The Not so common Commons Beth Avery University of North Texas
Issues big and small Planning for whats in the future New Learning Styles New Technologies Keeping the big picture in sight while you deal with the trivial and not so trivial details
Talking with your Architect/Designer be careful what you wish for You might be surprised!
We want a traditional building to fit in with our campus
We got…. Lots of glass which reflects the traditional campus while housing the future in other words glass and steel versus bricks and mortar.
Be careful what you ask for We asked for an Open Access Lab for 1. general academic computing needs of our students 2. space for tutors to meet with students.
What we got…
What we had in mind
What we got…
We need it finished for when classes start The First Day of Classes
One month later…
What we asked for… Open and flexible
What we got
What we asked for Colorful to perk-up the dull brick walls Based on the school colors – crimson and slate
Preparing for THE discussion Learn their language Whats the size of the area you have to work with? Be specific about why you want something. Whats the purpose of the area? What kinds of furniture/technology do you need to meet the purpose?
Preparing for THE discussion.. Know how much money you have and have an idea of how much it will buy Consider alternatives – space reductions, different uses of space, etc. Tour other buildings similar to what you want or talk to others who have done similar projects.
What happens when… Be prepared for problems – Have alternatives ready for patron use during construction. Be prepared to answer the questions – we got this because….
THE INFOCOMMONS Utopia – no place Siren Song – luring us on to crash on the rocks Goethes Faust – to easily obtain all of human knowledge (the Internet?). God saves Faust because of his endless seeking.
May we endlessly seek to meet the needs of our users.