Patterson Pope – University Storage 101

STORAGE 101

The stuff to know to do storage right

UNIVERSITY STORAGE 101

Higher education faces many challenges today. Budgets are tight. Competition for students is high. Campus space is often limited. At the same time, changes to enrollment practices, pressures on free speech and an uncertain political environment also challenge the university and college business model.

Higher education decision makers need to be adaptable. It might not be the first consideration of those looking to innovate, yet storage can help support administrative efforts to support student success and ensure institutional stability.

This eBook encompasses several environments in which campus leaders are being asked to manage growth and maintain affordability. The sections in this book will share examples of other institutions accommodating the needs (even surpassing the expectations) of students, staff, faculty and other community members aided by creative storage solutions.

Bringing staff, students and faculty back to campus in the midst of a global pandemic requires extra attention to safety and cleanliness. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published guidance saying educational institutions need to clean and disinfect more rigorously, while also upgrading ventilation, adding contact tracing, as well as establishing procedures to recognize symptoms and care for ill students and staff.

It’s a lot to manage. But this eBook helps answer the following questions:

+ How to safely implement changes on campus post COVID-19?

+ What can schools do to support social distancing?

+ What solutions are available to create conditions for disease-free campuses?

+ How will changing campus experiences and conditions impact user experiences?

+ How can schools adapt swiftly to the new needs of a reopened campus?

Campus designers are already emphasizing flexibility and adaptability in their new plans for educational environments. This means there are more options already available to help think differently about places and spaces and the objects in those environments. As IIDA Executive Vice President and CEO, Cheryl S. Durst , has noted, even once COVID vaccinations are widely available, “people are going to be concerned, I think now and forever, with distance and social distance.”

The good news is that strategic storage solutions can help address many of the challenges institutions of higher education are facing right now. This e-Book examines opportunities to prioritize wellbeing while optimizing space and productivity throughout the university environment. We have included a section dedicated to Smart Storage, a solution that we’ve found provides several benefits for campuses that are getting back to school in the “new normal”.

APPLICATIONS ON CAMPUS

Every department or area on campus has its own unique challenges and solutions. Most important is the knowledge and experience to identify the perfect solution for each challenge. Our experience in all phases of storage sales, planning, design, install allow us to create custom storage solutions for any application and make the process as easy as possible.

CLASSROOMS/LABS

LIBRARIES

ATHLETICS

GALLERIES/MUSEUMS/SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

PERFORMING ARTS

MAILROOM

CAMPUS POLICE

OFFICE ADMINISTRATION

FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

SMART STORAGE

CLASSROOMS/LABS

Let’s start with where the learning happens. Classrooms and labs are the heart of the higher education institution.

De-densifying and effectively delineating spaces has long been a priority for storage solution experts in the campus environment. For classrooms, modular casework is customizable to the varied needs of different departments. Modular casework is quick to install and easy to reconfigure. Instead of builtins, incorporating this flexible storage allows you to adapt to ever-changing needs. Plus, it’s easier to repair than traditional millwork.

In lab spaces, safety and cleanliness are paramount. Otherwise an experiments’ results could be impacted. Or that centuries-old specimen could degrade more rapidly.

Powered high-density storage is a top solution for safely storing lab equipment and specimens. Offering exceptional organization and providing a controlled environment, the shelves or cabinets mounted on mobile systems also free up more space for lab activities.

A CASE IN POINT

The University of Tennessee installed high-density storage units in a new Forensic Anthropology Center to free up space for research work.

To optimize the storage and specimen access of its herbarium, The University of Tennessee in Knoxville installed mobile shelving and museum-quality cabinets

The John Mica Engineering and Aerospace Innovation Complex at Embry-Riddle Research Park transformed its space with Rousseau heavy-duty worktables, workbenches and cabinets.

This really is a showplace facility for us. We host a lot of tours, whether they’re for students, faculty, or even our sponsors, donors and trustees. It’s nice to have a beautiful Rousseau product. We are very happy.

— Marie Jones, Interior Design & Planning Manager, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

LIBRARIES

Every tour of campus swings by the library. A selling point for a university is often the number of volumes or important collections its library contains. Yet all those books, journals, or boxes take up valuable space. Strategic library storage is essential.

Custom shelving and storage solutions support the 21st century library’s evolution into more of a gathering space or collaboration hub. Installing compact mobile shelving helps store more in less space. Re-purpose that reclaimed space for group study areas, multimedia stations, coffee bars, or computer centers.

In many cases, space on the primary campus is highly sought after, so the more affordable answer is to store the less frequently used books and media offsite. A highbay system, specifically equipped for books, allows for remote access to hundreds of thousands of volumes in a stationary or even mobile high density system –constructed up to 35 feet high.

A CASE IN POINT

Embry-Riddle in Daytona, Florida, opted for two rows of high-density compact shelving underneath a long skylight to store its entire collection of nearly 76,000 volumes in less space than before.

Georgia State University

College of Law’s library repurposed some old library shelving to affordably and effectively move its collection to more than six miles of mobile shelving

Wake Forest University increased library capacity by thousands of volumes installing XTend High Bay mobile shelving system in its off-site storage facility.

We decided on mobile shelving to help us maximize capacity and open up space, and it’s been hugely successful on both fronts. Working with Patterson Pope was wonderful.

— Claire Fund, Director of Administrative Services, College of Charleston Addlestone Library

Student athletics is a big draw for higher education. Even the students who don’t play at the undergraduate level can enjoy the camaraderie of cheering for their school. Plus, athletes that feel part of a team are more likely to remain enrolled.

Sports facilities are often a recruiting tool. By getting creative with storage, you can make an impression immediately while saving time and space too. Stopping in a top-notch equipment storage area helps showcase dedication to student performance. Prospective athletes are impressed by the attention their team gets with sport-specific aisles in high-density mobile systems.

With these high-density systems along with modular casework cabinets, modular drawers and workbenches, equipment managers can enjoy more organized spaces. Instead of dumping everything in a bin or stacking all that sweaty equipment in poorly ventilated shelving, improve access and storage specifically designed to hold golf clubs, athletic shoes, hockey helmets or lacrosse pads. Better ventilation, built-in electronics, lighting and built-in bench seating areas can all make a difference.

A CASE IN POINT

Wake Forest University accommodates 16 different sports with six moveable and lockable storage units.

Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) increased the efficiency of their football uniform and gear storage with mobile shelving.

Florida State University in Tallahassee created an attention grabber for recruits with a custom action graphic on its storage lockers.

Without all that extra effort, we may be saving only 20 minutes or so at a time, but you repeat that over and over again and it adds up. Now, it’s so much more convenient.

— Tom Connor, Director of Equipment Operations, Georgia Tech

GALLERIES/MUSEUMS/SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

The wonder of artistic expression is in being able to see something new and share it with the world through various media. At Patterson Pope, our medium is storage. We understand that galleries, museums and special collections on college and university campuses need to be budget conscious, but also need to be strategic. We know space is at a premium, but keeping the collection safe and secure and accessible for research and classroom use remains essential.

The range of special collections on campuses worldwide is astounding. So is the variety of things needed stored. And there’s a storage

solution for all of it. High-density storage systems, open shelving and museum cabinets can all be configured to accommodate different sizes of items and objects.

Sometimes the space is small but tall. That’s where art racks can add efficiency and organization to a gallery storage area. Researchers want to get at the collection too. With RaptorRac wide-span shelving, EZ rails installed on the walls, mechanical-assist compact shelving and flat files set on mobile metal carts, museum storage areas can become a functional, educational space.

A CASE IN POINT

The Bo Bartlett Center, part of Columbus State University, installed a 16-foot-tall highdensity storage system in the center of the room to make the most of a storage area measuring just over 500 square feet.

Clark Atlanta University (CAU) Art Museum added art racks to its basement storage to secure its 1,200 items, primarily African American modern art, and traditional African art. CAU also updated space with a slat wall, flat files, and configurable furniture to create an object study classroom

Clemson University’s Warren Lasch Conservation Center installed museum cases and cabinets, reinforced shelves and drawer units in two shipping containers to store and research treasures rescued from the Civil Warera submarine H.L. Hunley

Having space-saving units gave us the capacity we needed in a relatively small footprint. It allowed us to store both our permanent pieces (which are few) and then bring the changing exhibitions in and out, keep them safely off the floor and locked away out of the public view.

— David Houston, Executive Director, Bo Bartlett Center

PERFORMING ARTS

Of course, there’s also a muse for performing arts. Storage solutions can support creativity in music, dance and theater too.

“What works in the general collection doesn’t work for us,” says Leslie Kamtman, head of  the Benjamin F. Ward Music Library at UNC School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, NC.

Music students and scholars need access to scores of music scores, sound recordings and performance media. Theatre and dance departments have extensive costume collections to organize and protect. This array of irregularly shaped items can be accommodated with purpose-built Spacesaver mobile shelving units

Providing smart lockers in performing arts venues can also provide an improved user experience to both scholars and guests. Visitors at events can safely stow bulky coats and bags before the show. Students can keep instruments secure on campus while they go to other campus buildings throughout the day.

A CASE IN POINT

Spacesaver’s commercialgrade compact shelving systems are just the ticket for set design, prop or costume storage shelving.

Universally slotted 4-Post shelving units are great for musical instrument storage. Attach pull-out shelves and bin dividers, adjust shelf spacing and add drawers and lockable doors.

Organize and make uniforms accessible to band members and staff using high-density mobile storage

The quality of the whole job was exemplary. We were thrilled with Patterson Pope’s quality, their responsiveness, their professionalism and good humor throughout the project.

— Christia Thomason, Head of Technical Services, UNC School of the Arts

MAILROOM

The student population on campus today is largely one of digital natives. Still, they do send and receive actual mail. Particularly goodie packages from home and online shopping. Campus mail centers need to keep up with student mail as well as staff and faculty needs.

Customized mail center furniture can have a positive impact on productivity. Bulk sort units improve mail processing and distribution. When there is a high volume of mail, satellite mail distribution stations can meet the need. Around campus, various departments can benefit from freestanding mail sort modules too.

Package Asset Delivery lockers can come in handy too. Available in various sizes, these mailboxes work like a temporary locker. A UPS, FedEX, or facility staff member puts a parcel into the box and the individual receives an alert with instructions for pick up. The temporary nature of the boxes eliminates the need for one box per student or resident. You’re also reducing the manual labor involved with receiving, sorting, and distributing packages and traffic to the mail center while better accommodating the unusual hours students keep.

A CASE IN POINT

Consider Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. With about 6,600 students on campus every year, the mail office was having difficulty keeping up. Average in-line wait times reached 30 minutes. Some students also had to share mailboxes. Moving to electronic parcel lockers cut wait times to five to 10 minutes, provided for a larger lobby and gave students a much better experience.

Smart lockers allowed us to work smarter, not harder. We also went from three package windows to seven in the same amount of space. Through all of this, we made the service to the student better, and that’s really the bottom line goal.

— Mickey Anglea, Associate Director for Business Services, Vanderbilt University

CAMPUS POLICE

Colleges and universities are responsible for providing secure environments for students, faculty and staff. Campus police contribute daily to the efforts to keep the community safe. However, they’re often stuck in a small office in a building basement or a near-closet-sized space in one of the campuses’ older, more awkwardly shaped buildings.

Help your public safety officers keep the peace by providing them with the ability to store their personal belongings and efficiently access files, firearms and evidence they need to do

their jobs well. Easily configure duty lockers to suit your space and customize the lockers themselves to fit any need.

Compact storage can regain floorspace while supporting organization and efficiency. Highdensity mobile storage can streamline the entire operation. Lockable rotary and lateral files provide necessary security without impeding access and retrieval. Plus, you can give campus officers access to secure, keyless evidence lockers to streamline deposit processes.

A CASE IN POINT

Personal storage lockers offer a convenient and comfortable space for personnel to store weapons, uniforms, equipment and electronics.

Temporarily store biological evidence safely on campus with refrigerated evidence lockers

High-density storage lets campus police make the most of compact spaces to improve productivity and enhance office morale.

Our facility is now recognized as a model police headquarters, and Patterson Pope had a lot to do with that. We never realized how important the storage components would be and what a difference a good system makes.

— David Prather, Police Sergeant, Franklin Police Department

CAMPUS ADMINISTRATION

Look at any of the glossy recruitment materials for your campus, and you’re unlikely to see the administrative offices. Still, the people working in the Registrar’s Office, Alumni Affairs, Development / Advancement Office, Financial Aid, Health Services and more all make a significant contribution. Providing these staff members with storage that meets their needs and optimizes their processes can improve productivity and morale.

Student records stored on campus need to be kept safe. Enjoy the convenience of improved organization and secure protected information with customized file storage. We know there’s no “one-size-fits-all” answer. We can help cut through the clutter and confusion to give campus staff a more efficient space to work.

At the same time, high-density mobile shelving can cut the floorspace of all those files by up to 50%, which can help make an administrative office more welcoming to students and comfortable for your staff.

A CASE IN POINT

Wheelhouse’s affordable shelving systems suit campus sustainability goals as they are manufactured from a high percentage of recycled material and low-emitting finishes.

Flexible, functional casework helps you create organized, workable spaces for any purpose.

A lockable rotary storage file cabinet can maximize both budget and space.

Patterson Pope is also equipped to assist with file scanning, record moves, and document conversions. Digitizing paperwork can improve secure information sharing around campus and free up more room in administrative buildings.

FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

Facilities management is the campus backbone. These critical campus workers keep everything running smoothly, and that requires storing and managing a lot of stuff.

High-density shelving is a great choice for corralling the tools and other supplies technicians, cleaning, grounds and maintenance crews require daily. Providing employees with smart lockers onsite lets them move around the campus without concern about their personal belongings.

In addition to storing and managing its own stuff, the facility management department is also responsible for planning, design and construction projects and building and space management operations all across the campus. Storage solutions ranging from compact and static shelving to modular casework and lockers can help ensure that the university spaces are built out and maintained as efficiently and sustainably as possible.

A CASE IN POINT

At the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, the facilities department is housed in a renovated marble factory. Unobtrusive cabinets along the periphery of the space add functional flair.

High-density storage with collapsible aisles can increase overall storage capacity and ease of access to the variety of items used in buildings across campus.

Keep track of everything from light bulbs to ladders and air filters to electrical components on sturdy RaptorRac wide-span shelving.

We have more efficiency, more stock and more flow to our space. Now we can help the technicians complete their mission faster.

— Dan Rodriguez, Warehouse Supervisor, Orange County Facilities Management

SMART STORAGE

A day in the life of a college student or faculty member can include more than a few stops. Put smart storage where your community needs it most.

Touch-less lockers can make a difference in:

+ Recreational areas and sports facilities

+ Classrooms and labs

+ Museums and art galleries

+ Performing arts centers

+ Libraries

+ Lab environments

+ Testing sites

+ Campus union

+ Mail centers

Providing your community members with a safe place for their belongings as they go about their days on campus is sure to improve their overall experience. With touch-less lockers, they don’t even need to worry about keys or coins. Lockers can be assigned or left unassigned for temporary access using a mobile device, smart app, campus badge scanning or other innovative technology dedicated to convenience and security.

LEARN

A CASE IN POINT

The addition of touch-less lockers allowed Wake Forest University to reopen its library during COVID-19 to continue serving students and faculty, while minimizing direct contact. Two banks of lockers circulate library materials and A/V equipment using ID scanning – even outside of traditional library hours.

When the first set of lockers was installed and we were testing them I thought, ‘this is going to be awesome.’

— James Harper, Interim Director of Access Services, Wake Forest University

PLANNING AND DESIGN

Here’s where you get to the hands-on part of the course. What? You’re not ready to plan and design your own storage? Don’t worry, that’s what the upperclassmen are for! Or, in this case, the storage solution experts.

When you work with a partner such as Patterson Pope, the planning and design stage begins with a space survey and assessment. There are no cookie-cutter problems in the world of storage and no one-size-fits-all solutions. Our experts look at:

+ Access points in the room

+ ADA considerations

+ Item weight

+ Need for security

+ Code compliance concerns

+ Floor load

+ Structural engineering factors

+ Fire code implications

+ Sprinkler heads, fire alarm, HVAC placement

“We’re not just trying to pack a lot of stuff in a small space. We’re trying to create a workflow, a really efficient work environment, and a safer workplace.”

— Mike Hisman

Whether working directly with the client or the client’s architect, designer, engineer or contractor, Patterson Pope’s certified planners co-design a customized storage solution. Based on measurements of the available space and inventory of your current storage solutions, our dedicated planners will draw up specs to meet your needs.

We want to make the project suit your needs. So, we have revision stages. Our storage specialist brings the designs back to your decision makers to ask for your input before anything is settled and agreed upon.

All in a Day’s Planning

Our planners might get handed detailed, thorough specs from the site visit and consultation with the client. Or they’re given just the bare essentials and carte blanche to find the best solution.

Using multiple design tools, the planners then move different storage options around in space to maximize the effectiveness of the storage in the space. They’re not only thinking about aesthetics, but also how the storage solution will be used today — and in the future.

Click here to learn more about the P2 Process

LEARN MORE LEARN MORE

INSTALLATION

Just as the goal of this guide has been to keep you from having to do the hard work, our certified installers help you avoid the heavy lifting. It’s not just that you don’t have to put heavy storage cabinets or high-density carriages together yourself. We collaborate with your engineers, general contractors and sub-contractors to take the scheduling responsibility off your shoulders.

We work out a timeline for product delivery and installation that works with your team’s schedule. Then, when it comes time to install, Patterson Pope brings in pros to do the job right. Our technicians and installation crews are full-time, experienced storage installers, certified with our manufacturers, experienced in applications and have collectively over 100 years of experience in the our field.

With smart storage solutions, Patterson Pope also has technologists on staff who can troubleshoot the software. Even when it comes to powered lifts and mobile shelving, it is critical that we have people on our team that know and support this technology.

Our teams are flexible and work to meet scheduling requests of clients, architects and designers. After hours or on a specified date? We’ll work hard to make that commitment work. We do what it takes to make the sure the project is done right and on time.

We install it right. Or we make it right. OUR PROMISE

Patterson Pope partners with the best storage system manufacturers. That means you get top quality product and top-of-the-line warranties too.

ONGOING RELATIONSHIP

Patterson Pope is like that Professor you can go back to for advice or a recommendation. We like to continue our relationships with our clients.

Our long-term partnership starts with our technical crews offering on-site product training. This makes sure your people know how to use the storage systems we put in place. We’ll also go over the product warranties, service agreements and maintenance contracts.

You may not get to fill out a course evaluation on your Patterson Pope engagement, but we’ll still be checking back with you to make sure you’re happy. Our company reputation is on the line. We’ve been doing this for 50 years. We stand by the quality of the products we provide and the care you get working with us.

WE’RE HERE TO HELP

Students are always learning. Faculty are always expanding their body of knowledge. Your campus, too, is always evolving to meet community needs. Next time you are designing space, or looking to reconfigure an existing area on campus, consider the many simple space saving solutions addressed in this ebook.

Limited space to store books, research materials, athletic team equipment or school records, creates disorganization and inefficiency. This environment limits learning and growth. This doesn’t have to happen to your institution.

Make the most of the space you have. Patterson Pope’s storage experts can help you select an education storage solution that maximizes your learning environment and meets the criteria set by budget or spatial challenges.

We can help you create safe, secure, organized, accessible and auditable storage systems. Enjoy flexibility, functionality and scalability with our education storage solutions.

Patterson Pope takes the complicated and makes it simple. Your records, your stuff, your space — all simplified. If it’s in your organization and you can touch it, we help you store it, track it and retrieve it using less space and time than you ever thought possible.

Over its decades in the storage business, Patterson Pope has earned an excellent reputation as a committed partner with clients, architects and general contractors by providing expertise — from consultation to implementation — that delivers bottom-line results.

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