You can’t appreciate the transformation of the old Ball Hall “basement” to the new “ground floor” offices unless you ventured into the dank space pre-renovation. A self-identified arachnophobe, I would have never stepped one foot into the basement pre-renovation if it weren’t for the fact that the bathrooms were located down here (the first floor is getting its own bathrooms as part of the renovation). I’m sure it wasn’t unlike many basements at home — damp, dark, smelly… a spider’s breeding ground. So, when I found out that the Office of Communications was being relocated to the basement during renovation, I had a hard time imaging anything but the brick walls with peeling paint, the humidity that would fog up the bathroom mirror (and turn the room into a sauna), and the rather large creepy-crawlers that I’d seen scurrying about (not in droves, mind you, but one every couple months or so was enough).
Thank goodness the new office space far exceeds my expectations. There is no sign of the peeling cement walls in our office, which is dry walled and painted beige. The floor is carpeted in a nice, industrial bur bur — a HUGE step up from the very old, very stained shag in our old suite. And the best part? No sign of a spider yet.
-Tanya
