Harvard renews Dunster House

House Renewal reaches a whole new scale.

Having practiced the art and craft of House renewal on parts of Quincy and Leverett houses, the College is now renovating an entire undergraduate residence. As soon as students decamped, the scaffolding went up, construction workers began stripping the roof and removing obsolete interior fixtures, and the courtyard was converted into a staging area for heavy equipment and building materials: the grass gave way to gravel and the iron gate facing the Charles River was removed for safekeeping (with the supporting towers protectively boxed). After a year-long diaspora—in part in the repurposed Inn at Harvard, which will have a swing-space dining hall—students should move back into their remade quarters in time for classes in September 2015.

You might also like

Landscape Architect Julie Bargmann Transforming Forgotten Urban Sites

Julie Bargmann and her D.I.R.T. Studio give new life to abandoned mines, car plants, and more.

Best Bars for Seasonal Drinks and Snacks in Greater Boston

Gathering spots that warm and delight us  

Preserving the History of Jim Crow Era Safe Havens

Architectural historian Catherine Zipf is building a database of Green Book sites.  

Most popular

Harvard Football: Villanova 52, Harvard 7

The Crimson’s inaugural playoff appearance is nasty, brutish, and short.

Excerpt from “Exercised,” by Daniel E. Lieberman

A biological anthropologist explains why and how exercise works to combat senescence.

Why Do We Still Have the Electoral College?

Historian Alexander Keyssar on why the unpopular institution has prevailed 

Explore More From Current Issue

Map showing Uralic populations in Eurasia, highlighting regional distribution and historical sites.

The Origins of Europe’s Most Mysterious Languages

A small group of Siberian hunter-gatherers changed the way millions of Europeans speak today.

Aerial view of a landscaped area with trees and seating, surrounded by buildings and parking.

Landscape Architect Julie Bargmann Transforming Forgotten Urban Sites

Julie Bargmann and her D.I.R.T. Studio give new life to abandoned mines, car plants, and more.

Professor David Liu smiles while sitting at a desk with colorful lanterns and a figurine in the background.

This Harvard Scientist Is Changing the Future of Genetic Diseases

David Liu has pioneered breakthroughs in gene editing, creating new therapies that may lead to cures.