Davison residents give feedback to renovation company visitors

Representatives from the SLAM Collaborative, the company responsible for the renovation of Davison House, visited a Study Break for the dorm on Dec. 2 to hear feedback on the renovation.

Prior to their visit, the company sent Davison residents a survey, looking for comments regarding almost every aspect of the building. Although only six percent of the residents had responded to the survey prior to the Study Break–roughly 11 students–the representatives had enough feedback to lead a discussion.

Member of the American Institute of Architects Paul Rammelsberg said that Davison, the first of the quad dorms to be renovated, was taken apart "down to the bricks and studs" during its year-long renovation process.

Unfortunately, he explained, the budget for the project was too small, which proved an obstacle for certain projects. They were hoping to tear down the walls that separate the multi-purpose room from the small rooms off of it, thus making it one large room. The architects also would have liked to put up walls in the basement to make the space more "usable," according to Rammelsberg, but the budget restricted both of these ideas.

One topic the architects brought up was the corridor doors that lead to students' rooms. Student Fellow Becca Mountain '12 commented that she loves the electric magnets that hold the doors open. She said, "They were a little alarming during the first fire drill" because all the doors automatically closed. But she commented that they help build a community because "doors are always open."

Although the survey found that 13.9 percent of residents claim that their magnets do not work properly, 90 percent say that they make use of the magnets, or would if they worked.

Many residents were complimentary of the lack of doors splitting up the floors, but students pointed out that the first floor is still very divided by large doors in the corridor. Although the architects explained that the idea behind this was to reduce noise on the first floor, students still felt the first floor would be more community-like without the doors.

A number of students also expressed their distaste in the painted-white, first-floor corridor. The architects explained that it was painted that way, instead of stained wood like the other floors, to match the more formal parlor and multi-purpose room. House Fellow Kathy Anderson added that the white paint gets dirty easily, and it is very difficult to clean.
The architects also wanted to gauge student opinion on closet doors.
Doubles in Davison have closet doors to create a space for residents to store private possessions, Rammelsberg explained. Closets in singles do not have doors. Student opinion on this matter was varied according to both the survey and the group at the Study Break.

In the survey, 18 percent said that closet doors were not necessary for any rooms, 60 percent thought that all closets should have doors and 20 percent said that it makes sense for only doubles to have closet doors.

Some students who have singles explained that they like the lack of doors because the closet space can be turned into more room space, and the area is much brighter than the dark, cavernous closets they have experienced in the past. On the other hand, Davison House President Louise Conner '11 said, "It'd be nice to be able to put my stuff away when people come to keep some stuff private."

Students have few complaints about the study rooms on each floor, but Conner mentioned that it is hard to open the windows because they are set off by a ledge. The contractors explained that the windows weren't meant to be opened because there are vents in the studies to circulate the air. Students explained, however, that these mustn't be working because the studies are often too warm.

The students present also voiced frustration in the seemingly thin ceilings because when people walk around, the floors creak and the downstairs neighbor hears the noise. The students explained that sounds are often magnified; for example, one step may sound like a thud.

Another common criticism of the dorm was the elevator's slow speed.
The contractors explained that the elevator was never meant to be used as a primary means of transportation among floors. They explained that they thought about making it available only for those who needed it through a swipe system, but many students shared that they were glad to be able to use the elevator, despite its speed.

The architects also brought up Davison's pre-renovation reputation as the "family dorm," wondering if the renovation affected the reputation. Despite the small criticisms of the house that were discussed during the Study Break, Student Fellow Patrick Ellis '12 said with a smile, "I think we've kept the family dorm feel."