SOCIAL SPACE: Students voiced concern about the lack of social spaces in the building, exacerbated by clutter (extra furniture, dead storage) that invades potential gathering spots. Students depend on outdoor spaces for study groups, meals, or other collaborative work and worry about where they will go once the weather gets colder. This team suggested that the second-floor under-mezzanine be repurposed as a band of communal spaces at different scales. The isolation that makes it undesirable studio space would be a positive condition for acoustic and visual privacy.
LIGHTING: Students said that the glare on the east and south faces of the building is so bad that they are forced to leave the studio from 7:30 am – 12:30 pm. The increased reliance on personal laptops exacerbates the need for more daylighting control. Students also shared concerns about the quality of the artificial lighting desiring better lighting under the mezzanine and better controls and zoning in the studio spaces. The lighting team developed several proposals, including an exterior blind for the south facade that could be screen printed with a graphic developed through a student competition. In addition, they recommended manual interior blinds on the east facade and an interior skylight to let light into the under the mezzanine.
PRIVATE SPACE: Students voiced a need for small spaces with acoustic privacy for phone calls, interviews, or simply to be alone. This team designed a module for acoustic and visual privacy space that could be sited on the mezzanine under the catwalk. The walls would be a transparent material that could transition to translucent as desired. They considered flexible furnishing that could adapt to small groups or for one person.
FURNISHING 01: Stuckeman and Borland students expressed problems with the furnishings. In Stuckeman, the concerns focused on the storage towers which obstruct students’ views of faculty or socially isolate them. Borland students shared that they don’t have storage space. This proposal illustrates modular storage that can be stacked similar to the current towers or placed below their desks.
FURNISHING 02: This team also addressed another concern unique to Borland which is the lack of visual access between studios. They proposed reconfiguring the studios on the lower level to create better views into the studios and more accessible for the year levels to mix. Borland students echoed the Stuckeman students’ desire to have more social and collaborative spaces.
Comments by Cathy