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Going for the green. An artist's rendition portrays the new, $12,433,000 fine arts facility at COM's Kentfield Campus, with its green roof.

Wrong way? Some believe COM's building projects have the college headed an unfortunate direction.

Too big, too small or just right?

New fine arts building draws mixed reaction from campus

By: William Kennedy

Posted: 3/1/10

A constant drone resonates in a College of Marin design classroom, where urban studies major Corwin Bell unloads his backpack before the start of a 3D design class. The walls of the current fine arts building cannot mute the clattering hammers, welders, and a giant crane-all of which industriously contribute to a three story edifice outside- but noise is not what irks Bell about the nearby project. Scheduled for completion in 2011, the 25,063 square-foot structure next door will house the campus' fine arts classes and instructors, while redundant portions of the old building will be demolished, according to school officials; Bell thinks COM should have avoided the project altogether. "If they just maintained (the current building), it would have been better," he said. "To me (the construction project) just seems really illogical and a waste of money." Director of modernization V-Anne Chernock disagrees. The $12,433,000 project-funded by bond measure C-was necessary because the fine arts' current home suffers from poor conditions and accessibility shortcomings, she said. The sections housing painting, sculpture and other fine arts will be torn down and replaced by a dance studio, as well as a new art gallery on the second floor; the drama and music departments will be refurbished in their current locations, although not to the extent the originally hoped. "We wanted to do more but we don't have sufficient funding for a full upgrade," Chernock said. The decision to erect a new fine arts building has received some strong support from the art department. "The existing fine arts building is nearly 50 years old," sculpture instructor Rick Hall said. "I love the space I'm working in now, but there is a clear need for a new and updated facility." Seated on a lawn near the construction project, art-major Shastina Ann-Wallace articulated similar thoughts. "I look forward to seeing the new art building," she said. "It will be worth it because the old art building is really dingy." Others, however, have a more conflicted view of the steel beams rising above campus. "It's really exciting to see something built while at the same time learning," architecture student Marco Hyman said. But, he added, "I like (the old) building a lot. I think they should have focused more on repairing it rather than building a new one." Chernock said the majority of limited student reactions she received were positive, but the building has drawn criticism from people on and around campus. Concerns about a lack of parking, as well as the felling and removal of trees, sparked ire, but the building's size served as the main lighting rod of discontent. While people living adjacent to the college complained the three-story structure g obstructed their views, Chernock said some faculty members believed the building is too small; despite its impressive height, the new building will require several programs to share class space, while reducing the size of classrooms and teacher offices, according to college officials. Corwin Bell sees the reduction of fine arts space as a significant problem for future students. "How are you going to increase enrolment with a smaller building?" he said. Several art students said instructors have privately expressed dismay at the building's size, as well as a lack of opportunity to provide input before construction started, a concern media services coordinator Steve Brown has noticed as well. "There is a general sense on campus that people have not been included in the process," he said. While Rick Hall acknowledged the design will not please everyone, he believes the process was inclusive. "From the beginning we as faculty had our input regarding the choice of architectural design and its implementation. There were open meetings for staff, students and for the public as well," he said. "Due to state regulations we had less space to work with and the compromises uncomfortably constricted some areas within the department." Regulations and a need for funding made sacrifices were necessary, according to Chernock, as the COM is currently overbuilt by state standards, something that cost the college additional money for its current construction. Until it addresses that issue it cannot look to Sacramento for help with these types of endeavors. Launching building projects on an already over-developed campus may seem counterintuitive, but Chernock said, "(the) new buildings are only replacing spaces we're knocking down. We're only adding about 4,ooo square feet to the campus with all building projects." Ultimately, she and other college officials hope the new construction will open avenues to money for future projects at COM. Meanwhile, the college will have to adjust to the sights and sounds of modernization. Before art students move into their new complex, the school's new science and math facility, as well as the academic center, are slated to be works in progress.