(Diagram for Option 3)
Problem Description
The round tables on the first floor of Owen are equipped with electrical outlets. Unfortunately, a majority of the time, the tables are not plugged in, rendering the outlets ineffective. To plug in the tables, the power cord must be located, and the table must be lifted, a tough task when people are already working or eating on them. A result is that the tables remain unpowered for extended periods of time.
Proposed Solutions
#1 Bolt the Tables to the floor
Place attach small L brackets to the inside of the tables, drill sockets into the floor so that the tables can be bolted down. Tables will not be able to be moved without removing the bolts. This will make moving (and unplugging) and replacing the tables a more deliberate action. It will also eliminate incidental moving that occurs when people put their feet on them, bump into them etc… which also can jar the plugs under the tables loose.
#2 Attach a power strip to the side of the table
Rather than have to lift the table upwards or onto its side to plug in the table, we propose to attach an outlet on the side of the table and that will make plugging in the table easier, eliminating the need to disturb people that may already be sitting there. It will also make it clear when the table is unplugged, and remove the “mystery” as to why a table might not be working.
The first step in this process would be to affix a “permanent” male plug into the floor outlet with a 2 foot extension cord. A small mouse hole will be made at the base of the table where the cord could be fed out to the side of the table. When the table is to be plugged in, the extension cord can simply be plugged into the power strip affixed to the side of the table base.
# 3: Create a base into which the tables will fit w/ an automatic link to the power source. The idea is to keep the tables stationary and equip them with a fixed plug that will only work when the table is aligned with its designated foot housings.
- One of the reasons tables become unplugged is because they slide around the floors and their plugs get ripped out of the floor. Having designated sink points for the base will avoid the problem.
- Another issue is that the tables have floppy cords. This rigid power connection will help solve that problem.
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I'm confused - is this the same group as above? Are their two groups tackling this problem (yay!) or one group with six suggestions?
ReplyDeleteAnyways, of these three ideas, I think the second one is best, simply because of the way Owen currently uses this space. The tables are often moved to make way for club fairs, info sessions, casino night, etc. Having them bolted to the floor or fitting on bases would make this very very challenging.
Moving the plug to the side of the table should provide great improvement of the problem, and would allow more people to fix the problem themselves. I would suggest some form of school-wide communication letting all students and staff know about the new improvement (since I think signage is not very attractive, and would likely convey a not-so-impressive message about the school-wide level of intelligence to potential students).
1) This concerns me because Owen holds so many events in the lobby that require the tables to be moved out of the way. How easy would it be to undo and redo the bolts?
ReplyDelete2)I like this idea because it would make it easy for students to identify and fix the problem if a table is not plugged in.
3) This idea seems overly complicated.
1) We have too many events at Owen that require the movement of furniture to bolt the tables to the floor. I agree that the tables would be powered more consistently, but don't think the option is feasible.
ReplyDelete2) I'm not sure if I completely understand the design, but I think this idea is really good. It allows for easy movement of the tables when necessary and would all anyone at the table to power up. Just out of curiosity, why does this seem to be such an issue this year? Last year didn't seem as bad.
3)Don't fully understand the solution, but does it allow for rearrangement when necessary?
1. These tables are constantly moving and i think going this route would freak the cleaning/maintenance crew out. I think there may be high organizational obstacles on this one.
ReplyDelete2. I think you are right on with this one. There may be a concern with having a male cord pointing up, it could bend and have some issues going forward.
3. Unfortunately i am not able to visualize this one. Would you drill holes in the floor and create pegs on the table?
Thanks for addressing this problem. Good work.
As with the other comments, I don't think bolting it to the floor is feasible for the reasons mentioned above.
ReplyDeleteThe second idea is a good one and a relatively simple solution to the problem. Though perhaps it will not be the most aesthetically pleasing idea, it should work and accomplish the stated goal.
I understand what you are saying on this last idea and think that it could be a cool solution. My main concern is how easy it will be to implement this idea at the moment. Also, you have to be careful that with any kind of peg, footing, etc. once the table is not there it would become a potential hazard for people to trip on.
1) There are many events held at Owen lobby. My concern would be if it is easy for any people without any special tool (only with their hands) to remove the bottle very quickly.
ReplyDelete2) This idea seems to be the easiest one for implementation. It makes people easy to find out that the table is not pluged in and help each other to fix it.
3) I like this idea most. If you could make only slight changes on the floor, I don't think those holes (foot housings) and outlets would cause any inconvenience for the future events held at Owen lobby.
#1: Really cumbersome work and major drawback would be to remove these tables during events.
ReplyDelete#2: This seems practical and solves the purpose. It might look cheap as the cables would be lying on the floor.
#3: Could be expensive to do it and when you remove the tables the plugs could break and need replacements.
#1: How resolve cleaning problem when floors need to be cleaned? Also, much of this space is sometimes used for other events and thus tables would need to be moved.
ReplyDelete#2: Might be more expensive, but I like the idea and would ideally solve many issues. Creating more options is the idea with the table problem and I think this addresses it head on.
#3: Seems to require too much involvement and engineering for this to take place. If costs can be worked out to be efficient, I say go for it.
12 Good idea as this may eliminate the movement and unplugging of the cords. However, I think for ease of use, moving the tables is necessary in many cases. How about a small recession in the floor that allows the tables to be kind of stuck in so that they wouldn't slide and the cords unplugged?
ReplyDelete#2 I really like this idea. I don't think having the cord is an aesthetic sore nor a walking hazard. Additionally, it probably make sense to an MBA who was to find the cords unplugged on what to do. If not, they shouldn't be at Owen right? ;) jk
#3 I touched on this in solution 1, having a recession or a housing that the tables would fit into. Good idea.
As several other people have mentioned, the first solution does not seem feasible given how often the tables need to be moved and the way the space is used. Regarding the other two solutions, my advice to your group is similar to the advice I offered the other group that is dealing with this problem - try your ideas out on a small scale to see how they work in practice before you fully commit to implementing one concept.
ReplyDeleteI also want to push both groups that are working on this problem to think about how you will decide which of your solutions will be implemented in the long-term. Your teams have proposed what sound like very good solutions to a problem many Owen students deal with on a daily basis. However, I am extremely skeptical that any of these solutions will work if they are ultimately applied to only four rather than all eight tables. Your goal should be to find a permanent rather than a temporary solution to this problem, and I think coordinating the effort of the two groups to at least some degree at the end of the project is the only way to achieve a permanent solution.
I think simply bolting the tables to the floor is a good idea. I understand the argument for being able to move the tables around. However, I have never actually noticed the tables moved. I would be curious to hear how often (if ever) the tables are moved from the library...and if so, why?
ReplyDeleteSince we do not have a large meeting space in the building other than the Owen lobby, is used for many school events. I think having them bolted to the ground would make Lee's job as our building engineer very difficult. He would be moving tables on a weekly basis!
ReplyDeleteI think number two is the best idea. There is too many times when these tables have to be moved on short notice to be bolting them down. I really like the idea of attaching some type of side out let that could be connected to outlets by a extension cord of sometime. This is a great problem to solve.
ReplyDelete1) Wouldn't bolting the tables to teh floor create a problem when there is an Owen event and the tables needed to be removed rather easily? How about creating a locking system that could be hidden inside the table through a trap door?
ReplyDelete2) I love the idea about a power strip as there is definitely a lack of outlets on the tables. Nonetheless, I question the ease of the installation of a male end coming from the floor.
3) How about having a power source come from the ceiling. Maybe retractable cords that raise up with the push of a button. this way the tables could be movable.
#1 seems to have a lot of constraints in that the lobby is a multi-purpose use facility and this idea "unnecessarily" locks it into one kind of use. #2 is much more in keeping with the intended use - i really like the idea that you will know why it is not working. #3 is probably the most elegant, but it suffers from a constraint in time to implementation. Could you possibly prototype your "sink points" idea with masking tape on the floor. Maybe inform people that if the table moves outside of a particular radius (or if they can see the tape) that the outlet is likely to have been ripped out.
ReplyDeleteWould a simple "in operation" light on the outlets help, too? If it is "not in operation" maybe then someone can quickly and easily tell that it's not working and their natural instinct will be to make it work (especially when they are moving the furniture back into place after some event.
I think attaching power strips to the side of the table is an excellent and efficient solution. What happens when the tables become mobile though? Is it possible that the initial problem will start repeating itself?
ReplyDeleteI think #3 works the best because it provides the most flexibility and availability for space since the tables are moved for that reason. I like that we're trying to fix this problem!
ReplyDelete