Over the course of the summer, the Fieldston Administration commenced a long overdue renovation of the Student Commons. Upper and Middle School students were given a glimpse into the process last spring when sample furniture was put out for students to test and give feedback on. School leadership kept the community up to date on the process over the course of the summer via social media, posting informal updates on instagram including photos and brief explanations of the construction. The Commons renovation is part of a larger schoolwide plan to renovate a number of its aging facilities. Other projects include the renovation of the Tate Library and Ethical Culture as well as the creation of Design Studios and Fieldston Lower’s Adler Lab. “We were pleased to deliver the Student Commons renovation, Design Studios creation, and phase one of the Ethical Culture renovation this summer. It was an incredible amount of work made possible by each of the Steering Committees, Director of Facilities Joe Piselli, Director of Campus Services Teddy O’Rourke and many others,” said Kyle Wilkie-Glass, Chief Operating Officer and Assistant Head of School for Strategic Initiatives.
The overall goal of the Student Commons renovation was to transform the space into something lighter and more contemporary while preserving the classic structural design of the room. One major new features of the Student Commons is an HVAC system to keep the two story space temperature controlled throughout the year. This is a long awaited addition to the space. Students and faculty alike know what it is like to sit in the space during the early fall and late spring months when temperatures can rise well into the eighties and nineties. The installation of air conditioning systems is a change that has been occurring across campus since the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year. In addition to the HVAC system, the Student Commons has also been outfitted with new wood cladding on the columns and acoustic boards on the walls. New flooring has also been installed. The two gender specific restrooms that resided in the space were converged into one large gender inclusive restroom with individual floor to ceiling stalls. All major work on the Commons was successfully completed this summer, and the space was ready for student use just before September 5th when campus officially reopened. “We’re still ironing out the kinks in the project and completing final touch up work. Later this month, the new light fixtures will be installed as well as the retractable wall that can be used to divide off the corridor to the Middle School,” Wilkie-Glass said.
The community’s response to the newly updated Student Commons has been positive thus far. Over the first two days of school, the room was packed with students lounging on the new furniture and enjoying the freshness of the space. “I think the new Commons will serve as a space for students to be able to relax. The library is geared towards academics [whereas] the commons is mainly a space for [students] to chill and take a break with friends. Hopefully it will become more of a student hub,” commented FSG Co-President Fabriana Verdesoto-Frucci (VI). The significant improvements made to the recently completed space are expected to continue to draw positive feedback and make the space more functional for all members of the ECFS community.
