Boston University Warren Towers
Reimagining the second-largest non-military residence hall in the United States as an all-electric, accessible, future-ready student community.
Project Overview
Transforming One of the Nation’s Largest Residence Halls
- Warren Towers—home to 1,800 students—is undergoing the most significant renewal in its 60-year history. The multi-year, $550 million transformation reimagines the second-largest nonmilitary residence hall in the U.S., upgrading three 18-story towers from façade to finishes.
- The project modernizes every dimension of student life: residence rooms, community lounges, study spaces, bathrooms, and the building-wide circulation core—including elevators, stairwells, and life-safety systems.
- Dining and food-service areas will be refreshed to support today’s student experience, with improved flow, accessibility, and healthier, more flexible seating options.
- Extensive MEP infrastructure upgrades—including risers, distribution systems, and building controls—lay the groundwork for dramatically improved performance and reliability over the coming decades.
- A highly choreographed phasing plan allows construction teams to renovate one tower at a time while keeping the other two fully functional, protecting BU’s critical housing capacity and minimizing disruption to daily campus life.
A Model of Sustainability
Electrification, efficiency, and long-term resilience
- Aligned with BU’s Climate Action Plan, Warren Towers’ transformation centers on reducing operational carbon and improving whole-building performance at an unprecedented scale for a residence hall of this size.
- A new all-electric heating and cooling strategy replaces aging fossil-fuel systems, supported by high-efficiency heat pumps, upgraded distribution, and smart building controls that optimize performance in real time.
- A complete façade replacement—modern glazing, thermally improved assemblies, and new cladding—significantly enhances energy efficiency, reduces heat loss, and delivers vastly improved thermal comfort for students in all seasons.
- Fresh air systems, ventilation strategies, and filtration upgrades improve indoor air quality across all living environments, contributing to both wellness and energy reduction goals.
- Materials and finishes are selected with lifecycle performance in mind—prioritizing durability, low environmental impact, and ease of maintenance to support BU’s long-term stewardship of the building.
- Together, these measures position Warren Towers as one of the most energy-efficient large-scale student housing facilities in the country.
Virtual Tour
Construction will continue through 2028 as each tower comes back online in sequence. Until then, follow the renovation through renderings and behind-the-scenes looks at Warren Towers’ transformation. Renderings courtesy of Miller Dyer Spears by Neoscape.
To minimize disruption, Shawmut is implementing a phased plan under which two towers remain occupied while one tower at a time is closed for renovation. Tower A is currently offline through summer 2026, with Tower B and Tower C scheduled for successive renovations in 2026–2027 and 2027–2028, respectively.
Fully renovated dining hall outfitted with new cooking equipment, furniture, and serveries.
Each residence room will be fully remodeled with new walls, floors, ceilings, doors, lighting, electrical systems, and air conditioning, while corridors and common spaces will receive upgraded finishes and lighting.
Complete remodeling of student lounges.
Existing bathrooms are being replaced with private, accessible, all-gender facilities.
“As a firm rooted in Boston and trusted to deliver complex projects on active urban campuses, we are proud to partner with BU to bring this legendary residence hall into the 21st century. With safety for students, staff, and the community guiding every step of the process, we’re excited to deliver modern, comfortable, and sustainable spaces that will support student success for years to come.” – Kevin Sullivan, Executive Vice President of Shawmut’s New England Region.
