Oxy Unveils Three New and Newly Renovated Campus Spaces
Jim Tranquada
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Take a photographic tour of three beautiful and functional spaces on campus: the Fletcher Jones Foundation Computing Classroom, the Percussion Studio and Sycamore Glen.
Opened in August 2021, the Fletcher Jones Foundation Computing Classroom is a state-of-the-art digital collaboration lab that provides an important resource not only for Occidental’s popular Computer Science Department but for a wide variety of interdisciplinary work. Built on the ground floor of the Academic Commons in what was previously an underutilized space, the classroom’s suite of academic software, multiple projection screens, movable furniture and collapsible partitions make it a flexible space that can be used for lectures and discussions as well as project and team work. It doubles the size of the classroom space previously available for this kind of use.
Photos by Marc Campos.
Percussion Studio
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Tucked away underneath Occidental’s iconic Thorne Hall, Occidental’s new Percussion Studio is easy to miss. But the teaching, practice and performance space has been a big hit since it went live in fall 2021. Built in a historic space that has seen a variety of uses since Thorne opened in 1938, the studio features a large ensemble space for performances and two smaller studios for lessons and practice. Four layers of drywall in the walls and ceiling together with acoustical wall panels ensures that percussionists can practice and perform under optimal conditions while limiting the sonic impact elsewhere. The studio also provides enough storage space (including lockers for smaller instruments) so that equipment is no longer scattered all over campus.
Photos by Marc Campos.
Sycamore Glen
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Sycamore Glen has long been a popular event venue and gathering spot for students, even though the stage was hard to access, the area was poorly lit, and the furnishings were few and worn through much use. Thanks to a redesign by VAI Van Atta Associates, the new Sycamore Glen, which opened in Fall 2020, is a more user-friendly and attractive place. A relocated, fully accessible stage, new hardscape in the shape of a Fibonacci curve, new lighting, new portable furniture and new landscaping built around existing mature trees has transformed the space.
