Consider the idea of eliminating the idea of a traditional computer lab entirely. For one, I find that there are very, very few students that aren't coming to college with their own laptops, which makes the traditional computer lab somewhat redundant. Additionally, a traditional computer lab usually has a very static layout that doesn't lend itself well to a dynamic, more collaborative learning environment.
Consider taking the money you would have normally used to buy or lease computers for a lab, and do things like purchasing student use licenses that they can install onto their own computers. Other apps that don't have student use licenses could be delivered through something like Citrix.
You could also purchase a laptop checkout kiosk (laptop "vending machine") and a smaller number of checkout laptops for those students that don't have a working laptop.
Once you eliminate the computers from the computer lab, you could restructure the space with more soft-seating, or some collaboration "pods."
