Page 26 - spaces4learning, Spring 2021

spaces4learning HIGHER EDUCATION
A HOME
AWAY FROM
HOME:
FELLOWS
HALL AT
WILLIAMS
COLLEGE
By Anne Holford-Smith and Serena Losonczy
SET AGAINST a dramatic backdrop of the beautiful Berkshire and Taconic mountain ranges, Fellows Hall—a new student res- idence designed by PBDW Architects—shares a prominent site with historic Saint Anthony Hall (SAH) at the entrance to the Williams College campus. It houses mid-career professionals from developing countries who are enrolled in the Center for Develop- ment Economics (CDE) program, an accelerated graduate course.
Prior to the construction of the new dorm, both academ- ic and residential functions were contained in SAH. Students attended classes, dined and lived in the highly idiosyncratic building, originally a fraternity house designed by Stanford
White in 1884. As the CDE program grew, the need for sep- arate living quarters became increasingly apparent. Bedrooms were cramped, dark and lacked adequate ventilation, and bath- rooms were overcrowded. The number of rooms was insufficient to accommodate all enrolled students, and privacy was fre- quently compromised.
There were additional factors beyond the limitations of the building that needed to be addressed, as well. CDE students who come from desert or tropical climates often have difficulty adjusting to the cold and dark win- ters in northwestern Massachusetts. With meals being served daily in SAH, there was little motivation to venture outside in the winter, exacerbating the negative health ef- fects of shortened daylight hours. Several stu- dents come from conservative cultures where separation of genders and strict observance of religious practices are the norm. While undergraduates from other programs were interested in attending lectures and lunch- es with CDE graduate students to exchange ideas and make connections for internships abroad, access to SAH was restricted due to the lack of classroom space and shared resi- dential use of the building.
26 SPRING 2021 | spaces4learning.com