Working Together at the Heart of the College

Last fall, in a class taught by Professor of Architecture and Design Thom Long, students were tasked with developing and presenting design solutions for a specific project: Library Director Rachel Beckwith wanted to display on the first floor of the Harold F. Johnson Library a passage from The Making of a College, the foundational text for Hampshire, written by its first two presidents, Franklin Patterson and Charles R. Longsworth:

“The library proper is far more than the ordinary conception of a library. It is the educative aorta of the College. It should be by far, in every sense, the major building on the campus. . . . It should not be monumental, but it must be beautiful and alive, with the promise of the excitement of learning, and with being in the midst of treasures of intellect and culture.”

Beckwith and Art Gallery Director Lorenzo Conte provided some design parameters as well as the color palette. The students then spent a lot of time in the library to explore possibilities and test their imaginations. In CMYK: Graphic Design Studio, several of Long’s students worked on designs and Beckwith and Conte visited to review their proposals. Ultimately, the proposals of Hampshire student Kat Brown 23F and Mount Holyoke College student Catherine Kazel were selected, and they spent the spring semester doing an independent study to realize their ideas.

Beckwith and Conte, serving as clients, chimed in with creative feedback. Professor Long helped the two students with all sorts of questions about what was feasible, how certain ideas might translate in terms of cost, and other considerations, such as legibility, clarity, and aesthetic success. The students worked closely with Conte to finalize materials and costs as well as plan for installation.

Kazel cut test letters at Mount Holyoke’s Makerspace, and now, on a concrete wall just inside the library door, extruded wooden lettering spells out the quote. Certain words and phrases pop with color, distinguishing them from the natural wood of the others. Some words have more depth, with layers of letters glued together to add emphasis. A companion piece was designed by Brown, an illustrated anatomical heart, which was transferred to a decal and adhered to a window on the main floor of the library lobby.

Both components of the project were installed in August, with Conte and Brown’s oversight. In the end, all library staff assisted with the installation, as did Hampshire library student employees Palden Phuntsok 21F and Rinchen Thinley 22F and Hampshire alum Jayce Jemison 18F.

Kazel graduated in May and is off to the University of Virginia to pursue a master’s degree in architecture; Brown continues to develop her skills in illustration and graphic design while beginning to work on her Div III project.

Banner photo above of Art Gallery Director Lorenzo Conte and student Kat Brown 23F

Photos of the installation process below: