Harvard University, Dunster House Renewal

Historic Preservation at Harvard University

The Harvard Dunster House is one of Harvard University’s prominent river houses providing housing and other amenities to undergraduate students. The house is part of the university’s house renewal program. This process preserved the classic architecture while providing new modern housing for over 300 students in approximately 166,500 sq. ft. of living space. The preservations of the Neogeorgian Dunster House included rebuilding of 51 chimneys, new slate roof, brick restoration, gold leaf spire and meticulous interior wood and plaster work. All student rooms were gutted and rebuilt. The exterior of the historic building was renovated, with special care taken to preserve the historic facade. The renewal also included the addition of functional areas below grade, and an upgrade to code of all building systems. The Harvard Dunster House Renewal Project was awarded the 2016 City of Cambridge Historic Preservation Award.