Graduate & Professional Schools | August 19, 2015

Harvard's summer of heavy construction

Overhauling the Kennedy School campus, the Business School’s new executive-education center, and College House renewal

From The September-October 2015 Issue

Heavy construction under way in the Harvard Kennedy School's (former) courtyard
Photograph by Harvard Magazine/JC

Harvard Business School’s Ruth Mulan Chu Chao Center
Photograph by Harvard Magazine/JC

Dunster House renovation nearing completion—in time to welcome returning students for the fall term
Photograph by Harvard Magazine/JC

Summer exterior renovations at Winthrop House
Photograph by Harvard Magazine/JC

At least for members of the Boston-area building trades, the recession and Harvard’s belt-tightening are in the rearview mirror. Major projects under way during the frenetic summer season (see photo gallery above) included the wholesale reconstruction of the Kennedy School campus, beginning with excavation of the somewhat-sunken courtyard; it will be raised to street level, accommodating future kitchens, loading docks, and other utilities underneath. Across the Charles River, Harvard Business School’s Ruth Mulan Chu Chao Center, a replacement executive-education facility, took shape. The reconstruction of Dunster House, part of the College’s House renewal, drew to a close in time to welcome students back from swing spaces for the fall semester. Exterior work began on Winthrop House, to prepare for full renovation and expansion in 2016-2017. And in early August, scaffolding was erected to begin the exterior refurbishment of the former Holyoke Center, now the Smith Campus Center, in Harvard Square (not shown); pending regulatory review, it will be extensively renovated and, at street level, repurposed, and debut in 2018.

Published in the September-October 2015 print issue under the headline “Campuses Under Construction,” in the John Harvard's Journal section.

You might also like

Stone building with tall columns, steps leading up, and a flag atop under a cloudy sky.

The University will compensate families of those whose remains were sold and establish a scholarship to honor anatomical donors.

Red brick building with large windows and greenery, set against a bright blue sky.

After a final round of layoffs, University leaders say 165 staff jobs were eliminated across the division.

University Hall with steps and the John Harvard statue, surrounded by trees and a grassy lawn.

Long-discussed reorganization includes layoffs and the end of the Dudley Community.

Most popular

Two laboratory researchers, one seated and one standing, in a scientific lab with equipment.

The stakes are high for this husband and wife: one of them will die if they don’t find a cure.

A woman with long hair stands confidently with crossed arms next to a pickup truck.

All That’s Unseen charts the Harvard graduate’s uneasy journey from Appalachia to Cambridge and back.

A busy classroom filled with students working at computers, colorful decor, and a bright atmosphere.

In 2004, a frenzy spread across Harvard Yard in days. Four billion users later, we are only just catching up.

Explore More From Current Issue

Three actors perform on stage, with one actor interacting closely with another, set against abstract backgrounds.

Arts & Culture

The play Spare Parts is a contemporary fable about the quest to live forever.

Colorful word cloud with various emotions and ideas related to learning and reflection.

Research

But it can’t replace human connection.

Three hands hold smartphones displaying social media profiles with likes and hearts.

Tell us about how social media impacts your daily life.