Scope: User Research, User Experience, Strategy, Spatial Design
Project Team: 3 Student Designers
My Contribution: all Strategy (including User Research), Renderings & Outdoor pop-up design
Project Brief
User Research
Findings
Findings
We Should:
Existed Spatial Issues
Design Proposal
Caldwell Hall 135
Students
User Types
Lectures
Discussion
Exams
Club Meetings
Social Events
Eliminating distractions from the pathway
Better ventilation
More outlets
Comfortable chairs
Livelier colors
Better lightning
Visibility from a distance
Professors
Custodian
Redesigning and transforming two of the least liked classrooms and an outdoor space in Cornell into modern and dynamic space that fosters active learning.
EnACT seeks to encourage everyone to play their role as an active participant in their learning experience.
Inspired by key elements in dinner theater, where the audience connects over a meal while simultaneously watching a performance, Enact embodies these elements, deepening both student-to-student and professor-to-student connections.
EnACT
Concept Diagram
Finale Design
Original Space
Original Space
Baker’s innovative layout will keep the slanted flooring but separate the seating zones to improve circulation for both professors and students.
Client: Cornell University
Classroom Type: Tiered + Small Size
Classroom Name: Baker Laboratory 135, Caldwell Hall 100
Class Max Capacity: 100, but usually half-full
Classes are mainly Business lectures.
Info sessions were often held.
Classes are held daily from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a few weekend private events.
Class Max Capacity: 100, but usually half-full
Classes are mainly Chemistry lectures.
No registered official events during 23-24 year
Classes are held from 8 am-5 pm daily with private events from 5 pm-7 pm.
EnACT
Baker Lab 100
Projector screens
Blackboards
Visual access to every student
Recording the lectures
Daily Cleaning of Blackboards
Floor Sweeping
Lectures
Discussion
One-on-one Q&A
Activities in space
To understand the current users of the space, their needs, and their actual experiences in these classrooms, we developed three user profiles, conducted 10+ interviews & gathered 50+ surveys, and discovered :
To align with the current space usage, we investigate what classes are arranged in the classrooms how often they are used to identify critical problems：
1）to what extent we can change the space
2）what requirements we should accommodate:
The space should accomodate both lecture, discussion and club events
At the same time, we also looked into details and analyzed the current classrooms' layout issues — which are potential key points we want to elaboarte:
Based on the facts we gathered and our client's goal to foster active learning,
we bring out our design concept:
Needs
80 students in average
25 students in average
Lecture
Discussion
Clean blackboards
Movable chairs & tables for cleaning
Take out trash
sweep, mop and vacuum
Lecture
Discussion
49 students in average
20 students in average
Caldwell’s redesigned layout will be simplified to two levels and add two additional seating options to accommodate diverse activities.
Students want liverier colors, less distraction from sideway, more visibility
Custodians want funitures that easier their cleaning
We can decrease the seats since the capacity are usually half-full
Eliminate infrequent use space like storage, multiple screens & boards
Consider the different levels of entry & exit
Change the unflexible seats to more inclusive , dynamic and modern ones
Caldwell Hall 100
Baker Lab 135
Caldwell Hall 100
Caldwell Hall 100 | Innovated Design
Baker Lab 135
Baker Lab 135 | Innovated Design
