Occidental College, Fowler Hall Renovation

Los Angeles, California

Firm

William Loyd Jones, Architect

Client

Occidental College

Area

38,000 sq.ft.

Total Cost

$6,100,000

Completion Date

09/2004

Designed in 1912 by Occidental College campus architect Myron Hunt as a physical-sciences building, Fowler Hall was renovated for use by the mathematics and economics departments. Interior walls were removed, rooms relocated and entire floors reorganized to reconfigure the 38,000-square-foot, four-story building into new usable space. Program requirements included new classrooms and new faculty offices, reference rooms, seminar rooms, a lecture hall and an elevator.
Special care was taken to preserve the original building character as new electrical systems, lighting, HVAC systems and media cabling were added throughout. Original windows and trim were retained, and new ceilings were installed as close as possible to their original height.
New color has been applied to the walls, and woodwork was painted white to contrast with classic detail. Original doors and trim were retained whenever possible. New doors included glass panels and transoms to bring light into otherwise dark interior spaces. New energy-efficient fluorescent lighting is a mixture of recessed downlights and decorative pendant fixtures chosen to complement the architectural character of the building.