A lab is a classroom and a workshop at the same time. Students must see the instructor, the instructor must see every screen, and nothing should be a trip hazard or a shock risk. A few careful decisions before the computers arrive save endless trouble afterwards.
Choose a layout
There are three common arrangements. In rows facing the front, every student looks at the board and the projector, and the instructor walks up the aisle: good for lectures and demonstrations. In a U shape, the instructor stands in the open end and can see every screen: good for small batches. In a perimeter arrangement, desks run along the walls and the centre is clear, which saves floor space but means students face the wall and the instructor sees backs of heads.
Whatever you choose, leave an aisle that is wide enough to walk without brushing a chair, and keep the route to the door clear. Put the instructor desk where the whole room is visible. Put the projector where the screen is visible from every seat without glare.
Wiring by a licensed electrician
This is the job not to do yourself or hand to the cheapest person. Ask a licensed electrician to check the supply, fit a proper distribution board with circuit breakers, provide earthing, and run the wiring in conduit or trunking along the wall or floor edge. Plan more sockets than you think you need.
Ask for separate circuits for the lab, lights and air conditioning if you have it, so that one fault does not take everything down. Ask for a residual current device where the electrician advises it. Keep the paperwork and the electrician number. Never run loose extension wires across the floor.
Cables and tidiness
- Run power and network cables inside trunking or under the desk, and tie them with clips.
- Label each computer and each socket with the same number, so a fault can be traced quickly.
- Keep power cables and network cables apart where possible.
- Keep the UPS units off the floor where dust and water collect, on a shelf or a stand.
- Fix a small notice at each desk: no food or drink near computers.
Lighting and glare
Even, bright light across the room makes reading and note taking easy. Use white tube or LED lights that do not flicker, and avoid placing a light directly behind a screen. If windows face the monitors, use blinds. A lab with a few dim corners soon becomes a place students avoid.
Air, heat and cleanliness
Computers produce heat. Plan ceiling fans or air conditioning plus a way for fresh air to enter. If you use air conditioning, size it to the room and the number of machines and check that the electrical supply can bear its load. Clean the filters on a schedule. Keep a shoe rack outside if your floor is carpeted or if students come in from muddy streets.
Safety basics
- A dry powder or CO2 fire extinguisher within reach, checked for its expiry, and staff who know how to use it.
- A small first aid box with the usual items and a list of nearby clinic and emergency numbers.
- A switch that cuts the lab supply, with its location known to every instructor.
- No exposed wires, no overloaded boards, no cooking or heating appliances in the lab.
- Clear exit signs and no blocked doors.
The look of the place
Use the member kit sensibly: put the flex board outside, the membership certificate and sample certificate at the front desk, and the classroom posters on the lab walls where students can read them. Keep the lab uncluttered. A clean room, ordered desks and visible certificates tell parents you are serious.
Test before opening
Before the first class, switch on every computer at once and watch the load. Run each machine for an hour. Test the internet from the farthest seat. Cut the power and check the UPS. Walk the room as a student, an instructor and a worried parent, and fix whatever feels wrong.
This guide is general advice for planning. It states no membership fee and promises no income, student numbers or acceptance of a certificate by any employer. Ask the head office for the current fee and terms in writing, and check local rules and tax with a professional. Use the planner to test your own numbers.