Swartz Hall Renovation
Ralph DeFlorio and Mark Nystrom, HDS’s past and current directors of facilities and operations, offer a detailed view of the 2019-21 renewal of Swartz Hall (formerly Andover Hall).
Swartz Hall Updates
Swartz Hall Update—November 19, 2021
Just a few weeks ago we held the ceremonial opening of Swartz Hall. It was amazing to see all of the people who made this total renewal happen gathered together in this space. What has been equally amazing to see, as we’re now well into the first semester...
Swartz Hall Update—October 29, 2021
Over the past couple of months, it has been beyond words to see our campus come back to life. After a two-year project, Swartz Hall finally opened and HDS students, faculty, and staff reunited in a renewed building after 18 months apart. While the...
Swartz Hall Update—August 6, 2021
Hello, everyone. My name is Mark Nystrom and I am the new director of facilities and operations at Harvard Divinity School. I want to briefly introduce myself since I’ll be sharing information about the Swartz Hall renewal as we sprint toward the opening...
Swartz Hall Update—July 2, 2021
While much of my writing in these Swartz Hall project updates has focused on the renewal of the physical building, an equally important part of this endeavor is the improvements to the campus landscape. As major work on the building has ended and we are...
Swartz Hall Update—June 11, 2021
As we move quickly toward the completion of the Swartz Hall renewal, our new spaces are starting to take their final shape. It’s exciting to see these areas, which started from a vision of inclusivity, accessibility, and sustainability, come to fruition...
Swartz Hall Update—May 14, 2021
There are two new features of the renewed Swartz Hall that you’ll no doubt notice when you arrive back on campus, and I want to share the interesting way in which they came to be. Two new gas fireplaces constructed for our campus as part of this project...
Swartz Hall Update—April 9, 2021
A goal of renewing our century-old main campus building is preserving the historical character of Swartz Hall while increasing our energy efficiency and creating a welcoming, accessible, and modern environment. One of the best examples of this goal, and...
Swartz Hall Update—March 12, 2021
As we continue moving closer to completion of the Swartz Hall renewal, one of the tasks underway on the project site is the installation of restored and replicated millwork. The millwork includes wall panels, doors, trim, cabinets, and more. These items...
Swartz Hall Update—February 26, 2021
Recently, I had the privilege of participating in a talk about how we responsibly handle construction waste for the Swartz Hall renewal. During this conversation, which was part of an ongoing series of waste system and culture talks organized by HDS...
Swartz Hall Update—January 29, 2021
We made it to 2021. I’m optimistic 2021 will be a year of new beginnings, and that can certainly be said about Swartz Hall. We’re now in the home-stretch of the renewal project, just months to go before completion. With our anticipated occupancy date set...
Swartz Hall Update—December 17, 2020
Well, 2020 is finally about to come to a close. In what has been a challenging year in many ways, I like to think about, in regard to the Swartz Hall project, how far we’ve come in just the last 12 months. In this update, I not only want to take a look at...
Swartz Hall Update—November 13, 2020
Our twenty-first century campus center is starting to take shape inside the walls of our century-old building. While work continues on various exterior projects, Swartz Hall crews have been making steady progress inside in recent weeks. In this update, I...
Swartz Hall Update—October 2, 2020
As we’re starting to head into colder, potentially snowier months, an important part of the renewal project is making sure the exterior of Swartz Hall is weatherized and ready to withstand a New England winter. This process allows the crews to continue...
Swartz Hall Update—September 2, 2020
We are starting off the fall semester eager to see everyone safely back on campus as we continue to renew Swartz Hall. One of the most noticeable and significant portions of the project is the new space, which will contain the café and commons area...
Swartz Hall Update—May 22, 2020
We will soon resume work on the Swartz Hall renewal and I wanted to offer an update on how we will proceed to ensure the health of all those involved in the project. In compliance with recent guidelines issued by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the...
Swartz Hall Update—April 3, 2020
It's April, and things have changed quite a bit since I last wrote. Given the changes that have taken place not just here, but across the world, I wanted to offer an update on the renewal effort. The City of Cambridge recently instituted a temporary...
Swartz Hall Update—March 6, 2020
This week, March 1-7, is National Women in Construction Week. We join our partner on the Swartz Hall renewal, Shawmut Design and Construction, in celebrating this week, and I wanted to use this space to highlight some of the women working hard to renew...
Swartz Hall Update—February 21, 2020
Here we are nearing the end of February and, while the days can be quite cold, the work on the Swartz Hall renewal project is heating up. About 100 laborers are busy performing work on the site, and that number will hold steady for the next few weeks...
Swartz Hall Update—January 24, 2020
Welcome to 2020, which will no doubt be a momentous year for our School. I hope everyone had a nice, restful winter recess. Typically the campus is pretty quiet while many of our students and faculty are away until the semester begins (this year on...
Swartz Hall Update—December 6, 2019
In recent weeks on this blog I’ve talked about our focus on healthy materials and our historical character preservation. In this post I wanted to share some images and offer an update on the progress that’s been made within and around Swartz Hall. Nearly...