The Window Room

One of my new favorite rooms on campus is the window room (another lounge) on the 7th floor of South. It is located to the right of the elevators when you exit. The room has a really cool look to it, mostly because of the huge windows, but it’s also really high up and overlooks so much of our campus. To enter the room, one must stroll past the elevators and walk through the grand entrance way.

The entrance way is a space in its own. There are pillars that are on the sides of the entrance that really give it a special look. There is no door. The entrance is also arched, for a real royal look. Once you walk under the entrance, one can stop and sit on the floor/ edges of the walls. There is a small shelf that is just big enough for people to sit on. If you choose to continue in, you have to either go straight or turn right. There are three seating options in this room. One is the first area with a sofa, and a few chairs. The second option is a table with two chairs. The third option is another sofa and chair area that surrounds small tables that can be pulled apart and rearranged.

The tables great because they have a shelf built in underneath for any storage. The functionality of this room is great. All of the furniture can easily be moved if one needs it for extracurricular activities. I used it a few nights ago to hold my focus groups. I was able to pull all of the chairs around the table and create a circle. It was obvious I wanted people surrounding the table so when they all entered, everyone sat where I planned for them to sit. Success!

Lastly, during the day, the room is nice to use because of all the natural light. It feels like you are so high up overlooking buildings. I love it. The room also has lights built into the ceiling. There are two different types of lighting for this room. One is built in fluorescent lights and the other is three huge dome lights. During the day, the lights are usually dimmed down or turned off, but at night, depending on the need of the room, the lights are usually on. Come check out his space if you have a chance!

7th Floor Kitchen

When it comes to kitchens, they should be inspiring and functional. I imagine a kitchen having granite countertops with an island in the middle for extra working space. The cabinets should be really nice, possibly dark wood. A kitchen should have all the necessities a person needs to cook. I am already not the best cook and want to leave the kitchen as fast as possible, but I wouldn’t mind staying in a beautiful space. Our 7th floor kitchen in South Residence hall is pretty much embarrassing.

Our kitchen an eyesore. It looks super cheap and is not very enjoyable. For starters, the kitchen has a huge ice maker in the middle. It stands out so much and forces people to walk around it to enter the room. Then, the kitchen doesn’t have a refrigerator. If I’m cooking, I’d like to keep some of the ingredients at a safe temperature until they are ready to be used. Our kitchen is also missing a trash can and an island. I know there is plenty of counter space, but it looks like the kitchen was built in a closet.

Another issue with our kitchen is the ventilation system… there isn’t one! The alarm has gone off now a few times because the steam and smoke have set off the alarm. When you are cooking, you are facing away from the entrance and get scared every time someone walks in on you. It’s creepy!

I wish the room had granite counters and really nice, or at least reasonable cabinets. The ones they chose are tan and look like closet space.. Terrible. Finally, there is no where to sit after you make the food. The space basically says go back to your room and eat alone.. There is definitely enough space in the front right corner for a round table and some chairs. I just wish Queens wouldn’t take shortcuts and think about how students will use the space. OR in this case, not use the space. It is important to listen and hear what people want.

Grady Cole Center

Oh my gosh I don’t like this place! It’s not appealing in the slightest bit! The Grady Cole Center is OLD and OUTDATED! Unfortunately this is where our Queens University of Charlotte Basketball players hold their home games due to the construction of their new gym. Last night was the first home Women’s Basketball game where a bunch of fans came out to support.

I don’t like the building because it is ugly and outdated. The facility is small, and looks like it’s worn down from many years of use. The colors are ugly and uninviting. When you enter the facility, you technically enter on the second floor. You can either go straight and sit in the upper seating which over looks the court, or you can go down a really small staircase to get to the lower-level court-side seating. The walls are white and completely empty with scuff marks everywhere. The floor is also ugly. It is tiled with some ugly colors. (for some reason I cannot remember what colors)

The facility has nothing entertaining for the crowd. The only place where guests can interact is at the food window. The best place for guests to go is around the court. The Grady Cole Center has bleachers around the court, which hold the majority of fans. The bleachers are the new features I see in the entire building. They run parallel with the court (long ways) and sit the majority of the fans. Along the back side of the court (width) is another set of bleachers which hold the cheerleaders. Opposite to them is a stage where the Grady Cole Center can be transformed into a different type of room. They hold meetings, plays, graduations, concerts and other activities in the main room.

The Grady Cole Center is located at 310 North Kings Dr., Charlotte, NC 28204 if you wanted to take a drive to see the dump.. but I don’t recommend wasting your time!

Knight School Lobby

In class last week, we learned about Feng Shui, which means wind and water. We decided to evaluate the lobby of our Knight School of Communication. We decided that the room had Feng Shui. It was open to nature and inviting. The lobby has huge windows that overlook the academic quad. The wall that is parallel to the big wall of windows also has glass windows that allow users to look through the mac lab outside other windows. The lobby also had two plants that brought nature physically into the room.

For the most part, the seating faced the entrance, welcoming new ideas. The lobby also has 4 of the 5 different elements present. The TV and magazine rack are both black and made out of metal. One of the tables is made out of wood, while the other has a granite top and brings the earth element into the room. There was water present because the rug and metal were both black, which represents water. There did seem to be a lack of fire, or red in the lobby. We want the lobby to express the school’s personality and emotion through the 5 elements of Feng Shui.

Before we ended class, we decided to move the furniture to see if anyone notices a difference. We switched the chairs and tables from each side of the room and moved the plants. It took a couple of tries, but eventually we all agreed on the new arrangement. The space was usable and created a nice flow. People can enter from three directions and walk through the lobby with no problems. The seats are surrounding the tables and set up a nice area to read, meet, and talk. Lastly, our class decided to move the magazine rack to the opposite side of the room to fill up empty space. It has been a week later and no one has changed or complained about the new layout. It was a success!

The JELLO Lounge

The Jello Lounge is the nickname my friend gave to his room. I love hanging out in it because it gives off a really nice vibe. When you enter, the room feels really big for a double person room. The tall ceilings help make the room feel big. The floors are carpeted, but aren’t that soft. My friend has his armor on the left side of the room next to his bookcase. A small rug is laying in front of the bookshelf, giving the shelf it’s own space. It feel like you can step on the rug and be in it’s own area because his bed is lofted next to the shelf. I love how he took advantage of the space by going up. The bed raised about 5ft from the floor.

A desk and dresser sit under the bed. It’s raised high enough so that he can use the desk and have another dedicated space. I like how he did that. On the opposite side of the room, his boring roommate has his bed against the wall, but lowered so it is only 3ft off the floor. It sits parallel to my friends bed. Next to the bed (closer to the door) is his desk and armor. He too took advantage of the high ceilings and placed personal items on top of the armor.

In both set ups, feng shui is present. They have nice neutral colors, but include fire and water. They have a few candles and black metal in the room. They even have a plant that sits in the windowsill. The windows bring in light and connects the users with nature. Although the furniture has a lot of corners, their decorations bring curves. A beaded light cord hands under my friends bed. It has different round shapes to it and catches your eye. The beads are the same color as the carpet that sits in front of the bookshelf. Their globed-shaped lamp and round trash can also brings in round shapes. The only critique I have is that their desks do not face the door, which is uninviting.

My friends room is located in South, the new residence hall at Queens University of Charlotte. It is on the 7th floor and is larger than my room, which is down the hall, because it doesn’t have a structural beam that cuts through the room. His room looks so much bigger than mine, even though its the same length and width.