Smithfield, RI

CBT recently renovated Bryant University’s Unistructure complex to include upgrades science laboratories, dining facilities, classrooms, faculty and administrative offices. The programming of the faculty and administrative offices at Bryant College revealed that different departments required specific - but varying - requirements for office use. The Math and Science Departments preferred more white boards to facilitate conversations and work with students. The English Department required as much shelving as possible to store books used for research and teaching. Other departments needed file storage above all other needs.

Each preference needed to be housed within the College’s standard size office dimensions.  CBT created a modular office arrangement which satisfied the three diversified layouts. The design incorporates storage systems that can be converted depending on the user. The modular design was flexible enough to allow for the configuration to transform into each of the three arrangements in case moves.

Drawings were produced for each option and included actual furniture selections. The furniture was selected to allow for even maximum flexibility. Meeting tables were on casters to allow them to be pushed aside to create a central meeting space. All proposed pieces were designed to be as efficient in the use of space as possible. To further explain the design, a mockup of the office was constructed, on campus, for the faculty to visit, use and comment. The mockup provided a real time experience, responding to the stated goals of the users and resulted in a unanimous agreement on the final configuration.