McDonald Electrical Wins 2026 NECA Project Excellence Award for Harvard Treehouse

McDonald Electrical Corporation has been recognized with a 2026 NECA Project Excellence Award for its work on the Harvard Treehouse, earning top honors in the Energy Solutions/Green Buildings – Over $1 Million category.

Presented by the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), the Project Excellence Awards recognize outstanding electrical construction projects from across the country and celebrate the innovation, craftsmanship, expertise, and leadership of NECA contractors. The award recognizes McDonald Electricals’ work on the Harvard Treehouse, an innovative mass timber facility designed to advance a new model for sustainable construction and create a collaborative environment for learning, research, and engagement. See all category award winners here.

Supporting Harvard’s Sustainability Goals

From the outset, the Harvard Treehouse challenged the project team to approach construction differently. Designed to meet the rigorous requirements of the Living Building Challenge, the project prioritizes low-carbon construction, healthy building materials, energy efficiency, and environmental responsibility. The facility operates without fossil fuels while its mass timber structure significantly reduces embodied carbon compared with conventional construction methods.

For McDonald Electrical, achieving these ambitious goals required careful planning and coordination throughout every phase of construction. The project demanded extensive attention to material selection, sourcing, documentation, and installation methods. Electrical components and materials were evaluated against stringent sustainability and material health requirements, requiring the team to identify compliant solutions while maintaining the performance and reliability expected of a world-class academic facility.

Precision Within a Mass Timber Structure

The building’s exposed mass timber construction also created unique electrical installation challenges. Unlike traditional construction, where electrical infrastructure can often be concealed, the Treehouse’s highly visible architectural design meant routing, placement, and installation had to be approached with exceptional precision. Electrical systems needed to integrate seamlessly into the architecture while preserving the warmth and visual character of the exposed timber.

Close collaboration among McDonald Electrical, the design team, and project partners was essential. Careful coordination allowed electrical and life safety systems to be incorporated into the building while supporting both its architectural vision and sustainability objectives. The result is a facility where technical performance, craftsmanship, architecture, and environmental responsibility work together.

Creating a Model for the Future

Beyond its sustainability achievements, the Harvard Treehouse represents what is possible when the construction industry challenges conventional building practices. The project serves as a living example of sustainable design for students, faculty, researchers, and visitors while demonstrating approaches that can help inform the next generation of high-performance academic and institutional facilities.

For the McDonald Electrical team, the project also provided an opportunity to expand its expertise in mass timber construction, sustainable material requirements, advanced coordination, and high-performance electrical systems—knowledge that will carry forward into future projects.

Looking Ahead

Winning a 2026 NECA Project Excellence Award recognizes not only the finished facility, but also the expertise, adaptability, collaboration, and craftsmanship required to bring an ambitious project like the Harvard Treehouse to life.

The 2026 Project Excellence Award winners will be recognized at the NECA 2026 Conference in Las Vegas this fall. McDonald Electrical is honored to receive this recognition and proud to see the Harvard Treehouse project recognized on a national level. McDonald Electrical is proud to have contributed to this groundbreaking facility and honored to have the team’s work recognized among the best in the electrical construction industry.

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