Project

Where BU Alumni Reign Supreme

Over 300,000 BU alumni call this restored Tudor-Victorian mansion their home away from home

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In Progress
Adaptive Reuse
Civic
Cultural
Development
Higher Ed
K-12

The Dahod Family Alumni Center at the Castle

Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts

Finegold Alexander Architects, along with a team of engineers and specialty consultants, transformed this distinguished mansion into a vibrant new Alumni Center serving Boston University’s 300,000-plus graduates. The project includes a complete exterior restoration, total MEP systems replacement, selective interior renovation, and an addition to the lower level including a new commercial kitchen to expand the BU Pub. Full accessibility was provided to the building’s public spaces. Originally built in 1915 by William Lindsey Jr. as a family home, the Castle has become an iconic, high profile location for not only the Alumni of Boston University, but also for faculty dining, graduate student gatherings and numerous other university events.

(Photo credit: exterior photos - Raj Das Photography; interior photos - Jane Messinger Photography; BU Pub photo - Anton Grassl Photography)

Size
12,280 SF
Scope
Preservation, Renovation, Addition
Program
Alumni Center Offices, Faculty Dining, Event Space, BU Fuller’s Pub
Sustainability
LEED Gold
Awards
2019 Preservation Achievement Award from the Boston Preservation Alliance
2019 BD+C Reconstruction Award: Honorable Mention
2020 Preservation Massachusetts, Paul & Niki Tsongas Award
2021 SCUP/AIA-CAE Excellence in Architecture: Honorable Mention
2020 Victorian Society of America, Preservation Award
In the news
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Project EUI
Detail of carved stone widows over a sign that reads "Dahod Family Alumni Center" on the building's stone.
Angled view of the Dahod Family Alumni Center at The Castle, with the fall light hitting a face of the building, leaving the right side of the Castle and the BU pub in the shadows.
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“In a campus with many purpose-built, modern facilities, it’s of great value to provide a distinctive and memorable sense of place that connects to the grandeur of a residential neighborhood that’s hard to otherwise grasp. Buildings like this one allow a continuum of memory to this place and across multiple generations of students."
Greg Galer, Executive Director of the Boston Preservation Alliance (BPA)
Dusk shot of the Castle joined to Boston University's Alan and Sherry Leventhal Center, from across Memorial Drive.
Dusk shot from above of the Castle and the BU Pub, with yellow-orange light emanating from the interior.
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The existing building envelope suffered significantly from air infiltration, a complete lack of insulation and central HVAC system. The commitment was made early in the project to pursue LEED Gold certification. The team snaked new refrigerant lines through the building for a new VRF system, provided a highly insulated and vented roofing system beneath the new slate tiles, and tightened the building through a complete repointing and the restoration and weatherstripping of the historic wood windows. Stormwater was managed on-site and where new materials were installed, they were carefully selected for human health. The building achieved LEED Gold certification.

Image of a woman in a red dress speaking at a podium at a landing on a detailed wooden staircase, with historic windows in a stone arch behind her.
The Great Hall of the Castle, with intricately carved dark wood staircase and detailing, with a historic chandelier hanging down.
Elaborately restored fireplace with detailed moldings and light fixtures, with a mirror above it, reflecting the rest of the creme-colored room.
Blue seats and couch around a small dark wooden table, in a oval light blue and creme-colored room, with historic detailing and paneling.
Two young adults studying around a table with a beer and a glass of wine.
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“The building was at a point where a lot of deferred maintenance was coming to a head... It was time to do a major renewal/restoration, yet at the same time, there were some amazing historical interiors that were quite intact—they just needed a little buff and polish and some infrastructure to make them sing.”
Rebecca Berry, Principal, Finegold Alexander
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In Progress
Adaptive Reuse
Civic
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Higher Ed
K-12
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