ISAT LOBBY REDESIGN

As a member of James Madison University’s University Innovation Fellows program, I was tasked with the redesign of a two-story lobby in one of the most prominent academic buildings on campus.  We worked with the dean and associate dean of the college and the school of engineering to create a proposal that allowed for collaboration via curiosity, visual cues, and connection.  My group of three students studied both successful and unsuccessful spaces on campus, researched precedent studies, and interviewed students about study space.  We even manipulated existing furniture in ISAT’s main hallway to prototype our ideas.  We began by swapping out short, small, circular tables for tall, long, rectangular tables and noticed that students had enough personal space at the large tables to feel comfortable sitting next to strangers, or working in a group; we were able to encourage collaboration through objects and furniture.

We were given a budget as well as two pre-approved sources for furniture.  We included tall tables with attached benches and dry-erase tops to encourage students to collaborate on math-based projects.  We also included tables that face large glass windows, to encourage individual work, as well as to encourage interaction with the outdoor space.  Finally, we included modular lounge seating that can be rearranged from its semi-circular configuration to suit the needs of the students and staff that utilize the space.

Our proposal was well-received by the school, and we were given the opportunity to present our spaces research to the External Advisory Committee of the College of Integrated Science and Engineering and College of Science and Math.  The proposed furniture was purchased and currently sits in the ISAT atrium.