For the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS), 1960 saw the completion of the Leverett Towers and Library, New Quincy and Jordan J, K and W. From 1962 to 1964, Holyoke Center, Carpenter Center, the Hoffman Labs, the Engineering Sciences building, Peabody Terrace and William James Hall were built by FAS. Radcliffe built Hilles Library in 1965.

The 1970s, not to be outdone, made a few other notable additions. Currier House was finished by Radcliffe in 1970, the same year Harvard finished Mather House. The Science Center followed soon after in 1973, Canaday Hall in 1974 and Pusey Library in 1976.

While Pusey was not directly responsible for all new buildings built at the University during this time, Harvard's frugal, space-saving outlook would dominate most other considerations during this period of intense development that ended around 1977, when the Kennedy School of Government was built.

'Miracle Materials'

As a result the revamping of the newer buildings, began a few years ago, poses a different set of problems than that of the older buildings, according to those involved.

While the renovation of the first-year dorms has received the most attention, several other buildings are also going under hammer and nail.

Leaks, for example, have plagued several of the newer buildings since their construction. Part of the problem can be attributed to the flat roofs that were widely used during their construction.

"Flat roofs will always leak. It's just a question of when," said McKay Professor of Mechanical Engineering Frederick H. Abernathy at a recent discussion on environmental policy at Harvard.

But the original roofs themselves at times aggravated the problems. William James Hall leaked constantly from the time it was opened until a few years ago, when a new roof was installed, according to Dean R. Gallant '72, assistant director for the center of behavioral studies.

And Canaday, where residents have come to expect falling plaster and ceiling cracks, will have to have a new roof put on during its renovation this summer, says Project Manager Alana M. Knuff.

"I'm looking towards copper," she said. "The original roof is turncoated steel--not, in my opinion, the best type of material. And it wasn't put on properly."

In some cases the flashing, the layer of material between a building's outer walls and inner walls used to keep out precipitation, has deteriorated. While all flashing wears down over time, most of the older buildings used more durable materials, usually lead-coated copper, that lasts for about 100 years, says Michael N. Litton, acting director of the Office of Physical Resources for FAS.

"The 'miracle materials' in the 70s didn't hold up," Litton says.

The leakage has affected more than plaster roofs and inhabitants' nerves. Over the years, the water has warped the metal window frames common to buildings of the 60s and 70s, leading to drafts.

"We could pull the windows, but it wouldn't solve the problem," says Professor of the History of Religion and Islamic Studies William A. Graham, master of Currier House. "It's a bigger job than just the windows."