"One fear that people have is that Harvard will hire trophy architects who will all try to build their own Carpenter Centers," says Richard Marshall, associate professor of urban design at GSD.

Some became concerned that these modern structures would stand out too much from their surroundings, Levitan says.

William James Hall is one example of this type of architecture.

"Pretty much everyone would agree that was a mistake," Levitan says.

Power blames the lack of context on the architect who was unfamiliar with the setting and the Harvard style.

"It was an international architect who did not respond to the needs of the community," Power says.

But many argue that newer buildings can be made to compliment existing structures.

"Much of the community is open to Harvard speaking to the moment, and not being a carbon-copy of the past," Power says. "There is a realization that if everything is designed to look the same, the true historic buildings can get lost."