New Spaces

As I mentioned in my previous post, the area north of the Hogan Campus Center at Holy Cross underwent a major transformation that required nearly the entire summer to complete. Crews began the project on the first business day after Commencement in May, and laid down the last rolls of sod two days before first-year students arrived on campus at the end of August. A key route between many locations– the library, the campus center, and the complex of buildings that houses most faculty and administrative offices– was fenced off, and the end result lay indiscernible amid piles of dirt, coils of wire, pallets of brick and stone, and a small armada of construction equipment.

When the machines rolled away and the fences were removed, the resulting landscape looked both perfectly natural and stunningly new. A space that had once consisted of a road, a swath of concrete worn and chipped by brutal winters, and a modest area of grass became a sweeping lawn edged by curving stone, terraced beds of rose bushes, and expansive views. At once a pedestrian thoroughfare and a gathering place, stocked with new benches and a shaded seating area, it is emerging as a new hub of activity on campus.

I'm fascinated by the shift in campus culture being driven by this reshaping of the built environment. (With regard to the natural environment, although some shrubbery and a particular tree were sacrificed, much of the plant life was retained, and one tree is delighting in a newfound starring role.) Recent warm weather has helped, but the space itself seems to be encouraging students, faculty, and staff alike to walk a little more slowly and consciously through the plaza, or use it as a place to work, eat, study, relax, or toss baseballs, footballs, and frisbees. In spending some time there myself, whether steadily revising a grant proposal, reading a book in the early evening, or meeting and passing members of the College community, I've heard many positive comments about the new plaza, as well as some rather creative nicknames. (My favorite is "The Hoval"– shortened from "The Hogan Oval.")

I'm sure that things will change as the semester gets busier, the weather turns cooler, and the novelty of the new configuration starts to wear off. Yet I'm optimistic that there will be a lasting change in more than just how students, faculty, and staff move about this area of the campus. Some of the chatter that I've heard suggests to me that folks are impressed with more than just "The Hoval," but with the investment Holy Cross has made in creating a space that's aesthetically welcoming as well as comfortably functional. I can't help but wonder if this might inspire people to attend to their own patterns of interaction in a manner that produces a similar smoothness and harmony in accomplishing tasks, advancing projects, and building community. I know that I'm thinking about such things as I savor not only the redesigned space, but also the reshaped patterns resulting within me.