Library East Commons reinvents study space

The Library East Commons opened to students this Aug. to provide group study and areas of relaxation.

"We wanted to create an adaptable workspace with study tables, comfy chairs and couches. We wanted to make it feel homey. This is the student's living room," said Charlie Bennett, Library East Commons coordinator.

Jazzman's café enables students to buy food and drinks in the library, which brought about a change in policy for the library.

"At Jazzman's a student can get sandwiches, fruit, coffee and other items. They can make a full meal out of it," Bennett said.

The organization of the furniture is still being worked on.

"We put as much as we could in a general placement. A lot of the furniture just arrived. It's an organized chaos right now. Everything is in a constant state of flux," Bennett said.

The two main themes of the Library East Commons are flexibility and group activity. The group activity is meant to provide a contrast to the West Commons, which was designed for the individual student.

"We are looking to push group study and collaborative work," Bennett said.

The flexibility in space can be seen in many facets of the east commons. "Nextwalls are temporary walls that are used to break up the space. They have a certain sculpture aspect to them," Bennett said.

The lighting is another aspect of flexibility. "The lighting system is completely moveable and adaptable. The lighting system is a Herman Miller system. Each one has a censor on it. A wand allows all the lights to be on the same control...We went with having a lot of control with the light as opposed to knocking down walls and putting in a bunch of glass," Bennett said.

"Walls on each corner have an incremental color wash. The change of the color can change the vibe of the space. ...We're trying to see what effects the colors have on the people in the space," Bennett said.

The presentation space is also a flexible space that can have its usage changed in a matter of minutes. "In the presentation space, all the tables can fold up so we can store them quickly. There are 65 stackable chairs that can be put into the space for presentations. The line in the carpet is to delineate the stage area. We want the whole space to change from group to individual and back to group quickly," Bennett said.

All the furniture in the East Commons follows the theme of flexibility. "The chairs have handles on the back and wheels on the front for easy movement. The more we move them around, the more students will move them around. There are a lot of options and a lot of flexibility. What happens here can affect others," Bennett said.

Another aspect of the East Commons its ability to have exhibits. "A very strong rail will be installed to hang artwork, so we can show Tech work in whatever form possible. We want to help students design their exhibits," Bennett said.

Overall, the East Commons was designed to give students a respite from the norm. "I think of it as recharging the batteries. It's good for right-brain stimulation. We wanted to make sure its not rigid in any way. This is only a start thought," Bennett said.