Construction begins on first design space open to all students
The McMurtry Innovation and Creativity Kitchen has broken ground on construction, according to Eli Wilson, a McMurtry College senior. Wilson said the MICK, the first design space open to all students on campus, will provide resources for innovative ideas.
The MICK will be divided into four areas: art, technology, building and free space. Wilson said students will have access to building tools, power tools and design-related software, such as the Adobe Creative Suite and Sibelius, a music editing software. The MICK will also upgrade current black-and-white printers to color printers and add a new 3-D printer and a laser cutter.
“We want to reappropriate the gathering space into a space that can be used for everything from formal gatherings to college sponsored events,” Wilson said. “We are looking into getting sponsors to essentially allow us to have more tablets in this space.”
The MICK is being created as part of the Rice Education of the Future initiative conducted last year, which showed through survey data that students desire more creative spaces on campus. The creation of the space was first proposed in November 2014. The McMurtry government approved the design of the MICK in March 2015. In the past nine months, the committee has completed initial design, design development and construction documents. The committee is working with an outside architect and has obtained a permit, Wilson said. According to Wilson, the space is expected to be available by the end of spring break.
The Innovative Space is located at McMurtry room 107, the previous McMurtry TV room, which is currently under construction to meet the specifications of the new design. The MICK will try to preserve the gathering aspect of the TV room, Wilson said. Students can also use the space for informal performances and formal classes. According to Wilson, the MICK will be open to all students, which differs from current design spaces on campus. However, only McMurtry students can reserve it.
“The majority of the spaces on campus only open to a selective group of students,” Wilson said. “For example, the [Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen] only opens to engineers; the [visual and dramatic arts] studio only opens when you are in one of the classes. [The MICK] looks to provide every student at Rice the ability to be creative and to be innovative and have access to the tools.”
McMurtry is also looking into training students to ensure the safety of the space, Knight said. There will be safety quizzes required for using this space, using the power tools and laser printer. Multiple first-aid kits will be available to students in the MICK as well.
“We are working on students management now on who will have access to this space, and who will be able to check out equipment,” Wilson said. “We are taking every step necessary to ensure the safety of the space.”
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