[cadandcookies]

I'll start by asking you the questions you'll need to answer for yourself and your team (this is going to be a torrent of questions, but please bear with me):

What are your requirements for the pit? Setup time? Tear down time? What is the budget? How much time are you willing to spend on it and when does it need to be done by? What are your project requirements? What needs to be in the pit? What do you currently have and why isn't it meeting your needs? What sort of support do you have or can you get? How many students and mentors are interested in the project?

All these questions and more should be considered, imo, when designing a new pit area.

Once you have determined the right questions to ask and the right problem to solve, finding your solution should be markedly easier.