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Computer Places

This pattern tells you how to place shared computers so that they catalyze social interactions.

When I think of the memorable computing experiences of my life, those that approach the Quality Without a Name, I notice that they all took place within peninsular spaces.

Writing my first computer program, my dad coaching me through it; my high school friend and I holed up in his parents' home office, playing networked games on their computers; my job interview at Pivotal; listening to Led Zeppelin and messing with the WinAmp visualizer with a crowd of friends hanging around...

Recently, though, the use of these types of spaces has dwindled. Part of the cause is that computers are cheaper and smaller, so people do not dedicate areas of their houses to them. People compute while lying in bed, or walking, or using the bathroom...

The effect is that computing is less and less a social experience.

Set aside places for computers. Place them in areas that are visually connected to, but not in the midst of, high-traffic spaces like hallways and family rooms.

Within a house or office, create alcoves for computing that open off of more public spaces.

TODO: Link to Bryan Lunduke's videos on "computing like it's 1989", in which he restricts his computing activities to a single room.

Examples

Here are examples of two computer places from my life. —benchristel

# = wall
@ = computer monitor

#####----window----#####
#                 +--+ #
#                 |  | #
#    living       |@ | #
#     room        |  | #
#             desk+--+ #
#                      #
#                      #
#       step up        #
#------------|---------#########
             V    hallway       

  dining    #  entry   #######
   room     #   hall   #

     #
     ###########
din. # ,_____, | window
room # |     | #
     # |__@__| ################
     |
     |  step
    <-- up
     |        family room
liv. |
room |

It's worth noting that these examples contradict Christopher Alexander's Workspace Enclosure pattern. They are too exposed to be comfortable workspaces. But the computer places above are not offices. In both cases, they were shared by the members of a family, and used for small tasks: answering email, checking the weather, looking something up, listening to music, playing a game...

To determine how many computer places to create, use Two People Per Computer. Place computers near windows (taking care to avoid glare) to double up this pattern with Window Place.