Renovations to cool down the Fine Arts Buildings are slated to begin this summer and wrap up sometime in November or December, according to university officials.
Contractors hope to bring the average indoor temperature to 78 degrees Fahrenheit by installing additional air ducts, ventilation systems and ceiling fans, Interim School of Art Director Jose Rivera said.
Classroom temperatures reached 80 – 90 degrees Fahrenheit in the fall of 2022, which led to students held walkouts over the lack of proper air conditioning during a record-breaking heatwave.
Students also highlighted concerns of falling ceiling tiles and pests like mice and roaches. Beach Building Services was able to resolve some of these issues by adding screw fasteners to keep tiles in place and setting up pest traps.
Amidst the walkouts, President Jane Close Conoley wrote in a campus-wide email that the university implemented other short-term solutions like portable air conditioning units and allowed professors to hold remote classes to avoid the heat.
The Fine Arts Buildings were first constructed in 1953 and the total renovation will cost $10.2 million, according to a statement from Design & Construction Services Director Monica Amalfitano.
“The majority of the disruptive work will be completed over the summer, with minor work, minimal disruptions into the fall semester,” Amalfitano wrote.
She estimated the renovations to finish in November and claimed that “there have been no variances to the schedule since the inception of the project last year.” However, previous reports by The Daily 49er state that the renovations were expected to begin last October and finish this August.
Mark Zakhour, associate vice president of Beach Building Services, believes construction will actually be finished in December.
“The contractor started mobilization and some initial site investigation work last week and construction action will begin in the next few weeks,” Zakhour wrote in a statement.
Third-year illustration student Kathlyn Loi said that although she has not experienced extreme heat in the Fine Arts classrooms, the renovations would prevent students from being distracted by the heat.
“It is hot, but I wouldn’t compare it to somewhere I would continuously sweat to the point of near fatigue,” Loi said. “A comfortable environment is necessary for art students if you’re working in a very small room.”
Third-year studio art student Gabriel Nunez recalled a drawing class he took where his professor brought in a fan and allowed students to bring their own personal ones as well. Most of his classrooms are not very hot, but he believes these permanent renovations are better late than never.
“It’s really cool that they’re [administration] doing that. That’ll probably be helpful for students who are bothered by the heat,” Nunez said.
According to Zakhour, all Fine Arts Buildings will have fully operational cooling systems once renovations are complete. There will be minimal access to the buildings over the summer during construction.
One of the organizers of the 2022 Fine Arts walkouts, CSULB’s Students for Quality Education, said they had “no updates” on the topic. The other organizer, La F.U.E.R.Z.A., did not respond for a comment.