1960s MIT Rowing Boathouse Is Restored and Renewed

The Richard J. Resch Boathouse (W8) has been restored and renewed to support the accelerated growth in popularity of MIT rowing. Situated along Memorial Drive, the building was constructed in 1965 and dedicated in 1966 as the Harold W. Pierce Boathouse. At the time, it was considered one of the most modern collegiate crew training and recreational rowing facilities for men anywhere. Its most distinguishing feature was the inclusion of an indoor rowing tank that allowed MIT athletes to train year-round, despite the conditions of harsh New England winters.

**A fully renovated and expanded boat storage area now houses more than 50 shells.**

The 22,000-square-foot boathouse is a flat-roofed laminated timber structure, standing on concrete piles, that appears to float atop the Charles River. It was designed by Anderson, Beckwith & Haible, a firm founded by Herbert L. Beckwith (MIT ’26) and Lawrence B. Anderson (MIT ’30), two prominent members of MIT’s Department of Architecture Faculty. Anderson and Beckwith designed some of the first and most significant modern buildings on an American university campus, including the MIT Alumni Pool (1938). They are considered key figures in the introduction of modern architecture to the United States and at MIT.

Prior to its renovation, the boathouse had limited egress, a well-worn exterior, single-pane windows, a disjointed interior plan and limited views to Boston. The original 2-story rowing tank room was floored-over for training and the existing docks could no longer accommodate current boat needs.

**Redesigned locker rooms and a visitors changing room create parity between the men’s and women’s programs.**

The renewal of the boathouse was comprehensive. On the exterior, the painted wood siding was replaced to refresh the facade without altering its character. Existing aluminum windows were replaced with taller, thermally broken windows to improve energy efficiency and expand views of the river. The existing exterior balcony was expanded to provide a larger spectator viewing area on the west side of the building and a new means of egress to the shore. The existing docks were refurbished with a more accessible and modern configuration.

Inside, the existing rowing tank was removed, freeing up a substantial amount of space on two levels to redistribute program areas. The primary staircase was shifted east from its original location to increase available storage space and create a central landing beneath an existing bank of skylights with views of the water on all four sides. Reorganizing interior spaces created new office areas and meeting spaces, three larger workout and training spaces, redesigned locker rooms and a visitors changing room that created parity between the men’s and women’s programs. A fully renovated and expanded boat storage area now houses more than 50 shells.

**BEFORE: Prior to its renovation, the boathouse had limited egress, a well-worn exterior, single-pane windows, a disjointed interior plan and limited views to Boston.**

The Richard J. Resch Boathouse is a significant piece of architecture along the Charles River, distinguishable from any of the larger, ornate rowing and sailing facilities that it neighbors. Its design befits MIT’s ethos of technology and advancement and represents a significant architectural period in Cambridge during the rise of modern architecture. Defining characteristics of the original building—transparency, simplicity, innovation—are preserved and amplified through targeted, meaningful interventions with reverence for tradition. The project repositions the Resch Boathouse as an architectural mainstay along the Charles River, celebrates its modern heritage. It supports not only MIT’s crew teams, but the greater community of Cambridge.

PHOTOS: Rick Mandelkorn