Lecture and Theater Seating Archives - Carroll Seating Company

Published: 13 October 2016

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Lecture halls can seem a bit daunting to many college students. Even if they’ve been on campus for some time, nothing is quite as overwhelming as a lecture hall filled with bodies. Fortunately, there are a few steps you can take to make certain they are conducive to student learning with nice lecture hall seating. These tips can help.

Give Students What They Need: At the bare minimum, students are going to need some kind of desk option that either comes out from the seat (if your lecture halls sometimes serve as an auditorium) or seating that swings away from built in tables. A writing surface is hardly all that students require today, though. They may also need electrical outlets or charging stations to hold laptops, tablets, and phones so they can better learn the material being taught.
Offer Comfort: There’s the hard and sturdy seating of yesteryear, then there’s the comfort many have come to expect in today’s lecture halls. A plush seat is the single best way to make certain students are comfortable enough to spend their lecture time productively learning, not constantly shifting in the seat to make certain their extremities don’t fall asleep!
Work with Your Space: There are so many different seating options available for lecture halls today. At Carroll Seating Company, we know that dimensions and spacing are nothing short of critical, so we offer you more options than many other companies, helping you design a lecture hall that students will truly enjoy attending day after day.

Ready to do more and make certain your students are in a space where they can learn? Contact us today to work one-on-one with a project manager who will work to understand the culture you’re trying to create on campus with lecture hall seating solutions.

Published: 23 March 2016

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Categories: Lecture and Theater Seating

If you own or manage a business that requires employee input through presentations, you know the importance of making the presentation room one of the highest priorities. This is where knowledge is transferred the most effectively, and it’s a great opportunity to show your dedication to the business. However, some presentation rooms fall into the “office trap,” causing them to look boring and drab. Here’s why having excellent, high-quality presentation room seating can help your space.

Professionalism Matters

One great reason to have good presentation room seating is to demonstrate how professional your room is and how seriously you take everyone’s input. Having attractive and well-made furniture to seat viewers speaks volumes about your business or space. It tells anyone viewing that you are willing to make a good investment into helping the presenter succeed, and it says that you take the comfort and well-being of everyone seriously, which generally increases morale and makes a benign incentive for people to put effort into their work.

So Does Comfort

In your efforts to make the space more professional, though, don’t overlook the comfort of your employees. Adequate seating can mean the difference between learning and ignoring for your employees. Adding features like the right chairs, tablet arms or tabletops, and more can help your employees make the most out of every presentation.

Don’t Forget Aesthetics

If you pick the right designs, it can complement your room, making it visually attractive. Presentation seating doesn’t have to mean a big contrast to the overall feel of your office. Instead, selecting the perfect design can stimulate the senses and add to the presentation, and with the right mix of art and comfort, your space will truly come alive.

If you need help picking out presentation room seating, don’t hesitate to contact Carroll Seating. We’ll pair you with a project manager who can not only help you choose the right seating for your space, but also walk you through the entire project step by step. Contact us today to learn more.

Published: 22 October 2015

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Categories: featured, Lecture and Theater Seating

With hundreds of students entering the classroom this fall, ensuring your learning facilities are adequate to meet their needs is nothing short of a must. While many schools think about the technology students need most to succeed, several overlook the importance of the basics, like comfortable lecture hall seating.

Does It Even Matter?

A chair is a chair is a chair, right? Not quite when it comes to building a productive learning environment. Studies have repeatedly shown that people learn better in comfortable environments, and if you’re selecting something that is about as comfortable as a rock, you’re going to have nearly that level of success in the classroom. The last thing instructors want is students to be concerned about their seating, and providing better options mean they’ll never have to give it a second thought as they move this way or that in their seats working to take notes and pay attention in class.

Are There Any Real Options Out There?

If you haven’t shopped for lecture hall seating recently, you may not even know that there are several options available to meet the needs of your students. Take a look at a few.

Swing Away Seating: Almost the ideal choice for every single lecture hall, swing away seats are easy to maintain and offer any space a streamlines look that’s perfect. Because they’re mounted above the floor, the space is easy to maintain, and you can add options like foam seat covers and more for student comfort.
Beam Seating: Whether you’re searching for radius or straight configurations, fixed beam seating is perfect when you want to maximize the seating space you have on hand. Nothing ever ends up out of place or in the way when you’re talking about fixed beams, and you can even go with additional comfort options like contour foam seats.
Single Pedestal Seating: When you want fixed seating, but you need a bit of individuality, this is a great choice. It gives you more functional space planning, as well as a solid level of comfort.
Multi-Purpose Seating: Perhaps the most flexible choice of all, multi-purpose seating allows you the opportunity to choose from a number of different seating options, but you can move all of it out of the space should you need it for other things. From traditional stacking chair designs that incorporate ergonomic comfort to stylish modern choices that add real character to your classroom, you might be surprised at the number of available options in this category.

Ready to get started? Contact us today for more information. We’ll help you come up with the ideal lecture hall seating to meet your needs.

Published: 16 September 2015

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Categories: Lecture and Theater Seating

The Illinois Central College – North Campus’s Arbor Hall was in need of updating. School administration hired general contractor Peoria Metro Construction for a major school renovation that involved the auditorium, new green roof, updates to the Resource Center and demolition of Arbor South.

The team at Carroll Seating was pleased with the finished outcome of this auditorium seating update. The Carroll Seating team hopes that Illinois Central College will enjoy them for many school years to come. For more information about this auditorium seating project or others like it, please visit the Carroll Seating website or call us in Elk Grove, IL at 847-434-0909.

Published: 20 August 2015

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Categories: Lecture and Theater Seating

A good auditorium stays in use all year long. If your school, church or organization maintains an auditorium, keeping it up to date and comfortable is vital to keeping it in use as much as possible. Whether you’re building or renovating, a comfortable, well-appointed auditorium can be your building’s crowning glory as well as its workhorse.

Styles

Choosing a format is the first step in designing your auditorium seating. There 3 basic plans for auditoriums:

Theater: often the best choice for viewing performances or speakers; offers little opportunity for interaction.
Classroom: geared more towards taking notes and interacting with a presenter but not with other participants; may or may not use tables.
Banquet: table and chairs format is best for presentations including meals; offers the most interaction between attendees.

Spacing

Once you’ve chosen your format, check local city and state codes as well as the fire code for measurements on aisles and exits. You’ll need to plan for both a center aisle (typically 4 to 6 feet wide) and side aisles (approximately 4 feet wide) and perhaps breaks between sections depending on the size of the room. Plan on a minimum of about 18-20 inches per seat in theater settings, 2 people per 6 foot table in a classroom format and 8 people to a 5 foot, round table in a banquet plan. Don’t forget to leave room for equipment, lighting and any obstructions, too.

Something Extra

When you’ve got all the functionality set in stone, it’s time to add a little something extra to make your auditorium stand out as the best venue for events. A little pizazz goes a long way! Talk to one of our designers about custom colors, fabrics, logos, end standards, finishes and all the other details that elevate your auditorium from functional space to stylish venue.

Your auditorium will always be in demand if you plan it well and go the extra mile to make it something special. Learn more about different styles, spaces, and extras by visiting Carroll Seating in Elk Grove at 847-434-0909 or visit us online today.

Published: 28 July 2015

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Categories: Lecture and Theater Seating

Lecture room tables aren’t something you often consider as an extensive market. After all, there just aren’t very many choices when it comes to tables for a lecture room, right? Try again. There are far more choices than you can imagine in lecture room table choices today, and if you’re redesigning the lecture halls on your campus, checking in with us is a great first start.

The right workspace in a lecture room can really be placed in two different categories – tables and chairs. Tables are those with separate chairs or swing away setting, but they’re shared spaces that are used by many students. If you don’t have quite enough space for tables or the room itself isn’t quite laid out correctly to support fixed tables, you may want to consider seating with tablet arms so every student still has the space necessary to learn.

Fixed Tables

Wondering what your options are with fixed tables? It’s a fairly big group. Start by thinking about size. Do you want one long table in each row? Do you need an aisle up the middle? After you decide on the right size to meet your needs, it’s time to think about finish. Paint and polymer finishes are a fairly safe, traditional choice, but you could also consider a wood or laminate finish. There are even great custom fabric finishes that work well in certain settings. One other note you may want to think about while you’re considering the surface – think about adding power and data ports to your space. The perfect way for students to plug in during a lecture, you can either add pop up spaces or under the table spaces designed for laptops, tablets, and smartphones so students can interact during class sessions. Your final consideration in this arena is the type of seating that might work for you. From swing away choices to simple rolled chairs, look at how the room will be used to decide on the chair that might work well for your tables.

Fixed Seating

Tables, though, aren’t the only way to go in a lecture hall. Often fixed seating is also a good option. From beam seating to individual spaces, there are as many choices here as there are in the world of tables. Perhaps you want the tablet arm to swing away. Maybe you’d prefer that it stays in one position. From the color of the chairs and tablet arms to the covering itself, you have options here to make certain you’re meeting both the physical needs of students as well as the aesthetic needs of the space.

Ready to learn more about what you can do with your lecture hall? Take a moment to contact us today by calling 816-471-2929 to get started or visit us online.

Published: 2 June 2015

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Categories: Lecture and Theater Seating

The Lyons Township High School auditorium was in need of updating. School administration hired general contractor Henry Bros Co. for a major school renovation that involved the auditorium, school cafeterias, locker rooms and utility areas. Henry Bros Co. worked with the design team at Carroll Seating to plan a full update their auditorium. Originally built in 1929, the building faced many challenges including tricky sloping.

Here is the auditorium before:

When all options were discussed, the design team chose Hussey’s Quattro Seats. The modular Quattro Collection is built on four superb core styles, each featuring a chair back created for a distinct aesthetic and practical effect. The classic series was chosen for its timeless style, great look and durable polymer outer panel.

Here is a photo after the Carroll Seating installation:

The team at Carroll Seating was pleased with the finished outcome of this auditorium that now seats over 400 patrons. The Carroll Seating team hopes that Lyons Township High School will enjoy it for many school years to come. For more information about this auditorium project, please visit the Carroll Seating website or call us in Elk Grove, IL at 847-434-0909.

Published: 6 May 2015

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Categories: Lecture and Theater Seating

Some of the most often forgotten spaces in any institution of learning whether it’s a teaching hospital, a university or a corporate event center. Lecture halls can lean towards the utilitarian, industrial look and that’s not what attracts people. If your lecture halls have this look, it may be time for a little remodeling.

The basic, traditional design of a lecture hall comes from a very different time. In the early days of education and training, the model was a little different. The focus was entirely set on the presenter. Perhaps he’d illustrate his points on a blackboard or have a visual aid on a work surface behind him, but the lecturer was where all eyes fell.

At this time, students we passive receivers of the information he had to impart so all they really needed was a seat and a writing surface. Most of the seats were notably uncomfortable and the surfaces were often awkward. Think about those little fold up, comma-shaped “desks” you may have once used in school. They were a nightmare for left-handers and had little room even for right-handed folks. Now imagine trying to navigate one of those while using a laptop or computer table and keyboard. They have not improved with time!

The models for effective learning have changed and so has the furniture. Social learning, where interaction and group thinking are valued, is now the model. Instruction and learning opportunities are available in more places that just colleges and universities now as well. Many corporations have on-site lecture halls for training and presentations, too.

It’s not just the teaching methods that have evolved. Students and technology have undergone their own alterations as well. Students are looking for learning opportunities that are a better fit for their own personal learning style. They aren’t often taking notes with pen and paper anymore. Students integrate technology into their learning and they need a proper surface to hold their devices, not a folding armrest.

To serve these need needs, your lecture hall furnishings may need an update. For more interactive learning, try chairs that swivel 360 degrees. They remain fixed for convenience but allow for movement at the same time. Swing-away seating is a perfect solution.

Serve the technological crowd by adding power to the table tops. Students or employees can plug in and not worry about their battery life ending before their class does. Add modesty screens to the table fronts or leave them sleek and open. The choice is yours.

Learning is taking new forms every day. Make sure your learning spaces are staying current.v

Published: 9 January 2015

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Categories: Lecture and Theater Seating

A more efficient layout – it can define student success both at the high school level and at the higher education level. Poor designs mean it can be difficult to connect with the instructor, hear the lecture, and effectively take notes. In an environment where learning is a must, proper lecture room design has to be considered.

Sight Lines: Today’s lectures are far from the droning old professor who simply moves from one point to the next without the need for students to even catch sight of him during the course of the lecture. Instead, they often involve multimedia demonstrations that students have to continually observe to truly remember. In some cases, they involve projectors, document cameras, and screens, while in the sciences, they often involve experiments. Ensure sight lines are maintained as you design the seating area.

Connectivity: Students are far from the pen and paper days of just a few years ago. Many will have tablets, laptops, and smart phones, some of which may require data or power connections at a student’s fingertips to function properly. These connections should be part of the planning process to ensure students have continual access to the materials they most require.

Aisle Spacing: Getting the right aisle design can be tricky, as you can lose viewing space trying to create the best possible aisle. In most cases, you want to avoid a center aisle and go with side aisles. Cross aisles can help, too, but they may not fit within the design. Consider a variety of layouts to ensure you get the best possible viewing area for all students.

Accessibility: Students with accessibility issues must also be able to enjoy the same opportunities as other students in the class, so creating specialized seating areas to address those concerns should be a priority during the process.

A lecture hall can be one of the best spaces within your school, but creating the right level of balance is the only way to optimize it. To learn more about how we can help, contact us today.

Published: 23 December 2014

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Categories: Lecture and Theater Seating

When people file into auditoriums, it’s the shows they are excited to see: the plays, the musicals, the concerts, the performances. Whether they are there to cheer on a family member dance or watch a world-renowned composer lead a full orchestra, the last thing they are thinking about is the seats. But if they are old and uncomfortable, it will be all they can think about during the show. You can update an old auditorium – and ensure patrons come back again and again – with new seating.

Give Old Buildings New Charm, Beauty, and Comfort with New Seating

We’ve all been to theaters and auditoriums that have clearly seen better days. Dingy, worn, uncomfortable. Even if we’re seeing the same show, it casts a pall over the whole event. Old auditoriums, though, often have wonderful architectural features and charm that new buildings can’t match.

You can have your theater and your popcorn too! Updating the seating is arguably the most effective way to bring new light to old buildings. It significantly enhances the aesthetic quality of the space and provides every patron with “the best seat in the house” – no matter where they’re sitting.

If your auditorium features lectures, demonstrations, workshops, presentations, and other interactive performances, your new seating can also encompass data and power. Participants can power up and connect to the information they need. This not only keeps them engaged, it reflects well on your establishment.

You needs may be more simple: comfortable seating that looks great. We can help you with that too. Whether you need to coordinate with your brand or décor colors, want to incorporate your logo, or would like special detailing, Carroll Seating Company can deliver the look and feel you want. More importantly, we can help you deliver the look and feel your customers want.