When Blakeley Hall opened nearly a century ago, students arriving with heavy steamer trunks found a dedicated luggage room waiting for them. That space, once purely utilitarian, has now been transformed into a bright, expansive lounge, a centerpiece of the newly renovated building’s reimagined student spaces.

Constructed in 1926, Blakeley Hall served for decades as housing for graduate students at The Fletcher School. But with enrollment and demand shifting, Tufts opted for a strategic swap: Fletcher moved into a smaller, right-sized building nearby, while Blakeley was reimagined to house 120 sophomores—significantly more than the 80 to 90 graduate students it once accommodated. The renovation, which began in April 2024 and was completed this summer, reflects the university’s ongoing commitment to expanding undergraduate housing on campus.

Accessibility was a top priority, says Christopher Hogan, who served as manager for the project. “The building has an elevator, and every floor has accessible bedrooms and bathrooms,” he notes. “It’s a meaningful addition of accessible options to the Tufts housing inventory.”

Comfort, Connectivity, and Sustainability

The renovation also brings a host of upgrades aimed at improving daily life for students and reducing the building’s environmental footprint. Air conditioning will cool every room, addressing both student comfort and the reality of warmer late-spring and early-fall seasons. A reconfigured bathroom design offers privacy with individual shower and toilet rooms, paired with a shared sink area, making them gender-inclusive and more adaptable to student needs.

Wi-Fi access points in every bedroom will boost reliable access to the university’s wireless network, and the entire building envelope was insulated to top sustainability standards. “Insulation is not glamorous,” says Associate Director of Capital Programs Nathan Scott, “but it’s the single most effective thing you can do to improve energy efficiency.” The building also ties into Tufts’ Central Energy Plant, access to which delivers energy-efficient heat and electrical service for the building, reducing overall energy use.

Rooted in the Past, Ready for the Future

Perhaps the most visible change is around the building: a redesigned courtyard features new pathways, seating, and landscaping, creating an outdoor hub for residents and the wider campus community. From there, students enter Blakeley through glass-front doors into that lower-level lounge that once stored trunks and other luggage and now serves as a welcoming hub for student life.

“Architecturally, [the lounge] is one of the most exciting spaces,” Hogan says. “We’ve turned it into a vibrant gathering place, open both to Blakeley residents and also to students across campus.”

While the interiors are new, the exterior remains largely unchanged: the red-brick façade and original roof have been preserved, maintaining Blakeley’s familiar presence across from Fletcher Field. Archival photos in the Tufts Digital Collections capture the hall under construction in the 1920s, with carpenters wielding hand saws and steam-fired boilers powering their tools. Other images show generations of student life inside the building, underscoring its long role in campus history.

That continuity is intentional. “We wanted to modernize the student experience while preserving the historic character of the building,” Scott says. Hogan notes that it’s rare to add 120 undergraduate beds, and even rarer to do so in a space that carries nearly a century of Tufts history.

“Now Blakeley stands as both a preserved landmark and a modern residence,” says Hogan, “one that honors Tufts’ history while giving students the spaces and support they need today and into the future.”