Cooking up More Living Space

In-suite kitchens are a perk enjoyed only by undergraduates living in Pforzheimer's Wolbach building and DeWolfe suites. But administrators have confirmed that Wolbach's kitchenettes will likely be eliminated during renovations of the building, in an effort to increase the residential capacity of the building.

The Wolbach renovations come at a time when the College has begun to seriously examine the problem of overcrowding in the Houses--which has been estimated to be roughly 118 people too many, in relation to the total usable square footage in the Houses.

Associate Dean of the College Thomas A. Dingman '67 says that the cost of maintaining the kitchens in Wolbach is very high, and rather then replace aging plumbing, the College has identified the kitchens as spaces where about 12 more students could live.

"We are trying to identify space where we can create more room for students and have a positive impact on the crowding that students report," he says.

Plans for the renovations are pending, and are expected to begin in the summer of 2002.

Dean of the Faculty Jeremy R. Knowles announced last Tuesday at a Faculty meeting that the residential capacity of Wolbach could be increased from 58 students to 72.

Once students in Pforzheimer House heard of the announcement, email began to fly across the house-wide PFO-HO OPEN email list.

Students complained that the Wolbach kitchens add a unique perk to Pforzheimer accommodations, and that the addition of more students would make living in Wolbach intolerably crowded. Students encouraged each other to write letters to the administration to voice their concerns.

"Removing the kitchen would not add enough space for another bed and another person's college furniture allotment," says Teresa L. Bechtold '02, president of the Pforzheimer House Committee. "The general consensus is that [such renovations] would be a loss of quality of living...Many students have expressed negative feelings toward this proposal."

But Dingman and the Masters of Pforzheimer House say that the renovation plans will continue.

Co-master M. Suzanne McCarthy says that she believes kitchens are not a necessity for undergraduates, and that the issue of College-wide overcrowding may take precedence over particular features in a set of rooms.

"Student do have access to the dining hall and there are several kitchens in the House that students can use," McCarthy says. "I think the needs of nutrition have been met...It boils down to a need for space."

Bechtold and several other students also say they recognize that the nature of students' complaints may seem a bit unjustified.

"There is an understanding that the kitchens have been a great privilege for us. Maybe we're a little bit spoiled," Bechtold says. "I don't know how justified we are in whining that they are taking the kitchens away."

Christian M. Duttweiler '01 says he believes that the kitchens are not a crucial part of the House, and asserts that most students will not be adversely affected by the change.

"I don't really see kitchens as an important part of an undergraduate education or a living community," Duttweiler says. "The vast majority of people on campus and even in Pfo-Ho don't have kitchens so I don't know why it would be that big of a loss for the majority of the House."

And Frederick G. Wedell '01 says he thinks the renovation would probably result in a better situation for the College as a whole.

"I think that we have great housing here at Harvard, especially compared to other schools," Wedell says. "I can't imagine that Harvard would spend the money on renovations and turn the rooms into something that looks like closets. The rooms would still be suitable."

Duttweiler adds that, "It's kind of a bit self-centered for people to be complaining about taking away kitchens so that more people can have their own bedrooms."

But many students value the kitchens, and say they are disappointed about losing what they see as unique to Pforzheimer House.

"It's great to have a kitchen, we use it all the time," says Aram Yang '02. "It will take away from the character of the House if we no longer have the option to have a room with a kitchen."