The Johnson Center computer lab will be closed for two weeks in mid-March for renovation which entails replacing old furniture, carpeting, paint and monitors.
According to Matthew Silverman, project manager of the J.C. Computer Lab renovation for the Division of Instructional Technology, the renovation is scheduled to begin on March 9 and end on March 23. The revamp will bring new carpeting, new furniture, new paint, new computer monitors and a completely new layout to the lab. 
“Really, what we are focusing on are the environmental improvements to the lab,” Silverman said. “If you are in the lab right now, I think a lot of what you will see is people are nested back-to-back and it is a very tight environment. So, the goal is to open up the space, make circulation better and [make it] easier for students to see if a seat is available.”
Since the JC opened in 1995, the design of the computer lab has remained the same, with a few minor improvements being made. Those changes were limited to adding more seats in order to increase capacity. The lab’s current furniture is outdated and was designed for larger monitors, not the thinner, lighter liquid-crystal display monitors currently in the lab.
According to Silverman, the renovation is estimated to cost about $115,000 with new furniture comprising roughly half the cost. The renovation will fundamentally change the layout of the lab to make it easier and more comfortable for students to work and collaborate. New furniture will eliminate back-to-back seating, new 19-inch monitors will provide larger displays, and new carpeting will add a cosmetic improvement, replacing older carpeting that is stained from years of use.
The renovation will seek to rectify the problem of accessibility in the lab, according to Silverman.
“The feedback we have gotten from a lot of students is that the stations are unreachable because they have to wade through people,” he said.
“It’s really creating better circulation in the space so students don’t feel like they are sardines [in the lab].”
In addition to making the space more navigable, the new design will bring the lab into full compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, making the space more accessible for people with disabilities.
During the time the lab will be closed, students can alternatively use the computer lab in room 301 of Innovation Hall, which contains 141 computers. The Innovation Hall lab will be operating at the same hours as the JC lab during the renovation to ensure that students are not inconvenienced by a total lack of computer lab availability. Additionally, students may use the Virtual Computing Lab — found at www.vcl.gmu.edu — to remotely access specialty software that they would normally access in the lab.
After the renovation, DoIT would like students to give feedback regarding the new design of the lab.
“We are always happy to get feedback from anyone,” Silverman said. “If there is something we can do better, please let us know. We are here to support you guys and your education.”
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