Constructed in 1975, New House is home to a vibrant community that encompasses nine living groups, including the cultural groups Chocolate City, French House, German House, and Spanish House. The decision to renovate the 115,000 square-foot residence was based on results of a  feasibility study conducted by the Office of Campus Planning and the MIT Capital Projects group. The renovation included substantial infrastructure upgrades as well as other quality of life improvements.

The 14-month construction project followed months of planning in which the architects, student residents, and staff from the Division of Student Life (DSL) and Campus Construction worked together to envision the future needs of the community. The result – a residence with improved connectivity between houses, new amenities (including cluster kitchens and quiet lounges in each house), enhanced accessibility, green roofs, and revitalized courtyards.

The primary goals of the renovation included retaining the 288-bed count, which was achieved, and preserving the nine communities while enhancing the connections among the houses. A 275-foot corridor now runs the entire length of the building, enabling residents to easily and accessibly move between communities on every level. The new design’s flexibility lets the communities’ populations change and allows for adaptability in assigning rooms to residents.

Goody Clancy led the redesign, collaborating with students and student life staff to understand residents’ needs. The teams envisioned the ground-floor arcade as the heart of the building with shared features such as a large community-shared ‘country kitchen’ and an expanded, multi-purpose room, makerspace, laundry, and fitness room located along its path. Placement of these features next to the house lounge on the arcade level enables those spaces to spill out onto the adjacent courtyards, providing an open, communal space encouraging creative connections among students.

“In my 17 years as head of house for New House, I saw how the students lived, worked, and connected with one another,” says Wesley Harris, Charles Stark Draper Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics. “The freshness and openness that this renovation breathes will be most welcomed by our students, and the new east – west horizontal integration will be a substantial improvement in the quality of life.”