Previously occupied by a department who had outgrown the space, this rare bit of open real estate on IUPUI’s campus was converted into an interactive showcase for student ideas and community collaboration. The Idea Garden is modestly sized, but innovatively implemented, designed with careful consideration of the impressive high-tech equipment it houses. At just over 1,000 square feet, the digital lab leverages an intricate world of cutting-edge technology, including but not limited to Virtual Reality stations, 28-inch Microsoft display tablets, 27-inch Dell Canvas display tablets, and 3D printers. This Thinker Space was conceived, less as a prefabricated mass-produced space, and more as a vicinity where entrepreneurial growth can be cultivated organically. Interior furniture was selected with adaptability in mind – all pieces can be adjusted to accommodate the wide variation of student needs. Eye-catching colors reflect the high energy of the space itself, now characterized as a playground for student engagement. The sustainably resourced moss is a nod to the space’s title, as well as an embodiment of its goal for students to have connections with the real world, a subtle juxtaposition between both the remarkable technologies and the human quality that perpetuates them. In a conservatively sized area, wall space doubles as a dry erase board that students use as a place for brainstorming sessions to materialize.

Adjacent to central lounge seating, is perhaps the most significant design feature, a full-height wood wall, supporting eight touch-screen panels that function seamlessly as one. That aspect is certainly a testament to the challenge of properly and efficiently coordinating such a vast array of technology. Among budget restraints, durability for student use, and university building design standards, design also had to be achieved with consideration of spatial constraints and technological demands. Ultimately, the client anticipated that the Idea Garden would provide a space that would attract students – a place they would feel welcome to enter at any time, where all the technological resources would be at their fingertips. This meant integrating a design concept that was impactful, but that allowed the technology to stand out above all other design aesthetics. The space itself needed to be highly flexible, while incorporating several key areas of specific function. The design process called for harmonizing technology in an extremely open collaborative space, with several “small spaces” within it.