How to Maximize Your Space
By: Mark Wilson
Does this sound familiar? Your enrollment is growing, but your building is not. What can you do to maximize your space utilization? School leaders need to thoroughly understand the needs of the school, the direction that the school is taking, and the amount of square footage needed for each function within the school.
Do a walk-through of your facility and see if there are more efficient ways to use the space available. Can a large room be converted into several classrooms? Can a large conference room or multi-purpose room be divided into smaller offices or educational space?
The key to getting the maximum number of functions for square footage available could be to use moveable or operable walls. With operable walls, you can control how your space is utilized. On days when you need more educational space, simply pull the operable walls into the configuration you need to supply the amount of classroom space you require. Later in the day, for an after-hours function or meeting, just retract the wall into its storage area, and you now have the maximum space available for use. You can imagine how moveable wall systems will greatly increase the effective use of space utilization.
Types of Moveable Walls
Depending on the room layout, operable walls can be set up on different room configurations. There are four basic moveable wall types.
1. Individual panel operation
These are manually operated single panels that can negotiate right turns. Individual panel operation requires a stack unit(s) for storing panels. The stack unit(s) will need additional overhead structural support to carry the weight of the moveable wall.
2. Center hung pair operation
These are manually operated paired panels that travel on a straight run track. Moveable wall shall consist of panels hinged together in evenly matched pairs (groups of two). The hinged pair operation is simple to install and operate and is the most utilized product for space management.
3. Center hung continuously hinged manual operation
These are manually operated continuously hinged panels that travel on a straight run track. Operation shall consist of panels hinged together in a continuous panel train.
4. Center hung continuously hinged electrically operated
These are electrically operated continuously hinged panels that travel on a straight run of track. Operation should consist of panels hinged together in continuous panels train. The train of panels is moved by an electric motor with a drive unit. Electrically operated wall systems are total automatic with limit switches that shut the electric operator off when the panels are extended across the opening or stacked in their stored position. This configuration is best used in a multi-purpose room or gym when a large span is being divided.
All of these walls are mounted from a top supported track system. With today's precision manufactured rails and trolleys, the operation of these walls is very quiet and move so effortlessly that nearly everyone in your school would be able to extend or retract the panels as needed. As a general rule, it is best to keep the operation as simple and straightforward as possible in order to simplify the design of the overheard structure that will support the wall panels. Straight-run applications are typically more user friendly, which translates into quicker set-up times and less wear and tear on the panels and track.
Stacking/Storage Arrangements
There are four basic stacking or storage arrangements for operable walls. These will depend on the type of wall system you chose and the configuration of the room. The terms used are fairly self-explanatory and are based on how the panels are stored in relation to the track.
* Perpendicular: when the panels are stored perpendicular to the top track
* Parallel: when the wall are stored parallel to the track
* Remote: when the panels are stored away separate of the main run of track
* Center: when the panels are stored on the centerline of the top track
The type of wall you need will vary depending upon how complex the operable wall system configuration needs to be. Most companies recommend operable wall systems more than 16 feet in height should consist of individual panels with a curve and diverter track system or center hung continuously electrically operated wall system.
Sound Control
Another consideration for an operable wall system will be sound control. You will need to answer the following questions. What is the room being used for? What will be the level of noise in the room? What other materials will be used in the construction of the room and the furnishing of the room?
After you have answers to these questions, you will be able to decide just how "soundproof" the operable wall system needs to be. Wall systems are acoustically rated by their STC rating. The Sound Transmission Class (STC) is a single number rating system, which measures the sound insulation value of a partition, door or window. The STC rating ranks the sound transmission loss or noise reduction performance of wall systems. The higher the STC rating, the more effective the sound insulation. As an example, a 2x4-stud wall will have an STC of 33, where a 12-inch brick wall has a STC rating of 54. Moveable wall systems can be designed with STC ratings from 40 all the way up to STC 55. Remember that there is no such thing as a soundproof moveable wall.
Be aware of the materials used in the design of flanking paths. Flanking paths are leaks in the construction of a moveable wall through which sound will travel. Sound can travel through the air handling ductwork, above the ceiling and track, or be transmitted through the flooring material.
Finishes & Accessories
After you have chosen the types of operable wall system and the STC rating, you can pick the accessories and options that come with these products. There are hundreds of color choices in vinyls, fabrics, vertically ribbed carpets, and wood veneers to complement your buildings décor. These materials are chosen and factory applied to the exacting quality standards used in the design and manufacture of operable wall products.
The finishes you select are an important decision, and, while you focus on the material type and color, make sure you choose covering materials that are Class A rated in accordance with ASTM E84 fire safety standard.
Accessories incorporated into the panels make them a functional part of the room space-writing surfaces, recessed marker trays, and tackable surfaces are available. ADA-compliant pass doors with lighted exit signs enable you to move from room to room even with the panels extended.
Choosing a Manufacturer
Now that you know what you want in an operable wall system, how will you find a manufacturer? Most manufacturers will have local or regional distributors that will take the time to come to your school and meet with you. They have the knowledge and experience to inform you about the options available for a moveable wall system and will help you choose the correct system for your space division needs. They can also provide you with price quotes and drawings that will make clear what the final system will look like installed in your facility. Most manufacturers will have a customer service department that is available to help you research the wall systems and their accessories. Many manufacturers offer different options for sales and installation for schools. Contact the manufacture for details.
Moveable/operable wall systems are a great, cost-effective means to maximize your space utilization.
Mark Wilson is the brand manager for Kwik-Wall, www.kwik-wall.com .
Sidebar
Selecting Tables for a Multi-Purpose Room
By Bryan Standley
With so many table options on the market today, buyers are often faced with a perplexing array of choices. When selecting tables for you're a multi-purpose room within your school, here are a few things to consider.
Convenience and Ease of Use
If frequent set-ups or takedowns are required, nothing beats a folding leg table. This popular table style is especially easy to handle and store, and provides a high degree of flexibility in multi-purpose room settings.
Availability of Sizes
Folding leg tables are available in a wide variety of shapes, including circular, rectangular, square, quarter-round, half-round, serpentine and more. Be sure to ask vendors about table seating capacities to help decide which table shape and size works best for your facility. Some vendors offer room-planning services, so calculate the square footage of your multi-purpose area so the vendor can help you choose the correct number of tables for your available space.
Table Durability
Table durability varies from vendor to vendor. While some table brands work well for light, occasional usage, other brands are better for heavy or frequent use. Be sure to ask vendors about tabletop impact strength, load capacity, and corner and edge durability. Additionally, if you are looking for heavier-use tables, consider those with metal-to-metal leg mounts that tend not to loosen with use.
Multi-Purpose Use
Plan ahead to determine the table style and size you'll require. For example, if the room is to be used for conferences, lectures or cafeteria-style dining, you may find that rectangular tables work best. For other functions, round or specialty sized tables may fit the bill. You may also discover that you can successfully mix and match a combination of table shapes and sizes.
Other Considerations
Here are a few additional items to consider as you work with table vendors.
* Are preferred sizes available?
* Do vendor's table color options match your decor?
* Do tables allow for wheelchair access?
* Are the tables strong?
* Are the tables lightweight and easy to move?
* Are the leg attachments secure enough to handle repeated set-ups and takedowns?
* Are the tables designed and built for heavy-duty use or are they meant for light, occasional use?
* What is the warranty? Be aware of any important exclusions, return shipping costs, etc.
* What is the overall cost of ownership?
* Does the vendor's customer service department respond quickly to inquiries?
* Is the vendor's business stable?
* What optional features are needed, and are they available from the vendor?
* Are carts available for transportation and storage?
Provide vendors with as much detail as possible regarding your multi-purpose setup. This will help them identify the best solution for you. As you then compare vendor information, you'll be prepared to select the right tables for your multi-purpose room.
Bryan Standley is marketing manager for Mity-Lite, www.mitylite.com .
Sidebar
Using Portable Room Dividers
By Rich Maas
The good news is that you've done a great job in helping your school grow. The bad news is that your available space is not growing to keep up with the demand. You have begun a fundraising campaign to help expand your current facility. However, it will be 18 to 24 months before the new space can be occupied, and 3 or 4 months after that until it is truly complete.
What can you do?
One answer is to make better use of your existing space with portable room dividers. This type of divider can not only be efficiently used to help solve space, time, and budget problems during your current "crisis," but it also easily be moved (if needed) to your new space and utilized there after the construction is complete.
Portable room dividers can be used to easily set up "instant" classrooms or to help solve a myriad of other space issues. Most commonly, these dividers can be used in multi-purpose rooms or other open areas. Many creative school leaders have expanded the roll of portable room dividers to even include their use in gymnasiums.
Also, with portable room dividers, you can easily change both the size and the shape of the rooms on a moment's notice.
Portable room dividers are available in two basic types: with casters and without casters. By its very nature, a divider on casters is easier to move from one end of the room, or facility, to another.
Regardless of whether you decide to use portable room dividers with or without casters, the fact remains that you will obtain an efficient use of your school's valuable floor space with portable room dividers.
Rich Maas is vice president of marketing for Screenflex Portable Partitions, www.screenflex.com .
Product Roundup
VersiPanel and VersiFold by MityLite
Mity-Lite VersiPanel and VersiFold portable partitions can make school areas more versatile than ever before. The portable partitions are freestanding and flexible, offering good sound control and pleasing visual effects. VersiPanel partitions are fabric-covered, semi-rigid, freestanding panels that users can bend and shape. VersiFold partitions feature a safe, non-pinching design that comes with optional chalkboard or whiteboard accessories. Systems can be used separately or together for added versatility.
www.mitylite.com
Commercialite by McCourt Manufacturing
Commercialite is a strong, light and affordable indoor/outdoor folding table. The Blow Mold technology allows McCourt to produce polyethylene plastic tops to resist heat, stains, chemicals, and physical damage. The U.S. Steel frame with wishbone folding leg system bolts through the tabletop, allowing the Commercialite to support more than 3,500 pounds.
www.mccourtmfg.com
Woodfold
Flexible space is vital to today's schools as it meets the varied needs of the students and community. Woodfold's accordion and roll-up doors provide instant walls when needed. Custom-made Woodfold accordion doors are available in a variety of models to provide sight and acoustic space division. Suspended from an overhead track, doors are offered in heights to 12 feet and are easily opened and closed. Woodfold's hardwood roll-up doors store conveniently overhead and are ideal for pass-through dividers between rooms.
www.woodfold.com
LG RexCourt
Looking for the ultimate multipurpose flooring solution? LG RexCourt performance flooring, distributed in the United States exclusively by Gerbert Limited, offers the look of hardwood with shock absorption, elasticity and stability, noise level reduction, and style. RexCourt is engineered for outstanding durability with a special polyurethane coating for easy maintenance and economical, long-lasting good looks.
www.gerbertltd.com
Hufcor 600 Series
Creating flexible spaces has never been easier. The new Hufcor 600 series is a versatile and aesthetically pleasing operable wall.Durable welded steel frames combine with acoustical and decorative faces for optimum sound control and beauty. Protective edge trim is standard, yet a monolithic, untrimmed edge is an option. Three standard trim colors coordinate with a wide selection of vinyl patterns and colors. An array of options such as markerboards, eraser pockets and pass doors provide even more versatility.
www.hufcor.com
Screenflex Room Dividers
Create the rooms you need with Screenflex Room Dividers. Let's face it, the phrase "Nothing is as constant as change" is truer now than ever. Demands for additional teaching/meeting spaces have increased dramatically over the years. With Screenflex Portable Room Dividers, you can create the additional rooms you need in the spaces you already have.
www.screenflex.com
Lifetime Tables and Chairs
With Lifetime tables, schools always are prepared. Tables and chairs are lightweight, durable, easy to clean, and priced to fit any budget. Lifetime's 5-Foot Round table is great for seating a lot of people at the annual Christmas dinner, or for setting up an after-school project. Six adults can sit comfortably around the table.
www.lifetime.com
EZ Stage from Staging Concepts
For the ultimate in convenience and ease, Staging Concepts, Inc. has designed and manufactured the EZ Stage, a new mobile, durable, compact stage that can be simply folded up and easily rolled into storage on its wheels by just one person. When folded, the portable EZ Stage can be tucked away into a minimal storage space and conveniently retrieved and set up at a moment's notice without any tools. Staging Concepts incorporates advanced design techniques for maximum durability and longevity.
www.stagingconcepts.com
Multi-Play Flooring
Multi-Play Flooring is the solution to the multi-needs of today's schools. They are a great surface for any area where you want a truly multipurpose floor. If you have an area where you want to hold activities such as banquets and meetings, yet also want that area to be used for recreation, Multi-Play is the answer. It has all the characteristics of a fine sports floor, yet you need not be concerned when conducting social activities that you would never allow on a wood sports surface. Installation is quick and easy. Multiplay is available in a number of attractive colors and is built to last.
www.multiplayfloor.com
Curtition
Operable walls and folding accordion doors offer cost-effective solutions to space utilization within a school. All products come in a choice of colors for washable vinyl or a nice color selection of vertically ribbed carpet. Carpet finishes are particularly attractive on accordion doors, and most users of that product report a noticeable difference in sound dampening when they are extended across their room. The accordion door hardware is visually attractive and functional. The flat panel operable walls come in standard vinyl, vertically ribbed carpet, woven fabrics and even wood veneers. Chalkboards, dry erase marker boards, and bulletin boards are available to add function to the acoustical room separation.
www.curtition.com
