Pforzheimer House

The Pfundamentals

“If you’re still hating on the Quad in the Big ’26, read a book,” Sarah Bellagat ’27 advised, one of this year’s two PfoHoCo (for the non-pfluent: Pforzheimer House Committee) Co-Chairs. Bellagat, alongside Co-Chair Solidea A. Ficco ’27, gave me a tour of the House and commented on her experience in the Pforzheimer community: “I came in here sophomore year, I moved my stuff in, and I looked around and I was like, wow. Like, I love this place. I’m Pfohome.”

Pforzheimer House (“Pfoho,” for short) is home to around 425 residents — maximum capacity, according to Bellagat and Ficco. The duo also notes that Pfoho had a positive transfer rate this past year. When asked what made Pfoho so desirable, Ficco maintained that the House was “one of the prize gems of the Quad.” (There are only three houses in the Quad.)

Giving off what Bellagat called a “mid century modern vibe,” the House is composed of three main halls: Comstock, Holmes, and Moors. The latter houses Pfoho’s iconic Bell Tower — practically the blueprint for “preppy Ivy League dorm building.” (“The Academy” by Elin Hilderbrand, anyone?) Notably, the tower’s 11-man suite is also where a young Mark E. Zuckerberg ’06 would meet his future wife, Priscilla Chan ’07. Competing with Zuckerberg’s children for Pforzheimer’s coveted Most Famous Product title, joked Bellagat, are the Bitcoin billionaire Winklevoss twins, who resided in Pfoho and graduated in 2004.

Formerly part of Radcliffe College, the then-called North House (“NoHo”) became Pforzheimer House (“PfoHo”) in 1996 when Radcliffe was incorporated into Harvard College. As Bellagat explained, Pfoho’s red-and-black crest celebrates the colleges’ unification, serving as an “homage to [Pfoho’s] origins.” Perhaps the most consequential fallout of the transition, however, was the birth of Percy the Polar Bear — Pforzheimer’s beloved mascot and resident spirit animal.

The House prides itself on numerous “pfamenities,” located primarily in its basement. “The spfa is everything you could possibly dream of,” Ficco remarked, referring to a room with massage chairs and a notably large stuffed bear. “You need a massage, come to the spfa. If you need to lay on a massive bear, come to the spfa.” Located nearby is a fully-equipped “pfarcade,” containing arcade machines, an air hockey table, and karaoke. Additionally, according to Ficco, the Igloo — an open event space complete with a bar and kitchen — is Pfoho’s premier party venue.

Upstairs, the House boasts plenty of common spaces for its residents. In addition to its Junior and Senior Common Rooms, Pfoho’s halls also contain a number of hidden gems, including a no-work-allowed Serenity Room, Comstock Library, and the Daily Grind. (The latter, for those wondering, is exactly what the name implies. I peeked in on my tour and was greeted with a pointed side eye from an entrenched pset-ter.) Pforzheimer is additionally the only House to feature a double-decker dining hall — furnished with an intimate “love seat” for two overlooking the lower level. On HUDS, Bellagat remarked: “I eat river lunch and dinner several times a week out of necessity. The food quality — there is a difference.” Ficco concurred, adding that “we get a lot of compliments on food in the Quad.”

Pfun and Games

“‘Community’ has always been the c-word of Pfoho—the only c-word,” Ficco said. “If you’re worried about finding your people, about finding your community, that’s the last thing you need to do here.” Indeed, Pfoho has no shortage of community-building events baked into its culture. One particularly deep-rooted tradition is Hygge, a “cozy” weekly gathering involving hot apple cider and donuts. Students also have the opportunity to engage with House faculty at Open Houses and biweekly Pfortuna forums, during which faculty members give “five minute fire-starter conversations” on their respective areas of research. And as if this House couldn’t get any more pfire, Pforzheimer also hosts “S’mores on Moors,” a marshmallow-roasting event on Moors Terrace overlooking the Quad lawn.

PfoHoCo hosts biweekly steins, well-attended gatherings intended to foster community — and fun. Fan favorites have included a trivia stein (“Are You an Einstein?”), Valenstein’s, and a slightly opaque “bread stein.” Bellagat also recalled an animatronic clown stein. Yes, you read that right: “We have an animatronic clown in our basement.”

Though Pfoho currently ranks 8th in House Intramurals, Bellagat noted the House’s stark improvement from last place at the start of the semester: “We’ve pfclawed our way up the rankings.” During the interview, Bellagat also sported a sweatshirt from Pfoho’s newest merch collection, which Ficco emphasized is both affordable and student-designed — “by the people, for the people.” (Talk about pfatriotic.)

When asked about the distance from the Quad to the Yard (known to some as the “qualk”), Bellagat and Ficco described the mile as their “lovely morning walk.” Bellagat even claimed that she has stopped taking the shuttle because she “just enjoy[s] the walk.” The co-chairs also enumerated various perks of living in the Quad, including access to the “amazing” Quad Grille and the highly-rated Quad Formal: “Spring Quad Formal is the best formal…I would get a tattoo with that on my face,” Bellagat says.

Pfohousing, Explained

I got an exclusive tour of the PfoHoCo co-chairs’ dorm in the Jordans, Pfoho’s “newer” apartment-style housing. As Ficco explained, accommodations in the Jordans include a kitchenette, a private bathroom, and “at least a 300 square foot common room.” Though the Co-Chairs are unsure of the exact number of residents in the two Jordans — Jordan North and Jordan South — they approximate the number at around 75 to 100.

Bellagat and Ficco claimed that there is no “typical” sophomore dorm in Pforzheimer, but that living arrangements tend to be comfortable. (Bellagat and Ficco, for example, had an “n equals n” triple with a living room and two bedrooms.) When asked about off-shoot housing in Cronkhite, Bellagat and Ficco vaguely alluded to friends of theirs who had “really enjoyed the rooms.” Quickly course-correcting, Ficco informed me that Cronkhite is nearing its final days as a Harvard College residential dormitory, rendering anti-Cronk rhetoric “a moot point.”

I was also offered a tour of a suite in Pforzheimer’s Wolbach Hall. The room — a triple with “a fantastic en suite and a huge common room” — bears an “interesting animal motif,” resident Jack P. Flanigan ’27 commented. Indeed, notably featured are a chicken rug, a pigeon statue, a tortoise footstool, and a stuffed island cow, among other bestial furniture. As Harvard’s self-proclaimed “biggest Quad Evangelist,” Flanigan said that he will “not deny” the “nursing home vibe allegations” commonly directed toward Pfoho, but remarked that he quite enjoys the more “relaxed” and “comfortable” interior design.

This suite’s trademark? Sunday poetry nights. “Some people write poetry; some people sing songs, perform monologues. It’s really an interesting way to start and end the week, sort of reflecting on what happened and then on what’s to come,” Flanigan said. These weekly gaggles don’t stop at student rhymesters and bibliophiles — Dean David Deming (an enthusiastic Quadee himself) apparently made a guest appearance this semester. (Flanigan, prior to the event, informed me that Deming would unknowingly be elected “garden hermit.”)

What Freshmen Can Expect on Housing Day

This year, Pforzheimer House celebrates its 30th anniversary. “We’re coming in swinging,” Ficco said, alluding to grand Housing Day plans. Though the Co-Chairs refrained from revealing any classified information, they urged all future Pfoho residents to come to the Housing Day dinner. In addition to any surprises PfoHoCo has in store, Bellagat and Ficco promised merch, tours, and festivities galore.

In other words: Let’s. Pfreaking. Go.

PFAQ with the PfoHoCo Co-Chairs

If freshmen had to comp Pfoho, what would be one of the comp requirements?

SAF: “How many times can you sneak ‘pf’ into a word?... Anytime it’s an ‘f,’ it’s gonna be a ‘pf.’”

Which pfruit does Pfoho embody?

SAF: “The first fruit that came to mind was a pineapple… it’s a little extravagant, you know?”

SB: “And some people can’t handle it. And you know what, it sucks to suck for them.”

If you had to change one thing about Pfoho, what would it be?

SAF: “Nothing.”

And there you have it, pfolks! If you’re into apple cider donuts, spacious housing, and a basement with more than a few hidden treasures (read: skeletons), Pfoho just might be the House for you. Don’t pforget to have pfun this weekend!

Need to know more about the real estate market? Read the rest of the feature here!