Facilities Floorplan

MEDT 6461
Krystina Hall
Spring 2018

Murdock Elementary School is a top performing school in the Cobb County School District. It services
946 students from kindergarten through fifth grade. The school has undergone several renovations but
has never had the media center renovated. It is located in the heart of the building and many classes use
it as a pass through throughout the entire school day. Many times there is student work displayed on
the half sized bookcases and it is frequently used for parent morning activities. The administration team
would like to see the media center transformed into a learning commons. In order to accomplish this
transformation, the media specialist needs to look at the current space and furniture. She will also need
to consider creating a space for a makerspace, a fluid classroom set up, and a quiet space for reading
and studying. The faculty does not use the media center for meetings as they have a designated PL room
created during one of the renovations previously.

Needs Analysis

After looking at the current floorplan, there are several ways that the space could be reworked. Right
now the non-fiction books are located on the bookshelves that are against the walls in the media center.
Reference materials are also in bookshelves against the walls. The fiction books are located on double-
sided half sized bookcases that create a walkway through the library. The picture books are on three
mobile bookcases next to the periodicals. There are also several bookshelves along the wall that are
empty.

The only desktops available for students to use to look up books are located on a table that surrounds a
post in the middle of the media center. There are four desktops and four iPads with stools for students
to sit on. Students also have tables and chair available for them to sit at when they are done choosing a
book to read or when watching a projection on the wall. There is a new couch with “coffee” tables that
students use to sit and read their books.

There is a classroom attached to the media center that the media specialist uses to teach her lessons.
There is a laptop cart located in there for student use and also a white board mounted to the wall. There
is a conference room that teachers reserve for meetings and also an office for the media specialist and
para. Inside the office, there is a storage room that the media specialist utilizes. The circulation desk is
right in front of the office and it has two scanners on either side for students to use for check in and
check out. The circulation desk also has a printer and book drop.

Goals and Rationale

Goal 1: Create a quiet room

Once the learning commons is fully functioning, there will not be a lot of quiet time. In order to allow for
a quiet place for students to come and read or study, the current classroom will be transformed into the
quiet room. The couch will get placed in there as well as more comfortable seating. There will also be a
few study carrels for students to use. The wall and doors are already made of glass so the media
specialist and para will be able to see in there at all times.

Goal 2: Create a fluid classroom

Now that the classroom is gone per say, the classroom will need to become part of the learning
commons. The tables in there will be moved out and integrated into the space. The current double sided
half-sized bookcases will be put on wheels so that they can be easily moved and rearranged to whatever
set up is currently needed. They will require large signage on these bookcases since they may be moved
frequently and students will need to be able to find the books they are looking for. The white board that
is current in the classroom will be mounted to a stand on wheels so it can also be mobile. This will
enhance the space with available technology and allow for more collaboration with teachers. The fluid
classroom will be utilized by the media specialist and any teacher that needs to use the learning
commons. You will be able to use it for whole group or small group instruction.

Goal 3: Create a makerspace

There current isn’t a makerspace in the media center, so in order to create a space for it, there will need
to be designated space. The tables that were used for the projection and students to sit at after
choosing a book will become a makerspace tables. There will need to be a bookshelf for all the materials
to be housed and easily retrieved by students. Placing the makerspace where the picture books are
currently, and using the periodicals bookshelf for the materials will create a designated spot for the
makerspace and it will not get caught up in the class traffic flow.

Goal 4: Utilizing the space for efficiently

The last goal is to make the space more efficient. Moving the desktops and iPads for looking up books
will allow for more space in the middle for the fluid classroom and it is closer to the circulation desk in
case a student needs assistance. It will also be closer to the fiction bookcases for easy access and less
disruption from the classroom and makerspace. Taking the whiteboard out of the classroom will allow
for more student and staff use of the technology. The picture books are being used as a barrier between
the classroom and makerspace, but they are on wheels so if it needs to be combined or the picture
books need to be moved, they can be moved very easily. The empty bookshelves by the office and
conference room will be utilized for new books, signage for upcoming events, and pulled materials for
upcoming lessons.
 Current Layout

Periodicals

Conference
room
Picture books

Office
Nonfiction

Closet

Nonfiction Reference

Classroom
 Proposed layout

Makerspace Materials

Periodicals
Conference
room

Picture books

Office
Nonfiction

Closet
Fiction

Nonfiction Reference