Georgia Tech Visit

Earlier this month while at EDUCUASE Southeast Regional, I had the opportunity to visit Georgia Tech, one of the libraries that inspired the Hub. When I visited last summer, the West Commons was still undergoing renovations. I was delighted this time to see the the finished project which is known as 2 West. While I took a number of pictures during the quiet of summer with a pretty lousy camera, you'll really want to check out their website on 2 West which includes a number of images, concepts, presentations, and process documents related to the project.

What particularly captured my attention are the partitions which create somewhat private spaces yet let light flow through. In our own research commons project, we've been pondering how to create the personal spaces that graduate students crave while avoiding any construction or messing too much with the architectural integrity of our building. I was really impressed by this particular design which included copious outlets and whiteboards, another request from our graduate student survey and focus groups.

If you have the opportunity, I urge you to check out their commons--they have always been so user focused and remain one of the most innovative places around.