The Programming Design Studio Symonds Lab II is in Duncan Hall on Rice University's Houston campus. It accommodates two advanced teaching spaces for 15 to 20 students each.
These two rooms are united by a movable partition that opens to accommodate up to 40 students. Adjacent to the classroom areas is an entry vestibule for acoustic control and for visitor orientation. A separate and secure room, accessible through the entry vestibule, contains the Immersadesk, a high-resolution 3-D visualization tool used for studying objects and environments otherwise impossible to see.
Because the two spaces are equipped with identical software and hardware features, the large classroom space will be ready-made for a single-presentation format, and an integrated set of teaching techniques. The workstations are designed to accommodate one computer for every two students, a large reference space, and a clear-view corridor to a large-format display screen.
Future elements include custom workstation tables that incorporate computer equipment, high-resolution projection systems, video cameras, custom software switching and networking, and a sound system.
Architect for the project is BCA Bricker & Cannady Architects (Houston).
For more information on these projects and others, visit www.schooldesigns.com.
