STORY BY AIDEN EISEL, STAFF WRITER
PHOTO BY GABI GARCIA, CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
The Fine Arts Building construction on campus began on April 1, 2024, and it is set to finish in the summer of 2026.
The Fine Arts Building on campus is the building connected to the Humanities, FASS, and the College Complex Buildings. Many of the classes that once were in the Fine Arts Building are being stationed in the FASS building temporarily until the construction of the new Fine Arts Building is complete. The building houses the classes for many programs on the campus, including music, art, ceramics, painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, and media and communications.
The construction will include a full makeover of the three-story building, which sits at 66,765 feet, and includes a mezzanine. They will also be adding a recital hall, galleries, and other support spaces. In addition, the fire safety, technology, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems will all be upgraded and noise intrusion in certain areas will be mitigated to avoid distractions from music practice.
Many of these renovations will help with teaching, learning, and providing collaboration spaces. This is to make the point of the renovation a way for students and faculty to have a better work environment.
With the construction estimated to take up more space on campus and not being set to finish until the summer of 2026, many parking lots in the surrounding areas will be closed off.
According to the Cypress College website, it states, “The entirety of Lot 8 for staff parking will be closed for the entire duration of the construction. There will, however, be alternate staff parking spaces in lots 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, and 9.”
The project will go through three separate phases: Phase One will be from April 1, 2024, to May 24, 2024, Phase Two from May 28, 2024, to August 23, 2024, which will take place over the summer, and will conclude with Phase Three from August 26, 2024, to the summer of 2026.
The expected work hours will be from 7 a.m. through 3:30 p.m. every day until the construction is over. There is expected noise that will occur during the construction period of around 10-12 months, from May 2024 to May 2025. Certain areas around the Fine Arts in addition to the parking lots, including parts of the Theater Arts Building, will be closed as well for certain parts of the construction phases.
According to the Architect DLR Group Construction Plan provided by Allison Coburn, the Project Manager for Cypress College, there are three main goals for the project. The first goal is to improve the energy efficiency of the building. They intend to use energy that is “10% lower than the current California Building Code Title 24 Part 6 Energy Code.”
The second goal is to reduce potable water, by building a more efficient irrigation system and stronger plumbing fixtures. The last goal is wellness, this will be achieved by sustainable solutions.
Some additional rooms that will be added are a recital hall that will be open from 8 a.m. to approximately 11 p.m. during the week. Classroom labs and lectures for music, photography, and art will be available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. during the week and occasionally on weekends. Faculty offices will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. during the week.
There is a fence around the building and lot 8, which is now closed. The fence covers a wide diameter around campus and blocks off some tables around the building. Many students will find that they will be unable to take shortcuts from classes around the Fine Arts building.
Yuvraj Takhar, a civil engineering major, took an interest in the project and stated that he wanted to help with the project because of his major. He said, “Students should arrive earlier to their classes if the fence blocks shortcuts to their classes and to stay prepared.”
The parking lot will reopen around the building on April 12, 2024. Parking Lot 8 will be restriped in the meantime during the construction of the new building.
