Interior Arrangement of Central Unit—Building A
The central unit of the group is entered from the main walk through an
arcaded entrance leading to the lobby in which the main bulletin boards are
placed. From this open lobby the main corridor extends in both directions,
giving access at each end by stairways to the upper floor level and also by
stairways downward to the basement and connecting passageways to the
other two units of the building. Arranged along the main corridor are eleven
offices for ten professors and the secretary to the Dean, which overlook the
central grass court, and in each of which modern steel office equipment is
installed.
From the main corridor, across from the offices, are three classrooms
and a Faculty conference room. Side corridors lead to six other classrooms,
to which access is also possible through two side doors from the front plaza.
The Faculty conference room is equipped with a conference table and the
necessary chairs. Four of the classrooms will seat 30 students each, three
seat 27 each, and one larger room is arranged to seat 56. These eight rooms
are equipped with individual swivel chairs arranged with table tops on
pedestals in front of each row of chairs. The remaining large classroom is
equipped with 77 tablet-arm chairs arranged radially. All classrooms are furnished
with ample blackboards covering all available wall space, besides bulletin
board and special lecture desk. This floor is completed by two small
lavatories, one at each end of the office suite, reserved for use of the Faculty
and for ladies respectively.
The upper floor of this unit is devoted to the library and drawing rooms
for the Department. The library is directly above the offices and will constitute
a combined library and reading room. This handsome room is pleasingly
furnished in oak panels and trim, and is equipped with oak reading tables
and substantial chairs. Steel stacks house the present engineering library of
some 6,000 volumes, and adequate space is available for growth of the collection.
A librarian's office adjoins the library proper, and an additional office
for drawing instructors completes one end of the floor. At the opposite end
of the reading room are an office and a small room which contains the blueprinting
equipment for the Department, with a dark-room attached.
The remainder of this floor is assigned to drafting rooms, space being
available for something over 150 individual drawing tables and the accessory
files. For the present, 108 drawing tables are in place, 78 in one main
group for first-year students principally, with two smaller groups of 15 each
in partitioned rooms for more advanced classes. The drawing tables are
specially built and provide adjustable tilt tops 3 by 4 feet in area; each table
is equipped with two drawers, each drawer being supplied with individual
combination, master-keyed padlocks. Steel stools, with wooden seats, are
supplied for each table. The planned artificial illumination for the drawing
room is 30 foot-candles on the working surface. For the present the unoccupied
space, later to be equipped with additional drawing tables, will be used
as a temporary auditorium, using folding steel chairs, where the entire student
group may assemble for lectures and general meetings.
