CAMBRIAN ROW OPEN HOUSE TO BE HELD ON TUESDAY, MARCH 30

Architect's rendering of Cambrian Row

Members of the Bryn Mawr College faculty and staff and the surrounding community are invited to an Open House at Cambrian Row, the newly renovated student-activities village at 215-229 Roberts Rd., on Tuesday, March 30, from 5 to 7 p.m. Light refreshments will be served in the Multicultural Center, at 229 Roberts Rd. Parking is available on Roberts Rd., behind Brecon Hall, and in the Lower Science parking lot on New Gulph Rd. For more information, please call (610) 526-6520.

The Cambrian Row renovation, which entailed about $7 million worth of renovations and improvements, was made possible by a $5 million gift by Lois Collier, Class of 1950, and her husband, Reg. It was completed in January and opened to students earlier this month, and it will be formally dedicated in May. Representatives of Jewish, Episcopalian, Catholic, Muslim, Wiccan, Quaker and evangelical Christian groups came together on Tuesday, March 23, for an ecumenical blessing ceremony in which each group performed a ritual to sanctify one room of the religious-life building.

The Cambrian row houses are Clynnoc, at 215 Roberts Rd.; Aelwyd, at 217-19 Roberts Rd.; Dolwen, at 221 Roberts Rd.; and the Multicultural Center, at 229 Roberts Rd.

The houses will be used by student organizations on campus. Some campus organizations, including the student Self-Government Association and the Community Service and Praxis offices, will have permanent offices there. The areas designated for student religious organizations will include dedicated kitchens for Jewish and Muslim students.

Consultants for the project included architects Buell, Kratzer, Powell Ltd. and Richard Conway Meyer, as well as architectural historian George E. Thomas Associates, all of Philadelphia. The building contractor was Delran Builders of Wyndmoor. Architects from both firms as well as representatives of Delran will be on hand to discuss the project during the open house, and a series of photos and plans will illustrate phases of the project. Facilities Services Assistant Director for Project Planning Chris Gluesing will give presentations about the history of the buildings periodically throughout the event, and representatives of campus organizations that will use the space will welcome visitors.

"The houses were built between 1895 and 1913 as faculty residences," said Gluesing."Bryn Mawr chose to preserve its history and extend the life of these old houses through adaptive reuse. The renovation respected the historical character of the individual buildings as much as possible, while upgrading the facilities to meet code requirements and provide appropriate program spaces for the new users."

"Our intent was to preserve the domestic quality of the buildings' interiors, such as taking care to keep original fireplaces intact, reusing existing woodwork and minimizing disruption to the original rooms," said Gluesing. "Outside, the meticulously restored buildings were unified with an arbor walkway that connects all of the original porches. Also, pathways and landscaping were redesigned to strengthen the physical and visual link between the main campus and Cambrian Row."

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