Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Harvard Announces Replacement Facility for Native American Program

  • By Matt Jones
  • 03/26/26

Key Takeaways

  • Harvard will begin construction this spring on a new 6,500-square-foot, all-electric building to serve as the central hub for its Native American Program, set to open for the 2027–28 school year.
  • The facility will include academic, social, and cultural spaces—such as offices, lounges, kitchens, and outdoor areas for ceremonies—supporting the program’s broad community and educational activities.
  • The new building replaces a deteriorating 19th-century structure deemed beyond repair and will incorporate Native-inspired design elements, including materials and symbolism reflecting cultural heritage.

Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., recently announced that construction will begin this spring on a new home for its Native American Program, according to university news. The 6,500-square-foot, all-electric building will stand three stories and serve as the central hub for the Harvard University Native American Program (HUNAP)—both its academic and social components. The building will open in time for the 2027–28 school year.

Amenities will include offices, reception and recreation lounges, kitchens, a conference room, and a covered front porch and rear deck. The basement will play home to storage and mechanical space, and outdoor areas will provide space for cultural programming and ceremonies, the news story reports.

HUNAP’s current facility was built in 1873 and acquired by the university in 2023. A feasibility review found that the building’s structure was deteriorated beyond hope of renovation and that renovating the existing structure would “essentially require the construction of a new building within the shell of the existing building,” according to the Harvard Crimson.

HUNAP is a multi-school initiative within the university whose work encompasses “Native American studies, history, and cultural engagement, including academic programming, community events, research and travel grants, and tribal diplomacy efforts.” The facility’s design will invoke Native materials and symbolism; the exterior façade draws inspiration from tree bark and wampum.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Vanderbilt to Partner with ABM for Campus Preservation and Modernization

    Vanderbilt University recently announced that it has selected ABM Performance Solutions for a preservation and modernization project at its New York City campus, according to a news release. ABM will deliver its end-to-end ABM Performance Solutions (APS) model to manage critical operations during renovation and maintenance.

  • Miami University Approves New $242M Multipurpose Arena

    Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, recently announced that its Board of Trustees has approved construction of a new multipurpose arena at Cook Field, according to university news. The $242-million project will serve as a new centralized hub for student life and create space for economic development on campus.

  • Pitzer College

    Designing for Change in Higher Ed Learning Environments

    Higher education will continue to evolve, and learning environments must evolve with it. By prioritizing adaptable infrastructure, thoughtful reuse, strong energy performance, and wellness-centered design, campuses can create spaces that support learning today while remaining flexible for the future.

  • Harvard Announces Replacement Facility for Native American Program

    Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., recently announced that construction will begin this spring on a new home for its Native American Program, according to university news. The 6,500-square-foot, all-electric building will stand three stories and serve as the central hub for the Harvard University Native American Program (HUNAP).