Home Sweet Coda

In a few short months, as some students graduate and others prepare for summer break, the Machine Learning Center at Georgia Tech will be getting a new home. Faculty and graduate students will move to Coda, the newest addition to Georgia Tech’s growing presence in Tech Square and a mile east from the center’s current location in the College of Computing building.

The 645,000 square foot building is a mixed-use development and will also be home to other Georgia Tech entities such as Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), the School of Computational Science and Engineering, the Institute for People and Technology (IPAT), and Health Analytics. Companies like WeWork, Keysight, and ThyssenKrupp will also neighbors of ML@GT.

Besides the good company, Coda boasts one of the largest data centers of the Southeast, panoramic views of Midtown, collaborative areas on each floor, a 20,000 square foot outdoor plaza, and four restaurants. And that’s just skimming the surface.

While the center will not be moving until May, our team was able to go on a tour earlier this week to check out the progress and get a feel for our new digs. We’re excited to share a few of our favorite highlights.

We cannot wait to start and end our day in the outdoor plaza. The impressive digital board will feature the latest news and events from the building and its occupants.

Don’t mind us, but we might not ever get over the spiral staircase.

Each floor has a different color scheme with beautiful wall murals and coordinating furniture. We’re excited to work in such a bright and colorful space!

Food and coffee are essential. Each floor has a kitchen equipped with a refrigerator and microwave, as well as counter space to hang out and eat lunch with colleagues. Floors are also equipped with a coffee bar, which as academics, we know is the nectar of the gods and a must-have for any office space.

Collaboration is at the heart of Coda, and we are thrilled about the conversations and ideas that will take place in our new workspace. Student, faculty, and staff health is also important to us and we are excited to have standing desks in every office.

Floors also offer relaxing spaces to collaborate, work, or hang out. Spaces include swings (yes, swings!), sofas with stunning views of Atlanta, and an indoor patio. Spaces can also be used to host events, including one that has expandable bleacher seating. There will also be a rooftop garden with popup soccer and a penthouse bar.

One of our favorite parts of the new building is all of the natural light. Who says you have to work in a cave to code?

One fun feature of the building is actually the elevators. Inside, the elevators only have buttons to open or close the doors and for emergencies. They are controlled by the touchscreens (below) where a person enters what floor they would like to go to and an elevator is summoned to take them directly to that floor.

While there is so much more to share, we can’t ruin all of the surprises. The first occupants will start moving into Coda on March 11. ML@GT is looking forward to joining them in May and to welcoming you to our new home.