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Ideas For a Great Control Room?
lewko writes "Our company is about to build a central monitoring facility and I'm looking for ideas/suggestions about the best hardware and the best way to make it comfortable for those manning a screen. It will be manned 24x7 and operators will be monitoring a variety of systems including security, network, fire, video and more. These will be observed via local multi-monitor workstations and a common videowall. This is going to be a massively expensive exercise and we only get one chance to get it right. The facility is in a secure windowless bunker and staff will generally be in there for many hours at a time. So we have to implement design elements which make it a 'happy' place. At the same time, it has to be ergonomically sound. Lastly, we will be showing it to our clients, so without undoing the above objectives, it would be nice if it was 'cool' (yet functional). Whilst Television doesn't transfer to real life always, think 'CTU' from 24."
You need one of those old cabinets with tape reels ticking around. Adds to the atmosphere and will remind clients of Thunderbirds etc,
Plenty of ideas here:
http://www.villainsource.com/lairs.html
A big red button with a sign above it that says 'DO NOT PRESS'.
'We are trying to prove ourselves wrong as quickly as possible, because only in that way can we find progress.' RPF
Numerous commentors here point out the error of using cool colored dim lighting for a facility where actual work gets done. But you can have your cake (or Cake, if you are using cool indie rock background music) and eat it too - just have a button that switches the lighting to "cool mode" whenever a visitor comes in. Meaningless but cool looking graphic "screen savers" could also pop up on the screens.
Starships were meant to fly, Hands up and touch the sky - Nicky Minaj
I would contract with a design/build firm that specializes in these facilities. You don't want to do this by the seat of your pants relying on Slashdot advice.
Also, make it so that people have to get up from chairs once in a while.
AWFUL! What you want are high-back chairs that support the neck so you don't have to support your body the entire time. Also full recline capabilities help, too. Ideally, they'll never have to get up from their chairs. Think fridge under the table with microwave on top, etc. Also, if they do need to move around for who know why, make it so that they can roll over to their destination. I modified my desk so that I can put my legs forward on a padded leather cushion instead of having them dangle, this really added to my quality of life in the office. I have to get up to fetch things from the fridge, but that was a sacrifice I made so that I had room for a spare chair next to me when the occasional friend stops in.
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Bad news... I bought you a dog.
If this doesn't end up at least vaguely resembling the bridge from either the TOS or TNG Enterprise, you're FIRED.
Studio apartment... the Final Frontier. These are the voyages of the studio Enterprise. Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds; to seek out new life and new civilizations; to boldly go where no man has gone before, and no woman ever will.
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It's endearing how earnestly you try to help the OP. But let me assure you, when an Ask Slashdot appears starting with "My company is undertaking a multi-million dollar project, wat do I do lol," no comment ever is seriously given the remotest consideration.
Bathroom is within the bunker and very close.
Toilet paper is a great idea. Thank you.
Management want the Three Seashells...
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Will his tortured mind give in to it's uncontrollable desires? Can he withstand the temptation to push the button, that even now, beckons him ever closer? Will he succumb to the maddening urge to eradicate history, at the mere push of a single button? The beautiful shiny button. The jolly candy-like button. Will he hold out, folks? Can he hold out?