exterior of a reddish-tan block building at dusk.

Robert A.M. Stern Architects (architect), west facade, 14,000 square feet, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. Peter Aaron / OTTO

West facade

Steps leading into a reddish-tan cement block building

Robert A.M. Stern Architects (architect), entry, 14,000 square feet, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. Peter Aaron / OTTO

Entry

Illustrated rendering of a dining hall.

Robert A.M. Stern Architects (architect), rendering of dining hall by Thomas Schaller, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.

Rendering of dining hall

Interior

Robert A.M. Stern Architects (architect), dining hall, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. Peter Aaron / OTTO

Dining hall

Exterior

Robert A.M. Stern Architects (architect), entry lobby, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. Peter Aaron / OTTO

Entry lobby

Interior

Robert A.M. Stern Architects (architect), arcade connecting the center to the historic Betts House, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. Peter Aaron / OTTO

Arcade

Interior

Robert A.M. Stern Architects (architect), auditorium, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. Peter Aaron / OTTO

 

Auditorium

Wellesley College Pendleton Hall West Renovation & Addition (2017)

Aerial view of two buildings connected by a skybridge.

Kieran Timberlake (architect), aerial view, 58,000 square feet (48,000 renovation; 10,000 addition), Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts. Michael Moran / OTTO

Aerial view

exterior view of a building with long planks installed vertically outside a window at the corner of the building's top floor.

Kieran Timberlake (architect), exterior view, 58,000 square feet (48,000 renovation; 10,000 addition), Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts. Michael Moran / OTTO

Exterior view

Planks accent a building's boxy exterior.

Kieran Timberlake (architect), concrete and wood exterior, 58,000 square feet (48,000 renovation; 10,000 addition), Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts. Michael Moran / OTTO

Concrete and wood exterior

A young woman walks down a flight of concrete stairs outside.

Kieran Timberlake (architect), Arts Passage connecting the addition and Jewett Art Center, 58,000 square feet (48,000 renovation; 10,000 addition), Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts. Michael Moran / OTTO

Arts Passage

Students work on a project inside a classroom.

Kieran Timberlake (architect), art studio, 58,000 square feet (48,000 renovation; 10,000 addition), Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts. Michael Moran / OTTO

Art studio

Vertical planks of wood line the walls of a large rehearsal hall where black chairs face the front of the space and students watch a professor and another student playing musical instruments.

Kieran Timberlake (architect), rehearsal hall with wood acoustical wall system, 58,000 square feet (48,000 renovation; 10,000 addition), Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts. Michael Moran / OTTO

Rehearsal hall

Floor-to-ceiling windows accent a room entirely clad with wood.

Kieran Timberlake (architect), windows in the oak-lined rehearsal hall, 58,000 square feet (48,000 renovation; 10,000 addition), Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts. Michael Moran / OTTO

Windows in the oak-lined
rehearsal hall

A neutral-colored hallway on the ground floor features a red ceiling and a wall of windows.

Kieran Timberlake (architect), passageway with red fabric acoustic ceiling, 58,000 square feet (48,000 renovation; 10,000 addition), Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts. Michael Moran / OTTO

Passageway with red fabric acoustic ceiling

A neutral-colored hallway features a red ceiling, a wall lined vertically with wooden planks, and an exterior wall lined with windows.

Kieran Timberlake (architect), passageway with red fabric acoustic ceiling, 58,000 square feet (48,000 renovation; 10,000 addition), Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts. Michael Moran / OTTO

Passageway with red fabric acoustic ceiling

Wellesley College Global Flora Conservatory (2019)

Illustrated plan of a visitor center and large greenhouse.

Kennedy & Violich Architecture (architect), ground floor plan, 7,500-square-foot building, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts.

Ground floor plan

A section drawing of a greenhouse showing someone on a harness, plucking something from a tree.

Kennedy & Violich Architecture (architect), section looking west, 7,500-square-foot building, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts, photo courtesy of Kennedy & Violich Architecture, Ltd.

Section looking west

Digitally illustrated diagram showing sustainability features of a greenhouse.

Kennedy & Violich Architecture (architect), axonometric diagram showing sustainability features, 7,500-square-foot building, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts, photo courtesy of Kennedy & Violich Architecture, Ltd.

Axonometric diagram

Window peering into a room with a tree inside.

Kennedy & Violich Architecture (architect), pavilion exterior at dusk, 7,500-square-foot building, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts, courtesy of Kennedy & Violich Architecture, Ltd.

Pavilion exterior at dusk

Exterior of a glass, triangular building.

Kennedy & Violich Architecture (architect), exterior view from southeast, 7,500-square-foot building, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts, courtesy of Kennedy & Violich Architecture, Ltd.

Exterior view from southeast

A tree near a seating area outside of a building.

Kennedy & Violich Architecture (architect), Camellia Pavilion interior, 7,500-square-foot building, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts, photo courtesy of Kennedy & Violich Architecture, Ltd.

Camellia Pavilion interior

Plants bordering a walkway inside a greenhouse with a glass triangular roof.

Kennedy & Violich Architecture (architect), greenhouse interior, mangrove tank, 7,500-square-foot building, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts, photo courtesy of Kennedy & Violich Architecture, Ltd.

Mangrove tank

Plants inside of a greenhouse

Kennedy & Violich Architecture (architect), greenhouse interior, wet biome, 7,500-square-foot building, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts, photo courtesy of Kennedy & Violich Architecture, Ltd.

Wet biome

Plants inside of a greenhouse.

Kennedy & Violich Architecture (architect), greenhouse interior, wet biome, 7,500-square-foot building, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts, photo courtesy of Kennedy & Violich Architecture, Ltd.

Wet biome

A person wearing blue gloves and casual clothes is working at a wooden table inside a greenhouse.

Kennedy & Violich Architecture (architect), view of wet biome from mezzanine, 7,500-square-foot building, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts, photo courtesy of Kennedy & Violich Architecture, Ltd.

View of wet biome from mezzanine

Wellesley College Science Complex (2022)

Rendering showing an aerial view of a gray building surrounded by trees.

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (architect), aerial view rendering, 97,000 square feet, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts.

Aerial view rendering

Rendering of a building's exterior, constructed with large gray blocks.

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (architect), drop-off, 97,000 square feet, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts.

Drop-off

Rendering of a person gardening outside of a large building.

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (architect), rendering of view from behind the Science Center includes the Camilla Chandler Frost '47 Center for the Environment, the Chao Innovation Hub, and new greenhouses, 97,000 square feet, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts.

Rendering of Science Center exterior

Rendering of people seated indoors at small round tables.

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (architect), T.T. and W.F. Chao Foundation Innovation Hub rendering, double-height windows overlook the Edible Ecosystem, 97,000 square feet, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts.

 

 

Chao Foundation Innovation Hub

Spherical pendant lights hang from a wood-clad ceiling, past a balcony.

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (architect), laminated timber structure in Chao Foundation Innovation Hub, 97,000 square feet, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts.

Laminated timber structure in Innovation Hub

Construction materials inside a finished room with a wall of windows, wood-clad ceiling, and globe pendant lights.

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (architect), construction of Chao Foundation Innovation Hub, 97,000 square feet, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts.

Construction of Innovation Hub

Interior view of a stairwell and glass wall looking out at another window adhered with large letters spelling the word "Psych."

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (architect), interior rendering, 97,000 square feet, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts.

Interior rendering

People casually seated outside a window labeled Research Lab, showing people inside dressed in white lab coats.

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (architect), research lab rendering, 97,000 square feet, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts.

Research lab rendering

MIT Stephen A. Schwarzman College of Computing (2023)

Rendering of a pedestrian walkway next to a glass building.

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (architect), Building 45, east approach rendering, 174,000 gross square feet, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Rendering by SOM, courtesy of MIT.

East approach rendering

Rendering of a glass building in an urban environment.

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (architect), Building 45, west approach rendering, 174,000 gross square feet, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Rendering by SOM, courtesy of MIT.

West approach rendering

Rendering of a glass building.

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (architect), Building 45, south building elevation plan, 174,000 gross square feet, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Rendering by SOM, courtesy of MIT.

South building elevation plan

Rendering of bikers and pedestrians in a plaza in front of a glass building.

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (architect), Building 45, center facade rendering, 174,000 gross square feet, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Rendering by SOM, courtesy of MIT.

Center facade rendering

Explore more Alumni from the 1970s

H. Alan Brangman B.Arch. '75
Joel Carreiro B.F.A. '71

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