‘Zoom Rooms’, Illinois Institute of Technology

After a several-year hiatus following the IIT Student Project, I returned to Carman Hall to help transition the dorm’s four traditional meeting rooms to “Zoom Rooms,” a practical transformation based upon the way students had begun using these shared spaces during and after COVID.

With limited budget and time, I introduced a seasonal theme into the rooms with palettes and patterns for Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn. I worked with standard rectangular and square felt acoustic tiles to create unique wall patterns for each space. The wall covering serves to soften the sound and bring energy to the rooms.

Because of the enthusiastic response from the residents, we extended the project to include two Practice Studios in Kacek Hall, another dormitory on the IIT campus.

Person working on a laptop at a modern office workspace with blue acoustic panels on the walls, pendant lights, and chairs at a long desk.
Room with gray chairs and a dark rectangular table, featuring checkered wall panels in red, blue, and white squares.
Modern lounge area with gray and white armchairs, a round black table, and a small rectangular table against a wall with green and beige checkered panels.