Swing Space Master's house for next year

PATRICK MCGARVEY/YH Branfordians can look forward to Master's Teas at 104 York Square Place next year.

When his college moves into the Swing Space next year, Branford Master Steven Smith won't have to experience the separation anxiety that Berkeley Master Harry Stout went through when Berkeleyites moved into the newly constructed dorm at the end of last August. Stout had to live in a condominium blocks from the Swing Space on Audubon Court.

To ensure that masters of colleges undergoing renovations will have closer contact with their students in the future, the Provost's Office recently leased a three-story brownstone at 104 York Square Place, adjacent to Payne Whitney Gymnasium. Associate Provost Lloyd Suttle refers to it as "the Swing Dorm Master's House."

Although the building is currently uninhabitable because it has been entirely gutted, the Provost's Office expects it will be ready for Master Smith by June, while his college moves to the temporary housing of Boyd Hall.

Stout took this year's unusual experience in stride. "I'm an inveterate walker, so the distance is not as great an inconvenience as it might be for other Masters," he said. "I find that I am in the Master's Office at Swing Space more than I ever was in Berkeley, in part because there is no Master's House, and in part because it was my number one priority this year to make this experience work."

In addition, the Berkeley Master and his wife have made efforts to hold as many Master's Teas and receptions as before so as to remain a presence in their students' lives.

Master Steven Smith of Branford College will be the first master to inhabit 104 York Square Place. While he is not entirely convinced that the renovations will be complete by the anticipated June deadline, as plans have been stalled repeatedly, he recognizes the benefits of living directly behind the swing space.

"A lot of the events that go on in the colleges take place at night, whether it be dinners, study breaks, or other receptions," Smith said. "Even living just a few blocks away might prevent me from really being involved with the students. But I think living right across the street will be close enough, particularly because it will only be for one year and not a long-term arrangement."

Smith added that he and the members of the Provost's Office have had innumerable meetings with architects and interior designers. He is frustrated by the slowness with which the renovations are beginning, but he does look forward to living in the brownstone when it is completed.

Back to News...