"The department is ecstatic about the results," said Professor of Fine Arts Nicola Courtright, who is chair of the department. "The contrast between the new and the old facilities is like night and day."
"Now we have a center, since previously our facilities were spread out all over campus," Courtright said. "Now we have top-of-the-line equipment and a beautiful hub to work from."
One of the main goals of the Fayerweather renovation was not only to restore the building, but also to maintain its historical significance. Courtright explained that the department sought to make a statement about its field through the building's architecture and the way the renovation was handled.
"When we did the renovation we decided that we wanted to respect the building's old character as a science building," she said. "We wanted to hold onto its unornamented character and to project the statement that we are just as serious about our artwork as scientists have been historically at Amherst."
"The trustees were wonderful," Courtright added. "The College put all its resources to very good use."
Director of Facilities Planning and Management Jim Brassord and architect Tom Davies were in charge of the renovation. "It was a very successful project from the perspective that we were converting a 19th century building that supported physics and chemistry into a building that will work for fine arts, in a manner that will preserve all fine elements of the structure," said Brassord. "We are very pleased."
Reconstruction will shift to Cooper House next week. Cooper will house the black studies and philosophy departments, which are currently located in Williston Hall. Starting in September, Williston will undergo renovation into a freshmen dorm. The new dorm will open in August of 2003.
Brassord will also be in charge of this project. "It is a wonderful opportunity to convert what was a residential building into an academic building," said Brassord. "We are employing a creative design approach to create a suitable academic space for the black studies and philosophy departments. As with the Fayerweather renovation, we are trying to take an approach that is sensitive to the architectural character of the building to preserve and enhance all its best elements."
Cooper has served as a residence to many members of the College faculty over the years. While the renovated Cooper will include no full-size classrooms, both departments will have seminar rooms. The philosophy department considered the preservation of the Kennick Reading Room, which serves as a library, study area and seminar space, essential to the design-in-progress.
"The philosophy department is not of one mind [in regard to the move]: some of us are upset about losing our view and central location on the quad; others are more optimistic," said Professor of Philosophy Alexander George. "I will miss my view of the hills, but look forward to having Uma Thurman's bedroom for an office."
Robert Thurman, father or Uma Thurman, was a Professor of Religion at the College from 1973 until 1988. The family lived in Cooper.
Assistant Professor of Black Studies and American Studies Robert Ferguson is looking forward to the move to Cooper. "It will be nice for black studies to have a larger space, so that the department can be more of a center," Ferguson said.