Keil’s own Morse College, which reopened this past fall after extensive construction, now contains a 120-foot theater, numerous skylights and floodlights, and a waterfall in the courtyard.
Each renovated college has a number of modern amenities, including fully-equipped gyms, dance and recording studios, and art galleries.
Though no comparable modifications to the Harvard Houses have been confirmed, “plans must recognize the place the Houses hold in our history even as they clear the way for future growth—both personal and physical,” Faust, Smith, and Hammonds wrote in the 2008 Crimson op-ed.
The 13-year renovation of Yale’s residential colleges is slated to conclude this year with the completion of Ezra Stiles College, but despite the fact that the official timeline for construction is almost finished, masters say that in reality the process is far from over.
Steven B, Smith, master of Branford College—the second college to be renovated—says parts of his building had to be redone even after Yale officially opened the renovated building.
“There were problems that started to come up a year later,” Smith says.
Construction on Morse College ended this past year, but Keil says that he expects that it will take well over a year to fix the “unanticipated” problems, which he says range “from toilets that don’t flush to lights that don’t go off.”
AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE
Although administrators have reaffirmed their commitment to renovating the Houses, the details of House renewal’s future remain uncertain. Harvard has yet to set a timeline for the remainder of House renewal or to finalize renovation plans for Old Quincy.
“Because the process is currently ongoing, there are no final decisions about specific designs to report at this time,” FAS spokesperson Jeff Neal wrote in an e-mail. “I expect we will have much more information about specific design concepts to share with the Harvard community and with The Crimson in May.”
Until then, according to Neal, architects are in the process of drafting plans and soliciting feedback from students, faculty, and staff across the College. Even with extensive preparations, however, any plan may face a surprise or two.
“The renovation of old buildings always presents unexpected challenges,” Yale University Planner Laura A. Cruickshank wrote in an e-mail. “So the rule of thumb is to ‘expect the unexpected’ and build time into the schedule to address the issues that arise.”
—Staff writer Hana N. Rouse can be reached at hrouse@college.harvard.edu.