Every so often a project of magnificent proportions is executed perfectly. One such instance was the renovation of the Residential Quad. Its transition from a place filled with dead shrubs and burnt grass to an expression of what Fairfield University actually is and moreso what can be, cannot be matched.
But the renovation was still met with some hesitation.
Many will complain about the noisy mornings that the construction created, but those eventually tapered out. Others complained about how long it took to get the project done, but delays always happen in construction. Some hate the center of the Quad because they wanted to see an open field, but the dimensions and space are something that can now be appreciated. Then you will find another group that complains about the renovation running overtime, as if those first two weeks of the academic year were such a burden.
Some people were expecting a field to play Frisbee or football, but how many fields do we need? We have been caught in the state of wants and have forgotten the role that things of this nature play in our society. A Quad is a centerpiece and as a centerpiece it should be shown as a point of hope.
It has been my experience that these Quad naysayers will never truly be satisfied.
I know I am taking a side that not many will agree with, because to be honest, I didn’t understand it either with my first glance of the project. It was not until the topic of last Friday’s Quad ‘opening’ came up that I fully understood the execution of this project.
The Quad has become a great glance into the lenses of what Fairfield can become. If every building were to follow the lead of the quad, this campus would recreate itself, placing its physical beauty on top of its natural beauty.
With the tricky aspect of predicting enrollment and the ever-changing economy, to execute a high cost project, such as the quad, is somewhat impossible. But in creating something that looks like the Central Park of Fairfield University, it has become money well spent.
When asked by The Mirror what she thought of the project, one student said that it looked like Stonehenge. The ideological architecture will speak volumes of the character of this campus.
In the same article, a student spoke about the lack of communication that came with the project. This is the part that led me to disagree with the project at first. But the end result two months later has produced a great example of what is to be the starting block for the campus changes of years to come.
Take another look at the Quad. It may serve as one of many instances of Fairfield’s ambitious and thoughtful future.
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