We are excited to share that the Cambridge Historic Commission has recognized the Richard J. Resch Boathouse at MIT with a 2023 Preservation Award!

Bruner/Cott partnered with boathouse experts Peterson Architects to revive the Richard J. Resch Boathouse at MIT. Situated along Memorial Drive, the building was originally 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.

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, and supports not only MIT’s crew teams but the greater community of Cambridge.

The project was recognized by the Cambridge Historic Commission at an in-person ceremony on May 25th.