A New Space for Design Studio
Largely unchanged since 1999, a new space dedicated to innovation in Design Studio opened in August. “Our vision was to create a progressive environment that is intentionally designed for collaboration, with flexibility for a number of student work scenarios,” says Ian Cottingham,
Director of Design Studio. With an increasing number of students involved in Design Studio, Cottingham says the team rooms are at capacity and need more space to grow. As a result, the Raikes School renovated the commercial kitchen located on the first floor of Kauffman.
“We never really utilized the kitchen as it was originally intended,” says Cottingham. “So, rather than having it sit empty, we decided to repurpose the space.”
The new space features a design-thinking inspired layout, utilizing modern furniture and light fixtures. With an eye on flexibility, the Design Studio team wanted to create a space that feels less like a classroom and more like a Silicon Valley startup. Longer tables, bigger screens, and multiple docking stations, make it possible for teams to share ideas and develop solutions.
“This space mirrors the type of teamwork, development, and production that exists in a real world environment,” says Jeremy Suing, Design Studio Project Manager. “Students can come together to address issues, brainstorm ideas, or simply meet with a sponsor.”
The renovated space also includes video conferencing rooms, empowering students to effectively communicate and manage projects regardless of geographic location.
With this resource available, capstone students from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering are better able to work on their projects in Kauffman, where they will be in close proximity to Design Studio faculty and staff.
Construction is started in summer of 2015 and wrapped up last July.