"We're back on schedule," Clark said. "The trustees have approved the new plans and bids."
The unexpected delay gave the College an opportunity to review the plans more closely than it would otherwise have had a chance to, Clark added.
"Even though [the postponement] was enormously disappointing," she said, "we are [now] as absolutely prepared as one can be. We will move our offices over to Cooper House in late April, early May."
The temporary relocation will restrict much of what the fine arts department can teach. Some of the equipment housed in Fayerweather will not be moved, so the department has had to design courses that do not require traditional art tools. Clark is optimistic about the semester, though. She emphasized that a different approach to art will give students a chance to think about the craft from a new perspective.
"It might seem restrictive, and it is in many ways," said Clark. "But it is an opportunity to think about art without all the equipment. Art is not just about equipment."
Clark added that the department might take students on some hard-hat tours of the construction. "It is a great chance for our students to see a historic renovation," she said.
Thesis students will be accommodated with a darkroom and additional space. "We'll work with individual students to make their projects viable," said Clark.
Though construction will begin in May, the College has already begun to prepare materials, according to Assistant Director for Design and Construction Tom Davies, who is helping to supervise the renovation as the College's in-house architect.
"We are using a technique known in the construction industry as 'a building in a box,'" he said. "In order to accommodate the academic schedule, the actual construction on site is very compressed. Everything going into the building has to be approved, purchased and sitting in a warehouse and ready to go as soon as the academic calendar allows. Right now, we are in the process of accumulating all the renovation components such as slate for the roof, air handlers and new door and frames to name just a few."
While renovations will be significant, the College is doing its best to preserve the original Fayerweather Hall, said Clark. "The point is to do no harm," she said.
"There are a great number of examples of individual manifestations of the preservation ethic in the renovation design, and we are going to great lengths," said Davies. "Some examples include maintaining the present configuration of the two stairhalls, [preserving] the existing oak paneled doors throughout the public spaces and [preserving] the existing windows instead of replacing them. The new stairs to the third floor are being constructed to precisely match the existing stairs' metal work, stone treads and carved handrails. The carpeting, paint and varnishes have been selected to match the original McKim, Mead & White design wherever possible."
Davies said that the College would be monitoring the construction "extremely closely" because of the massive amounts of time and money that have gone into preparing for the renovation.
"The design process can never anticipate everything, and in a renovation project like this, there are a great number of issues that come up as we open up walls and find that things aren't exactly as we expected, and as we actually try to fit everything into the spaces available," he said. "With our very compressed construction schedule, it is critical that we make decisions very quickly when these things come up."
Davies added that, "We also really need to stay very involved with every aspect of the project to make sure that the College is getting what it needs, when it needs it and for not too much money ... When you're talking about over a million dollars a month during construction, it only makes sense to closely watch how you're spending it and make the most of that investment."
"We have been seeking support for Fayerweather throughout the Amherst College Campaign-a $200 million 'comprehensive' campaign," said Chief Advancement Office Michael Kiefer. "We have been most actively seeking support for Fayerweather over the last 18 months."
According to Clark, members of the College community had been interested in having Fayerweather renovated for a long time. "Many people have been thinking about this building for 20 years," she said.