Best use of space in Small ICT suite

[Little-Miss]

Does anyone have any examples of ways they've made good use of small space available to them?

 

Because of the fire the furniture has been ripped out of the suite so i pretty much have a blank canvas. I asked someone to measure it for me and i was told its roughly 7.37m x 3.60m.

 

Before the fire it was just counter top and metal legs running along the 2 long walls and across the short. I imagine it will be pretty much the same again, but as its needs doing i thought this may be a chance to improve the space.

 

I havent replaced the computers yet so they can be either AIO or seperate base and monitor we had about 16 or 17 machines in there.... let you imagination run wild!!!.....Within reason...lol

[dhicks]

Before the fire it was just counter top and metal legs running along the 2 long walls and across the short. I imagine it will be pretty much the same again, but as its needs doing i thought this may be a chance to improve the space.

 

All in ones of some kind, mounted on tiltlable brackets on the wall behind the benching around the edge of the room. Make sure there's space to tuck the keyboard away on top of the all-in-one and somewhere to stick the mouse and headphones so the bench can be used for stuff other than just a computer. When putting the legs on the benching, make sure they are properly spaced to fit in between the chairs where they will be placed when the workstations are installed. I hate sitting down on a chair and banging my knee on a hidden table leg.

[plexer]

You should be able to get 10 machines along each side and leave the end without any or site the printer if there is one in the middle of the short wall.

 

Ben

[Little-Miss]

Lol! I've just noticed I asked the same question in 2008! Blimey all I had to do was wait 3 years for us have a small fire to bring it up again!

 

Best website to buy the bits and bobs for things like this? I mean fancy brackets and fittings etc not so much the worksurface lol

[CyberNerd]

If you have the luxury of being able to use thin clients then you can mount the computers inside the dado trunking (jackpc) or on the back of the monitors (mini-ITX, wyse, etc)

[dhicks]

Best website to buy the bits and bobs for things like this? I mean fancy brackets and fittings etc not so much the worksurface lol

 

eBay is pretty good - I just bought half a dozen brackets off the_mount_shop:

 

eBay - The UK's Online Marketplace

 

Acer's Revo machines are small and mount on the back of monitors, but are full PCs - we have ours running Windows 7 wirth no problem. They do use up the VESA mount on the back of the monitor, though, so it means you can't attach the monitor to the wall behind unless you knock up some kind of mounting bracket yourself. I'd go for an all-in-one that can take standard motherboards so you can upgrade in years to come.

[Little-Miss]

Where did you get your furniture from? Edited June 12, 2013 by SYSMAN_MK

[itskd]

I believe that worktops running at rt angles from the long sides of the room with a passageway at one side or in the middle is best for such suites.

because

Along the wall on three sides creates corners of wasted space (you can't fit two chairs close in to the corner)

The students have their back to the teacher all the time.

Whereas

If you set up rows of pcs the teacher can choose to be behind and see all the screens or in front and all students can see the teacher (perhaps not those on the front row if it is on front wall.)

A screen/whiteboard can be set up at front of class and viewed by all.

 

I have changed two suites from "along the Wall" to ""lecture theatre rows" and gained (a) space for more PCs /students and (b) easier classroom management.

[plexer]

With the dimensions of the room given I don't think any other arrangement is going to fit into the space however get yourself some squared paper and make some boxes the size for each space you want to give each computer and have a go at different layouts or some simple 2d cad software.

 

Ben

[synaesthesia]

Perhaps something along the lines of intellidesks if your budget allows? Off the shelf models without anything in them, with something like EEEPC's mounted underneath? Everything folds away into the desk which can then be used for non-computer stuff.

[ReverentCreature]

If you do have corners with wastes space this is the ideal place to put printers. You dont need to sit at a printer after all! There is no reason why a printer needs to be in the computer suite really. Maybe if children do need their work on paper as evidence they could print to the printer/photocopier outside in the corridor? Built in cupboards could be useful for any resources such as headphones. Maybe overhead shelving could sort this stuff too. If all in one computers still take up too much space, consider tabledt computers with USB docking stations for the network lead, keyboard and mouse. The "RM Slates" have these.

[Axel]

There's a company called ABC Desks who have done this with thin-clients.... This particular setup might not fit in your space - but may give some ideas of what's possible....

 

http://www.edugeek.net/forums/thin-client-virtual-machines/45960-tidy-thin-client-installation.html

[dhicks]

I havent replaced the computers yet so they can be either AIO or seperate base and monitor we had about 16 or 17 machines in there.... let you imagination run wild!!!.....Within reason...lol

 

I see Commodore have a new all-in-one out:

 

Commodore VIC-Slim

[Achandler]

We have a room, probablly similar size to yours, we have Lenovo A70z all in ones mounted on the wall, keyboard can be put on top of them and out the way if necessary, so can the mouse.

 

There is desking all round the wall which must be about 12 inches deep maximum and then stools for the students to sit at, similar to those in a science suite.

[gumbygaz]

I see Commodore have a new all-in-one out:

 

Commodore VIC-Slim

 

Nice! Retro ICT lab! Although how would you secure that down? Would be annoying if you couldn't move the keyboard... Suppose kensington system? hummm

[JJonas]

Raspberry Pi suite?

 

Raspberry Pi | An ARM GNU/Linux box for $25. Take a byte!

[Little-Miss]

We have a room, probablly similar size to yours, we have Lenovo A70z all in ones mounted on the wall, keyboard can be put on top of them and out the way if necessary, so can the mouse.

 

There is desking all round the wall which must be about 12 inches deep maximum and then stools for the students to sit at, similar to those in a science suite.

 

Could you take photo?

[Achandler]

 

That is it from one end, the other end is slightly wider (about 4m), almsot like a butternut squash shape!

[Little-Miss]

Oooo, very interesting! Thanks...

[Michael]

I know this goes against your question (a tiny bit), but have you considered abolishing your IT Suite and having wireless netbooks? You probably have a wireless network anyway, so you can just add to it.

[john]

Have you looked at my IT Room photos on FB @Little-Miss? They use standard PCs on work-surface but are mounted using fairly simple brackets for screens and towers and makes more room and keeps everything secure so it cannot grow legs and wander/ be borrowed....

[Little-Miss]

To be honest Michael, I couldn't think of anything worse! I have 3 netbook trolleys at the mo and can quite happily say Im not ready to give up my suite yet

 

I think your suite was one of the first to pop into my head John. I remember you doing it. Where are the photies?

[john]

To be honest Michael, I couldn't think of anything worse! I have 3 netbook trolleys at the mo and can quite happily say Im not ready to give up my suite yet

 

I think your suite was one of the first to pop into my head John. I remember you doing it. Where are the photies?

 

On Facebook in my Work album I think, I'll post one to your FB wall for you