Colgate East Asian Language Department Remodel Project Complete

A few months back I completed the remodel of the EALL at Colgate. Some final tasks needed completing in that space in regards to wiring, plaster and paint, and at last those aspects are buttoned up and some professional photographs were even taken, some of which I’d like to share here today.

A new sign has been placed at the entry:

I think it would be nice, one day, to put a new door in there of a suitable nature for the space within.

Let’s look at the Chinese side first:

Following their request, I designed and constructed the bump-out with cusped window frame, along with the internals that allows pictures to be displayed and readily changed out as required. Colgate decided upon the tile type and color, pain color, rug, and furnishings.

This room has a restrained orderly feeling, a place of calm. I like the tones of the materials and light in the space. I think that Colgate made some great decisions in those matters.

I suggested the idea of using transoms to define the Chinese and Japanese rooms from one another. The Chinese side involves a simple lattice pattern in mahogany.

All the joints are mortise and tenon, along with mitered half laps at the crossings, as a matter of course.

A only window to the EALL, save for the offices, also has a latticed window insert designed by me and framed in mahogany and black Cherry.

I was glad the photographer took several close ups:

As we move over to the Japanese side, we can see the hallway now has light sconces, sourced from Japan (made in China perhaps?)

The Japanese side. Design and fabrication of the alcove and furnishings by me, paint and floor material by Colgate.

I was relieved to see that the plastering work around the round window and staggered shelves had been executed cleanly:

The right side:

And now panning to the left:

The furniture is all in avodire, as is much of the faux framings, while the alcove shelves, main post, and main floor panel are in black cherry. I was glad to have been able to find a solid black cherry post, free of heart center and any defects for the main post and the picture shows is has a bit of figure too.

The wainscot incorporates VG fir panels with the avodire:

The table features Japanese 4-way splayed post work, with a bit of expressed joinery:

The benches are all mortise and tenon, with decorative nailing applied on the seating boards:

A little black cherry sneaks into the kake-shōji, as an inner frame:

So nice to have good photos of a completed project. It’s something I usually stumble with, as I often run out of time at the end of a job and the work goes out the door before I have had the chance to arrange for a photographer. Anyhow, this time was different and I am glad for it. The first time I have had the chance to design and execute spaces like the that, and hopefully the start of more work along the same lines. Who knows, maybe a building project will come along one day?