So in the Computer Science department labs, there are a bunch of these all over the floor:
The idea is that there are cords that you can run underneath the floors that will have outlets where these holes are. Unfortunately, the design did not take into account the general area where these things would be used nor did it take into account the possibility that the caps to these holes, which are loose extra pieces would come off. The result of this negligence is the LEAN OF DEATH
I actually just laughed at this design critique because this happened to me the other day. I went to slide my chair over to talk to someone in the lab and BOOM one of the legs of my chair slipped right into one of these holes. There was a second where I thought to myself "I'll be lucky to walk away from this without a broken neck…" I don't know who's smart idea it was to lay down a land-mine of holes in the middle of the lab but I'm totally with you on this one. Poor, poor thinking on their part.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy these holes. Not because they suck, but because they suck. In other words, the trouble they create is quite amazing and hilarious. I understand they need to be able to access the cords, but this method is rather...troublesome.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great critique of the design of the floor in Riley. I find this extremely frustrating - these holes are wide open and do not take into account the fact that the legs of chairs will be sitting on the floor. You would think this would be a primary factor in designing these floors, but I guess it was either overlooked or seen as unimportant.
ReplyDeleteAnd easy fix to this would be what Furman uses in the North Village apartments to plug holes in cabinets and other furniture. They use pieces of plastic that slip in the holes, with enough space to allow cords through. This would allow cords to still be hidden under the floor without leaving such precarious holes.
There is more design flaw here than you would think. The reason why there are no covers on currently is because if one were to roll over these holes WITH the covers on, they would shatter into pieces from the weight more times than not, leaving you with a hole in the floor and a broken cover. They needed a stronger material for these caps to begin with!
ReplyDeleteRicky made a great point that I hadn't considered. I knew that I had seen plastic coverings on these holes in the past, but they seem to have pretty much vanished. Now I know why. The reason is understandable, but they absolutely need to be replaced with a stronger material, and soon. It's extremely annoying.
ReplyDeleteAlso, if anyone finds a bouncy ball under the floor in the research lounge, it's mine.
Goofy as heck
ReplyDeleteGoofy as heck
ReplyDeleteGoofy as heck
ReplyDelete