map-lab, inc.

At the end of the schematic design phase, MIT hired map-lab to oversee the design process of Building W20’s Stratton Student Center Reading Room. map-lab helped define project parameters during the conceptual stages of the project as a member of the original project management team, which allowed map-lab to more effectively assist MIT with the bidding, contractor selection, and construction administration processes.
Once the project gained approval, map-lab managed the owner’s programmatic needs in part by involving students in the project and soliciting their feedback to ensure that the space would prove useful. This process helped map-lab discover that no existing furniture adequately satisfied the students’ needs, which led to one of the more interesting elements of the project - the custom carrels designed by Signer Harris Architects. By closely monitoring the fabrication and installation of the carrels, lockers, and audiovisual systems, map-lab was able to insure a timely delivery of these and other FF&E items, which allowed the project to finish on schedule for the start of the new academic year.