“Be you, with us.” That is Maseeh Hall’s motto. We are standing before Maseeh Hall at MIT. It is a vibrant undergraduate living community. Maseeh Hall accommodates 460 students. The hall adds to MIT’s residential options.
Originally, the building was built in 1901. It was Riverbank Court, a hotel with apartments. MIT purchased it in the late 1930s. It became a graduate residence hall. It was later named Ashdown House. This honored Avery Ashdown, its first housemaster. A generous donation from alumnus Fariborz Maseeh made the recent renovation possible. MIT renamed the undergraduate residence hall in his honor. This was in recognition of his gift. Maseeh Hall allowed MIT to restore its undergraduate student population to about 4,500 students.
Maseeh Hall opened in August 2011. It is located near the geographic center of campus. The renovated facility includes the Howard Dining Hall. This is a state-of-the-art space. It encourages informal interactions. It provides a full meal plan for residents. Other members of the MIT community can also dine here. The Howard Dining Hall is the only one that serves lunch. It also serves breakfast, dinner, and late night meals.
Maseeh Hall achieved LEED Gold certification. It supports the Institute’s environmental goals. The building has many sustainable features. These include heat recovery methods in the HVAC system and energy efficient lighting. Sustainable finish materials were used. The construction waste management plan resulted in high recycling. Ninety-three percent of waste was diverted from landfills.
The building has seven stories. The interior was renovated and architectural features restored. The building envelope was upgraded. All new windows were installed. The masonry was cleaned and joints re-pointed. Limestone features were repaired or replaced. Roof parapets were re-built and seismically braced. Two copper cupolas were replaced. The building’s iconography was retained. Appropriate choices were made in the interior furniture, lighting, and fixtures. The Lobby of Maseeh Hall features a Guastavino tiled vault.
Maseeh Hall has won awards. It received the Cambridge Historical Commission Preservation Award in 2010. In 2012, it won the Society for College and University Planning (SCUP)/AIA-CAE Merit Award. This was for Excellence in Architecture for Restoration or Preservation.
Maseeh Hall is conveniently located. It is in the middle of campus. This means it’s close to virtually everything. This includes the student center, the Z Center, Massachusetts Avenue, and classes. Maseeh Hall is the closest dorm to the Harvard Bridge. The bridge leads to Boston. It is a short 364.4 smoot walk across the bridge.
Inside Maseeh Hall, there are some amazing GRTs. Each floor has two GRTs. They have open door policies. Students can come to them for help. They also host weekly study breaks. They make homemade food. They encourage the floor to take a break and socialize.
Maseeh Hall is well-funded. GRTs receive money to host study breaks. Each floor is given money to spend on whatever the floor wants. The executive council of Maseeh is open to funding events, groups, and clubs. Past and current clubs include movie club, nail painting club, and baking club.
Maseeh Hall offers bright and airy rooms. The lighting is good. The walls are white. The windows are large. They let in a lot of light. The hallways are air-conditioned. Elevators reach every floor. There is a ramp up to the front entrance. Maseeh has made an effort to keep the dorm open to all.
Maseeh Hall is a great place to live. It is clean, new, and conveniently located. It has a dining hall and a strong community. Maseeh Hall offers a welcoming home for MIT undergraduates.