390 new furniture arrived at the Medical School in Pécs at the end of July: individual, unique, sound-absorbing, workshop tables and table screens, armchair-like study booths, high coffee tables and chairs, bean bags and carpets, which will be available to students from September. The charming, colorful furniture will fill the Dr. Romhányi György Aula, the first floor, and the spaces of the new building.
"The students initiated the furniture purchase a few years ago because their learning habits have changed, and they spend more time on campus. They say they can study more relaxed and in-depth than at home or in the dormitory. The infrastructure at the School did not meet their needs because some of the furniture was outdated and the other half was not comfortable for them," said Gábor Szabó, Head of Development at the Medical School.
He said they had previously consulted with students several times, who had also put their ideas in writing. According to the School's interior design handbook, Dr. Ákos Schreck and his team, representatives of the Minusplus architecture and design studio, interior design consultants, helped select the right furniture and arrange for custom manufacturing. Besides comfort, students emphasized the importance of the furniture's mobility, the possibility of arranging them in smaller or larger units, and the consideration of group and individual learning opportunities. In addition, the availability of adequate and high-quality Wi-Fi and electrical outlets, as well as modern light sources, were also essential. Small lamps, which can be individually requested, have been purchased to provide the necessary lighting for learning in winter and will be available for borrowing in the library.
"In the first phase, we received 170 workshop tables where four people can sit, and 170 sound-absorbing, unique tables with table screens where one student can study. The other 50 furniture include high coffee tables and chairs, bean bags, carpets, and armchair-like booths for one person," said Dr. Ákos Schreck, founder and lead architect of Minusplus, interior design consultant.
The bathrooms were the first step in the renewal of the School’s image, they already provided a sense of the atmosphere the designers want to achieve with the new furniture as well. The tables are dominated by natural oak, which gives a warm, woody feel to the touch. The special, fiber-reinforced, thin, colored legs are restrained additions to the four other colors in the School’s image besides blue, appearing on the table edges as well. As the aula is used for various purposes, they paid special attention to ensure that the furniture can be easily tilted and mobilized. They will then start to take on a life of their own, shaped by the students and staff of the university.
According to Dr. Ákos Schreck, today's furniture market offers everything we can imagine, both in price and function, so they had a lot to choose from. In the interior design handbook, they have narrowed down this wide range in a way that still leaves room to choose.
"The new theoretical building has a strong image and colors, and the old one has a strong character, but the latter is still to be renovated, so it is part of the imagined future. In any case, a coherent character is taking shape, which is becoming apparent in more and more places. Purchasing furniture should be seen as an experimental process. Once the students start using them, we will have feedback on which furniture work and which are more likable, and we will continue from there. What we are providing now is just an offer that will be modified according to the needs of the students," he concluded.
Monitoring the use of the furniture is also important because renovating the old building of the Medical School and the future remodeling of the library will open new study spaces for students. The leadership of the School and the design team aim to meet all the needs of the students through the modernization and hope that the young people will consider the Medical School in Pécs as their second home.
Photos:
Dávid VERÉBI