I appreciated your article, “New faculty center plans too costly” (Oct. 25), concerning the Residential Learning Center Project that is to replace the Faculty Center. I might add that the building and gardens date back to 1959. Roughly 118 mature trees occupy the vicinity of the proposed project.
The Faculty Center is a classic mid-century modern home with gardens that evoke a strong sense of residential Los Angeles. The large windows, graceful trellises and overhanging roofs cannot be reproduced today, and its replacement would no doubt look like Anywhere, USA, rather than belonging to L.A. and its history.
The Faculty Center provides a sense of UCLA history that is comforting to its members, alumni and others. I find comfort in a tranquil one-story building with gardens that relax the spirit and recall a slower time.
I don’t begrudge the university for needing to make a profit; the state does not adequately support higher education, and we need to do what we can. My hope is that the proposed project can be successfully relocated to Westwood.
In closing, I would like to add that I am concerned that the Board of Governors made this decision without consulting the membership or other stakeholders such as the Faculty Women’s Club, which co-founded the Faculty Center.
All of these stakeholders are entitled to a thoughtful review and the opportunity to render an informed decision.
R. Michael Rich is a research astronomer at the UCLA Department of Physics and Astronomy.