Summer Camp Darkroom Design

[alexhill]

I was recently tasked with designing a darkroom for a summer camp. I am not an architect, but this is what I designed in google Sketch up. Obviously this sketch up does not include electricity, pluming, or waste chemical storage.

I'm posting these sketches here in case anyone else may be designing a similar darkroom and wants a head start.



http://www.flickr.com/photos/4561884...th/4932656407/

[Boggy1]

I like it! I wish I had you to design my darkroom for me :P
Just on suggestion, in my school, they had the enlargers in little cubicals like you have done, but rather than the dividers reaching up the ceiling, they were just short of the full height of the enlarger instead, that a single safe light could illuminate two enlargers. Saving on energy, saving on money, and saving on paper which has gotten fogged, since each workspace hasn't got to have its own dedicated light source :P

[alexhill]

I've used darkrooms with both a dedicated safelight (in a closet set up) and a group safelight (such as a gang darkroom). This set up will be a mix of the two. I have been using my Thomas Duplex safelight set in the middle of the room for 90% of the illumination, with the last 10% coming from a incandescent style safelight mounted above each enlarger.

I can't recommend the thomas duplex safelight enough. Its so bright, but has a slow fog time compared to every other safelight I've tried. It's light output is also adjustable. The downsides are a 120$ replacement bulb and a 10 min (or so) warm up time until its bright enough to work under.

The plans are missing where electric sockets, plumbing, and ventilation will be which contributes a huge amount to darkroom usability.

[mgb74]

... The downsides are a 120$ replacement bulb and a 10 min (or so) warm up time until its bright enough to work under.

Others have mentioned an "off the shelf" alternative for the Thomas bulb at 1/3 to 1/2 the price:

http://www.apug.org/forums/forum43/3...felight-2.html
https://www.interlight.biz/light-bul...&ID=FROOGLE-US

[alexhill]

Awsomesause mgb74! I was looking to order a replacement, this will be very helpful. Thanks!