Rooms for Events & Classes
  Dining Hall
  Small Dining Room
  Junior Common Room (JCR)
  Senior Common Room (SCR)
  G-016
  N-012
  Coolidge Room
  Tower Room
  D-31
Special-Purpose Rooms
  Art Room
  Bicycle Storage
  Dance Studio
  Darkroom
  Grille
  Gym
  Music Practice Rooms
  Squash Courts

Rooms in Lowell House

Several rooms are available for use by Lowell House tutors and students for classes and other events. Please plan ahead for your events. In order to guarantee consideration, all room requests must be received at least four days in advance. At least one week of advance notice is required to reserve the Tower, and special permission is required to reserve the JCR and SDR during blackout hours. These special permission requests should be explained in the 'Notes' section of the online room request form and must be submitted at least one week in advance.

Dining Hall

The Dining Hall is used for certain House dances, parties and events, and by the drama and music societies. It can be used only by permission of the Masters. For information on reserving it see the instructions.

Small Dining Room

The Small Dining Room (SDR) is the room behind the dais at the Masters’ Residence end of the Dining Hall. It has a large table that can seat about 20 people, and is a good-sized, bright, airy room. It can be reserved for classes, language tables, etc. Note, however, that the room is frequently unavailable due to High Tables, Lowell House Dinners and other special events that have priority over all other events for reserving this space. In addition to these special events, 5:00pm-7:30pm are blackout hours for student groups in the SDR. This time slot is reserved for use by the Masters unless special permission is granted to a student group. If you would like to apply for special permission to use the SDR during blackout hours, you must submit the online room request form at least two weeks in advance. However, no student groups may reserve the SDR for weekly meetings during blackout hours. In February and March, the SDR is unavailable for several weeks because of the Lowell House Opera. Furthermore, reservations in the Small Dining Room can occasionally be pre-empted on very short notice. Thus, it is wise to consider an alternate room, unless access to the dining hall is absolutely necessary.

JCR (Junior Common Room)

The JCR (or Junior Common Room) is intended primarily as a meeting room and lounge for members of Lowell House. The room has several sofas and chairs, a large television, and it is equipped with a piano available for practice. The room is located opposite the Dining Hall entrance; after going through the blue Dining Hall doors, turn left to enter the JCR. Any member of the House may reserve the JCR. However, several special rules apply: unless a special dispensation from the Lowell House Committee is obtained, the JCR cannot be reserved after 8 pm (blackout hours), cannot be reserved for more than five hours per week, and admission cannot be charged. If you would like to apply for an exception to these rules, you must submit the online room request form at least two weeks in advance and explain your situation in the ‘Notes’ section.

Grille

There is a Grille in the basement of O entry, consisting of a kitchen and lounge area with couches, cable TV and a VCR, a pool table, and a foosball table. The lounge area is available for general use 24 hours a day. The room may be reserved by a Lowellian for parties one night each weekend, with prior approval from the Senior Tutor (lo-abst@fas) and the House Committee (apellis@fas). Quiet hours for parties in the Grille are at 1am.

The key to the kitchen is available from the Building Manager’s office.

SCR (Senior Common Room)

Occupying the the first floor of Q-entry in the small courtyard, the SCR (Senior Common Room) is primarily intended for use by SCR members for casual reading, informal get-togethers, etc. It is, therefore, not generally used for classes or tutorials. It can be reserved, by SCR members only, for occasional special meetings or parties, e.g., entryway parties. The SCR member who sponsors an event in the Senior Common Room must be present to open and close the room and must supervise the event.

G-016

Equipped with 25 arm desks and a blackboard, G-016 is suitable for large sections and groups. It is located at the bottom of the G-entry stairs and adjacent to the G-entry laundry room.

N-012

The second basement classroom is N-012. It is a warm and cozy space which can accommodate about 12-15 people. It has two seminar tables, chairs and a blackboard.

Coolidge Room

The Coolidge Room is located in the archway between the large and small courtyards near the Dining Hall; it is on the left as one passes from the large to the small courtyard. The room seats about 10 people around a seminar table. It also has a blackboard, and is well lit and ventilated, making it suitable for small discussion sections or groups. For more than 10-15 people, the Small Dining Room or a basement classroom might be better.

Tower Room

The Tower Room is not for the faint of heart. The view, however, is well worth it! To get to the Tower Room, go five flights up in F-entry (across from the Building Manager’s office). The room itself is large and bright, having windows on three sides. It has chairs, seminar tables, a piano and a bathroom. It can be used for almost any purpose, but any request to use the room for something other than a class requires approval, and requests must be submitted at least one week in advance. Use by non-Lowell groups is discouraged.

D-31

Located above the library, D-31 is a small, all-night study room which would also be suitable for tutors (non-resident and resident) to use for office hours. The key may be checked out from the library front desk and must be returned the same day.

Special-Purpose Rooms

Art Room

Keys for the art room in the basement of L-entry may be borrowed from the Building Manager.

Bicycle Storage

There are two bicycle storage rooms in the basement of G-entry, a bike rack in front of the Building Manager’s office and in the yard behind the Dining Hall. Bicycles must not be left in the entryway or attached to railings at any time; bicycles left in these places will have their locks cut and be impounded. Please note: bicycles should be tagged (tags are available in the Building Manager’s Office) or kept in your room during Christmas break as the Building Manager will be removing abandoned bikes at that time.

Dance Studio

Located in the basement of AA entry in one of the old squash courts, the Dance Studio is available for use by Harvard undergraduates during non-quiet hours, 11 am - 11 pm, 7 days a week. Lowell House is pleased to be able to provide this much-needed dance practice space.

Students wishing to use the space will need to make a reservation, and will need to check in at the Building Manager’s Office (first floor F entry) and show their Harvard ID in order to get the key.

Please note following stipulations:

Darkroom

The darkroom under D-entry has a lot of equipment, but always needs volunteers to help keep it in shape; contact Tom Batchelder (tbatchel@fas) if you are interested.

Gym

The Lowell House Gym, located in the basement of C entry in squash court #4, is stocked with free weights, machines, and exercise bikes. Access is by swipe card for Lowell House residents and affiliates.

Music Practice Rooms

There are pianos in the Music Practice Room (F-12, opposite the Building Manager’s office), the Tower Room, and the dining hall, which are available for everyone to use. In addition, there is a fine piano in the Junior Common Room that is used principally by students who will be performing in House recitals. Those interested in using the JCR piano in particular must apply to have their names added to an approved grand piano list.

The Music Practice Room, F-12, can be used or reserved only between the hours of 10am and 10pm. It can be used for rehearsals by small performing groups or, when not reserved, it can be used by individuals for practice. There is also a band practice room under the Dining Hall. Contact Gina Rivera for more information, and for piano maintenance.

Squash Courts

The squash courts, in the basement of entries A through E, may be used free of charge by resident and nonresident members of the House. (Members of Eliot House and Kirkland House also use our courts.) Guests must be members of the University. Sign-up for the courts is in the Building Manager’s office. The courts are closed for recesses (when basements and entries are locked).

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