Response 1 - Elly Ngoh
I have chosen to write about LSSH 0225, a lecture theatre in the Law Quad South Hall basement. South Hall was recently renovated and reopened in 2012, with Lee Becker as the lead architect for the project (Vloet).
I have chosen to write about LSSH 0225, a lecture theatre in the Law Quad South Hall basement. South Hall was recently renovated and reopened in 2012, with Lee Becker as the lead architect for the project (Vloet).
The room has a tiered layout with rows of desks slightly elevated on steps above the main presentation area. The room includes three main whiteboard fixtures at the front of the room with three sliding whiteboards each. The chairs are high backed professional looking chairs that would be at home in a boardroom. All the detailing in the room is done with dark wood panelling. Student capacity for the room is 124.
Overall, the room looks and feels very regal for a classroom. Everything from the desks to the light fixtures cause the room to look stately. I would assume that in addition to class, this room might also be used to host seminars and events for professionals in the field.
There are three podiums in the room – one main podium with electronic controls for the lecturer and two moveable podiums to be placed on desks.
These movable podiums (one is visible beside the professor’s desk and another on top of the first row’s centre student desk) imply that this room is intended for classes that require debates or mock trials. The type of education being encouraged is mainly lecture style teaching with facilities to accommodate interaction between students along the desks and during debates.
There is nearly no natural light in this
room, with only a slight amount coming in from the archway on the right side of
the room where the wheelchair access ramp is. The room is mostly lit with
hanging light fixtures that bring to mind the scales of justice. The style of
the fixtures also contributes to the sense of elegance the space is
trying to achieve.
The dark wood panelling and the rigidity of
the desks create an imposing business atmosphere. However, details such as the
light fixtures and the large spaces between aisles and in the main lecture area
soften the overall impression of the room to make it more welcoming and less
daunting.
Works Cited
Vloet, Katie. "A Window On the New Buildings." A
Window On the New Building. Law Quadrangle: Notes from Michigan Law, Fall 2011.
Web. 24 Sept. 2015.
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