West Wing Collaborative Cluster - Explore it!

On Monday, September 24, 2007 the newly remodeled West Wing Collaborative Cluster officially opens to the campus community.  We invite you to stop by to explore this new space.

• VIRTUAL TOUR New Remodel / Old Layout (Requires QuickTime Player 7.2 - download)
  Click-hold mouse button and drag with the scene to change your viewpoint. Zoom in/out using the Shift and Ctrl keys. 
  

Last year, Computing Services worked with faculty, students and the Office of Technology for Education and the Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence to better understand student cluster use on campus. With this information, Cluster Services embraced the opportunity to pilot many new technologies and features in the new West Wing Collaborative Cluster.

This new student-focused cluster is an aesthetically pleasing and inviting space complete with improved furniture layouts, varied seating arrangements to accommodate student work styles, and open space for collaboration.  The West Wing Collaborative Cluster is not available for reservations, thus allowing students extended accessibility.

The new student cluster space includes:

- A lounge and booth space designed specifically to bring people together, complete with comfortable seating, open tabletop surfaces and data and power connections.  Making it an ideal location for student work on laptops and discussion meetings.

- An entire wall covered in whiteboard wallpaper for students to brainstorm and literally ‘write on the walls.’

- A traditional row grouping of twelve Linux workstations and an additional non-traditional cluster of four Linux workstations.

- A cross-platform hub that supplies users with access to all three operating systems (Mac, Windows, and Linux), while providing the opportunity to build beneficial peer-to-peer relationships. 

- Ample wall mounted whiteboards and mobile whiteboard screens are prominent throughout the room to make it easier for students to write and share ideas.

- Multiple, comfortable, mobile lounge chairs with easy access to a power tower (contains data and power outlets), perfect for laptop and collaborative usage. 

- Powered light filtering shades on windows and doors to reduce glare on computer screens and create flexibility with lighting in the space.

- A mobile scanning whiteboard enables students to easily download whiteboard notes directly onto a flash drive into a .jpeg or .pdf format.

- Ample wall hooks for temporary storage of student coats, backpacks or other belongings.

- A 46 inch LCD on a rotating stand with both resident and laptop connection capabilities affords an ideal view from points all around the room.

- New radial louver ceiling lighting and desktop pendant lighting provide for a well lit workspace.

- “Eco-Friendly Advantages” like recycled materials in carpet products and decreased power usage via an LCD have been incorporated into the space where ever possible.

- A “stop-in” area that contains kiosk-like stations with flexible table height adjustments located at the entrance and equipped with several Mac, Windows, and Linux computers, as well as a printer and flatbed scanners.  This area is great for those who need quick access to printing, scanning, email-checking or fact-checking.

Computing Services continues to work with faculty and students to develop future improvements in our computing clusters. We encourage you to send your questions, comments or suggestions to clusters@andrew.cmu.edu.