Animation Facilities Update #5 November 23, 2021 Here are the latest updates on our animation facilities, both the CalArts Town Center space and the A-Block remodeling project on campus to repair the Character and Experimental Animation areas damaged by the overflowing cooling tower in June. A-Block Renovation Project CalArts has begun working with HGA Architects to redesign, rebuild, and reprogram the spaces affected by the water damage. The School of Film/Video is working with HGA to ensure that students, faculty, and staff have a voice in re-envisioning the space and are able to provide feedback during the planning process. The architects are very experienced with facilitating community input, which is one of the main reasons we chose to work with them. We will let you know about the feedback process as it is planned. Repair work continues to the drainage system and fire proofing above the A-Block. As a safety reminder, please stay out of the construction areas. There is currently no access to A115 (Experimental Animation) or A221 (Character Animation) due to the renovation work. CalArts Town Center Students were given tours of the Town Center space last month, and 195 students signed up for access and working space. A daytime shuttle runs between CalArts and the Town Center until 6 pm daily. We are in the process of hiring a nighttime shuttle driver to extend access into the evening. CalArts IT has been diligently working for the past few months to establish a reliable internet connection at CalArts Town Center. We still don’t have an ETA from our internet provider on a permanent fiber connection but we expect to have an interim solution in place within the next week. The WiFi password will be sent out once the work is complete. Other News CalArts is adding four temporary classrooms in two modular buildings near the Lodge for use next semester. These will help us bring more in-person classes back to campus. We will continue to update you on our progress. Please see the Animation Facilities webpage [https://filmvideo.calarts.edu/facilties-updates] which houses all the reconstruction and space updates. Thanks to our Film/Video community for their continued support and patience as we work through these challenges together. Have a restful fall break! Abigail Severance Jesse Smith Interim Dean Vice President School of Film/Video Operations and Facilities