I get to design my own tech fort! (longish with pictures)

[draggar]

It was made official during a conference call betwene myself, my supervisor, and the project manager for a large building consolidation project over the next few months (consolidating 3 floors and two more offices into one floor).

The bad news is that my tech room is being chopped in half to allow them to make another conference room.

The good news is that I get to design the other half - how it'll be set up.

We'll have plenty of equipment at my disposal (cubicles etc..). They also said I can request more RJ-45 (network) and power in the room - as long as I don't go "overboard".

So, here is a very crude (and not to scale) picture of what that half of the rook looks like now.



The red are cubicle walls and the blue are the actual cubicle "desks". The slanted line is the door (as if it were opening) and the black box is an indentation in the wall (yes, we have that space between the cubicle near the door and the wall). I have no idea where the power and RJ-45 connections are since it's a mass of cables and cords (but the remodel will have it all re-done nicely).

Each cube is large enough for a tech to sit in, comfortably, and work. I used to have the one closest to the door and I had stations for my own laptop, a monitor, 3 laptop stations (to work on laptops) and one desktop station.

So, what I've been thinking about, since it is only me in this room is this:



The pink are wire shelves I already have in my room now (I am currently in "the other half"so they're not in the current picture). Green dots are RJ-45 connections and gray dots are electrical outlets.

Would anyone have any other suggestions? Maybe instead of a shelf on the same wall as the door, have the cubicle wrap around that wall, too, until it is near the door? Maybe even have a cubicle wall go along the back of the door when it is open? Like here:



I currently have a table along the back of the door for equipment going out - I could do the same with this setup.

Suggestions or anything I might have missed anyone? This is just the "furniture" layout. No equipment.

[ArcticChicken]

Do you need the cubical walls, since you're going to be the only one in there?

[draggar]

The wals are rather thin and I like to be able to put things on them (tacked etc..).

Or do you mean to just get rid of that "T" in the middle the way it is now? There is also that space that I'd like to see if they can get rid of along the door wall.

[sms001]

Can you get a rail that parallels the desks built into the floor? (Like the bottom half of a library ladder.) Mount a chair and then you could glide from end to end of the room.

Seriously, I'll think on anything you might overlook. Not too many techies get to design their own Fortress of Solitude. I'm envious but happy for ya.

[draggar]

That would be cool but I don't think it is in the budget.

I did ask if I could get a TV (48" HDTV at least) mounded on the wall with the door and a Bose surround system - no reply on that yet.

I'm also going to see if I can get some anti-static mats and other supplies to make it a real tech room.

[protege]

*wonders where the disco ball will go*

Seriously, if I could design my own tech area... But, if I was going to design one, I'd probably ask for more outlets than I'd actually need.

For example, some of you know that I have a model railroad in the basement. Nothing fancy, just an HO scale (1/87) line running along two walls in a corner. Nearly all of the outlets in that corner are used when I want to run trains. One is for the track power system, another for the two transformers I use for the switch machines, plus the one for the workbench and test track. (I should mention that all of those are single plugs spread out along the wall.) Ideally, I'd like a few more for extra work lights (my basement lighting currently sucks!), power tools, etc. but those will have to wait.

Similarly, I'd like more outlets in the garage as well. Lighting in there is actually pretty good. But, even so, it's a bit difficult to see under cars By the time I plug in my halogen work light and radio...I'm about tapped out.

[ArcticChicken]

The wals are rather thin and I like to be able to put things on them (tacked etc..)

Ahh, yes, that makes sense. Although just about anything that can be tacked to a wall can be taped to a wall. Getting rid of the cubical walls would give you a few inches at every wall.

I can't think of anything to do with the furniture, but how's the lighting? Consider getting some lights underneath the edges of the desks. (I'm assuming some of that space is gonna be used to put things in.)

Can you get them to paint it?

[draggar]

They are going to paint the room - I don't know exactly what color, though. (They're sending me swatches).

As for the lights - most of the cabinets that mount up on the walls have lights under them.

More outlets - not a bad idea but I also have PLENTY of power strips.

[Der Cute]

Get a seperate circuit/ breaker for each wall.

Get a wire/thin shelf to put up above the tech bench.

Designate a testing area - put together a switch/router/direct out network connection, a PC or 2, KVM and such.

put a 24 port switch on one of the walls. Run a USB/PS2 KVM out to 3 or 4 stations.
You'll be able to nuke/work on multiple machines as you do it.

Cutenoob

[draggar]

Get a seperate circuit/ breaker for each wall.

Get a wire/thin shelf to put up above the tech bench.

Designate a testing area - put together a switch/router/direct out network connection, a PC or 2, KVM and such.

put a 24 port switch on one of the walls. Run a USB/PS2 KVM out to 3 or 4 stations.
You'll be able to nuke/work on multiple machines as you do it.

Cutenoob

Budget! Budget! Budget!!!!!

The only KVM I have available is the old OLD school style - the large round plugs.

I do have a 24 port Cisco 2950 that I have at my disposal (and if I want - a 2926 router .

Shelving is a definite (and cabinets mounted to the cubicle walls). I'll work in a corner - I'll probably have one shelf above my monitor (USB rocket launcher, binary clock etc..) and a cabinet on the wall, too (for food). Also - high shelves on the bottom wall and maybe the cabinets on the top wall, that's where the printer will be.

[Geek King]

Maybe instead of a shelf on the same wall as the door, have the cubicle wrap around that wall, too, until it is near the door? Maybe even have a cubicle wall go along the back of the door when it is open? Like here:

I wouldn't go with this set up, as I think it would make the space where the door opens seem too narrow with the wire rack already right there accross from the proposed cube wall. Plus, you'll want to be able to swing that door open as fully as possible occasionally, and that's a lot easier when you don't have to move that cubicle wall.

[draggar]

I wouldn't go with this set up, as I think it would make the space where the door opens seem too narrow with the wire rack already right there accross from the proposed cube wall. Plus, you'll want to be able to swing that door open as fully as possible occasionally, and that's a lot easier when you don't have to move that cubicle wall.

I just realized that the door is backwards - it will open up against the wall..

But - we also already have the cubicle there and a desk that is not in the way when we open the door.

[Primer]

I wouldn't go with this set up, as I think it would make the space where the door opens seem too narrow with the wire rack already right there accross from the proposed cube wall. Plus, you'll want to be able to swing that door open as fully as possible occasionally, and that's a lot easier when you don't have to move that cubicle wall.

I just realized that the door is backwards - it will open up against the wall..

But - we also already have the cubicle there and a desk that is not in the way when we open the door.

I'm glad I finished reading before I replied, as I was about to suggest getting the door rehung!