A portion of the ceiling in the Warren Towers Dining Hall fell last week from leaking water.
The leakage was due to wind-driven rain, according to Boston University Spokesperson Colin Riley.
RACHEL FEINSTEIN/DFP PHOTOGRAPHER
Warren Towers Resident Sustainability Leader and junior Marco Chaix, witnessed the moment the ceiling flooded in the dining hall, causing debris to fall on a table and banister.
“There was a huge bang,” Chaix said. “Everyone was sort of startled, and then when I was leaving, I saw that a part of the ceiling had fallen.”
Heavy rainfall within a short period of time can overwhelm building systems, Riley said.
A tarp is currently covering the damaged ceiling, with tubes and trash cans collecting leaking water. The seating areas directly under the leaks are blocked off with caution tape.
“Other than kind of limiting seats, it hasn’t been too bad,” Freshman Raigan Reavely said. “It just seems a little gross.”
Leaks in Warren Towers aren’t uncommon. Sophomore Charlie Griffith lived in Warren last year, and said he saw leaks then too.
“I wasn’t very surprised, honestly. When the rain was coming down yesterday, I kind of just subconsciously knew that… there’s going to be leakage,” Griffith said.
Chaix said that seeing the damages in the dining hall reminds him that Warren needs a renovation, because “there’s a lot of things that need to be addressed.”
According to Riley, BU is in the approval process with the City of Boston Planning and Development Agency for a multi-year renovation of Warren. The University is going through public hearings before finalizing a timeline to renovate the building.
The renovation plans include new mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, according to the BPDA website. Elevators, escalators, bathrooms and the Warren envelope will also be repaired in the plans.
“There are some buildings where [leaks] happen, and we’re able to address it,” Riley said. “That’s why Warren Towers is the priority for the major renovation.”