Renovating Geoscience Labs for the Future

“We want our students to learn skills they need in the workplace…not a museum.”

Key Design Drivers

•Capacity— Conversions of teaching space to research space by the administration have left our remaining labs overcrowded.

•Flexibility— Our labs serve the joint purpose of classrooms as well as laboratories and need help to make them effective for both.

•Instructional methods— Instructors today need easy access to computers, projection equipment, video, DVD, and Internet. These needs are not currently met in the labs except by an ancient moving cart.

•Tablets– Starting in Fall 2006, every SDSMT student will have their own Tablet PC. How can these tablets be used effectively in labs?

•Large maps— Computer screens can’t portray these adequately, and current walls have no hanging space.

•Storage of specimens— Rock cabinets currently reduce instructional space.

•Equipment— Much of our current equipment, such as microscopes, needs replacing.

Students cram into the classroom for a Geology for Engineers class. Note the immovable lab bunches, uncomfortable stools, and large rock cabinets reducing the available space.

Success Story: Ancient computers, oversized tables, uncomfortable (and occasionally dangerous) chairs, and poor use of space characterized the old GIS/Remote Sensing lab. The lab was renovated in 2005 and now functions as both a computer classroom and laboratory with a dedicated projector and screen, suitable tables and chairs, and updated equipment.

Materials Research Lab

Teaching Lab I (up to 24)

Teaching Lab II (up to 32)Sample

Archive

Paleo/Sediment Lab (up to 32) Graphics

Lab

Student offices (no walls)

Rock Prep

GIS LabGroundwater Lab

Map and Seminar Room

Biogeochemistry Research Lab

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Student offices (no walls)

Soils Research Lab

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D D = Remove wall = New door

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Renovations completeRenovations planned

Remodel Teaching Labs (324, 326, 328, 330)•Convert 326 to central storage facility for rock samples and class materials with doors to adjoining labs. Remove rock cabinets from labs to provide more instructional space.•Increase instructional capacity and flexibility by replacing fixed benches with movable benches with more seating. The current labs seat 18, 30, and 24; the new labs will seat 24, 32, and 32.•Provide low shelf storage and magnetic white boards on walls for maps and diagrams.•Provide a computer projector, instructor kiosk, and screen in every lab.•Provide enough petrographic microscopes for integration of optical petrology into more classes.

New Materials Research Lab (322) •Remove internal walls for more usable space•Provide research quality microscopes, cathode luminescence, digital cameras, and other equipment•Projection capability from each instrument to a screen for grad classes

Upgrade Groundwater Lab (323)•Upgrade computers and software for modeling and analysis•Redesign cabinets and fume hood for chemical safety

Upgrade Graphics Lab (334)•New computers with quality software for illustrations•Layout space for large maps, well logs, and other data.•Drafting table and light table•Large format scanner, digitizer, and new plotter

New Soils and Earth Materials Lab (330A/B)•Storage space for soil cores and samples•Washing, sieving facilities•Materials Prep Room (329 or partner with other depts for larger location)•Upgrade facilities with decent saws, crushers, grinders, etc•Provide clean room for polishing and fine work

Grad Student Offices (331 and 334)•Replace internal walls with cubicles to provide space for more students

Challenges

•Funding— Our yearly lab budget of $12K can accommodate modest improvements but we will need donors or external funding for most of the work.

•Asbestos— This building has asbestos ceilings which adds a significant additional cost to remodeling projects.

•Scheduling—Major remodeling can only be done when classes are not in session, which means summers only. Asbestos mitigation will also impact use of other offices and labs on the floor.

•Collections– Current rock/fossil collections don’t really fit in the space we have. We’ll need to convince faculty packrats to downsize. (But some grad student might need those rocks in 25 years….)

•Funding— Did I mention this already?

New Research Labs

•Biogeochemistry Lab— This lab is under construction now and was developed by the Atmospheric Sciences Dept, but can be used by our graduates.

•Materials Lab— This plan places existing research-quality microscopes with cathode-luminesence and other imaging equipment for graduate/faculty research and teaching.

•Soils Lab— RESPEC, Inc. donated a GeoProbe soil corer to our department. Now we need a lab to store and process the samples.

•Graphics Lab— This room already has a scanner and plotter but needs new computers, graphics software, new plotter, and drafting areas to completely meet student needs.

Maribeth H. Price, Chair, Department of Geology and Geological EngineeringSouth Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, SD

Building the Dream

Building the Dream