"There will always be artsy, creative, queer, quirky East Campus types at MIT, and they will find each other and build a community somehow."
Providing an outstanding student experience, both inside and outside the classroom, is a vital part of MIT’s mission to prepare students for effective and enlightened leadership in the 21st century and beyond. Residential life is central to that goal. The East Campus undergraduate residence, which opened its doors in 1924, remains a touchstone within the MIT community where students’ unique traits and skills are celebrated.
Hall kitchens, which were added to the buildings in 1983, will benefit from expansion along with a refreshed layout and efficient electric appliances.
A large community kitchen and lounge space will be added to the ground floor, along with centrally located elevators.
The layout of the common spaces for each hall will offer two lounges and a kitchen for gathering and socializing.
The updated makerspace will be more accessible for users and make it easier to move projects to the courtyard.
Entrance lounges will provide natural gathering places as students go about their days, and new elevators will make East Campus more accessible.
Updated music practice rooms and fitness rooms will promote student well-being, providing additional venues for artistic expression and exercise.
The courtyard, updated to better facilitate student builds and the health of the stately elm trees, will continue to be an anchor of the vibrant East Campus community.
In 1940, East Campus residents lit up their windows to spell “TECH.”
Now, a historic renovation will revitalize its two parallel structures (Buildings 62 and 64). The updates will preserve the iconic shapes of the buildings while adding key accessibility features and improvements that will holistically facilitate the growth and nurturing of future communities.
Explore the East Campus Renovation
Makerspace and Main Entrance
Courtyard, Main Entrance, and Community Kitchen
Hall Clot, Lounge, and Kitchen
REX Build – an East Campus tradition
Every year during resident exploration week, or REX week, at MIT, our undergraduate residence halls host activities to encourage new students to visit, get to know the vibe of the community, and hopefully choose to join. So, how do you get the attention of first-year MIT students? At East Campus, you invite them to help build a roller coaster.
The roller coaster team undergoes training and works with the City of Cambridge to ensure proper safety measures are followed. Once building begins, interested first-year students are invited to help with construction, and when it’s finished, to take ride. When the coaster comes down after REX week, the materials are recycled and reused, with some going to students who repurpose them to customize their rooms.
Support East Campus
Your philanthropic support will help us achieve the promise of this historic renovation project for a new generation of MIT students and East Campus residents.
Gifts of all levels are deeply appreciated with naming opportunities starting at $100,000. Yet to be raised: $15M.
To learn more about supporting the East Campus renovation, contact Elizabeth Crabtree at ecrabtre@mit.edu or 617.715.2838.