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Our Facilities
Our Facilities
We currently have seven labs in building 1000 and growing. The majority of our digital labs are what we call "hybrid rooms" where we can teach anything from traditional art to digital classes. This was done on purpose to increase the usage of these rooms, and be able to teach more classes and sections per semester. These dual-purpose tables, called Hyde-Aways, were purchased using CTE-based grants from the Texas-based company Computer Comfort Inc, and are custom-made to fit both our needs and industry standards. Some of these hybrid digital labs have a combination of PCs and Wacom Cintiq interactive monitors, and other with the latest Apple iMacs. These tables have a rear-compartment that allows us to hide the computers, and allow for the teaching of mix classes, from art history and museum studies lectures, drawing and painting, printmaking, color theory, to computer-based digital classes.
Industry Standard Facilities
Our Hide-Away tables are not only industry standard equipment commonly found in esteemed studios like Disney, DreamWorks, and Pixar, but they are also custom-designed specifically for our facilities. Each hybrid digital lab is equipped with a minimum of twelve, double-stations Hide-Away tables, with plenty of space around them for student comfort, and at least one double-station Hide-Away table, designed to meet ADA regulations. This ensures that students in wheelchairs can comfortably utilize the equipment provided in our hybrid digital labs.
Multi-Purpose Rooms
Once the computer equipment is safely stored in the back cabinet of the Hide-Away tables, a simple layer of painters' paper protects the tops, enabling us to teach any class that utilizes traditional mediums, from watercolors, acrylics and oil paints, water-based, oil and polymer clay, and mold-making products such as plaster, resins and silicone, our Hide-Away tables allows for seamless transitions between digital and traditional mediums, fostering a dynamic learning environment for students.
Industry Standard Software
Utilizing industry standard software in our hybrid labs is crucial for preparing students for professional success. By familiarizing students with the tools and workflows commonly used in the creative industry, we equip them with practical skills and knowledge that directly translate to the workplace. Exposure to industry standard software not only enhances students' proficiency but also instills confidence and credibility, as they enter the job market well-prepared to meet industry expectations and excel in their careers. Our current industry standard software includes:
- Adobe Creative Suite, from Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Substance 3D Painter, and 20 more apps.
- Autodesk Suite, from Maya, MudBox, AutoCAD, Fusion 360, and 46 other apps.
- Maxon App Suite, from ZBrush, Redshift, Red Giant Complete, Universe, Trapcode Suite, Magic Bullet Suite, VFX Suite and PluralEyes.
- DragonFrame, industry standard software for stop motion animation.
- Toon Boom Suite, from Harmony, Storyboard Pro, to Producer, all industry standard software for storyboarding, 2D and vector animation.
- Clo and Marvelous Designer, industry standard software for 3D/CGI cloth simulation.
- Orca Slicer, PreForm, ChituBox, and GrabCAD, industry standard software slicing software for 3D printing.
Not only are these industry standard, but our students have free access to all these applications in all of our hybrid labs because we firmly believe that learning while using industry standard software fosters adaptability, ensuring that students can easily transition into various roles and industries, staying relevant in an ever-evolving technological landscape.
All Amenities Required
Currently, our newest labs are equipped with sinks. One might find a sink in a computer lab odd, akin to an ashtray on a motorcycle. However, our labs are intentionally designed as "Hybrid" facilities, capable of accommodating both traditional art and dDigital classes. This deliberate choice aims to maximize room utilization and expand the range of classes offered per semester.
When teaching courses like color theory or 3D illustration, where students work with watercolors, acrylics, oil paints, or water-based and polymer clay, the sinks serve as practical stations for cleaning tools and materials. Previously, students used restroom sinks for this purpose, leading to clogs. By integrating sinks into our labs, we've addressed this issue, installing stainless steel sinks with built-in traps for easier maintenance and to safeguard the 1000 building's drainage.
Our objective is to install a sink in each of our hybrid labs, enhancing their versatility for both traditional and digital media classes to optimize the use of these multipurpose rooms.
Better Educational Tools
Switching from traditional projectors to LED UHD TVs in our labs is a significant upgrade. This transition not only offers improved image quality but also allows for a more flexible and comfortable learning environment.
The main reason for this upgrade is that using LED UHD TVs instead of projectors allows for classes to be conducted with the lights on, which is particularly beneficial for students engaging in activities that require visual precision such as sketching, drawing, designing, or painting. Maintaining proper lighting conditions enhances visibility and reduces eye strain, leading to a more conducive learning experience.
Additionally, the higher resolution and clarity offered by LED UHD TVs ensure that visual content is displayed with exceptional detail, benefiting all students regardless of their seating arrangement in the classroom.
Overall, this upgrade demonstrates a commitment to providing modern and student-friendly learning environments, fostering creativity and engagement among students across various disciplines.
Future Facilities
As an example, you can see what we have began in Room 1029. Though a CTE-based Strong Workforce grant we have added 13 new double-station Hide-Away tables, one of them with the ADA-approved height for students in wheelchairs, put a new floor, and a new paint job. During the summer ACT and Facilities will integrate a key-fob key-less entry next to a new fire-retardant door, and a 24-hour security camera system to not only enhances security but also streamlines access for faculty and ensuring safety in the labs. Next, a new electrical and network infrastructure will be created for the 26 new iMacs, a new teaching station, and a large 85" Tv that will provide cutting-edge technology for teaching and demonstrations, no more ,"let me turn off the lights so we can see what the projector is showing!"
These enhancements will greatly improve the functionality and usability of Room 1029 for both faculty and students.
Industry Standard Equipment
Industry-standard equipment like our Wacom Cintiqs, digital cameras, flatbed scanners, and 3D printers is indispensable for several reasons. Let's consider 3D printers as an example, enable hands-on learning, allowing students to transform digital designs into tangible objects, enhancing engagement and reinforcing theoretical concepts. Moreover, these 3D printers are real-world technology, providing students with practical skills for their future careers. Access to these 3D printing fosters innovation and creativity, encouraging students to explore new ideas and develop an entrepreneurial mindset. It also nurtures problem-solving skills and resilience as students tackle technical challenges. Additionally, 3D printing cuts across various disciplines, promoting collaboration and multidisciplinary learning, empowering students to make positive societal impacts, like sustainability and healthcare.
Collaborative Facilities
Our new Design department's facilities are designed to foster collaboration and creativity among students from diverse disciplines. These spaces serve as hubs for idea exchange and holistic problem-solving, preparing students for multidisciplinary careers such as animators, consumer, toy and product designers, comic book and graphic novel artists, and VFX generalists. Through hands-on projects, students gain practical experience and develop adaptive skills like communication and teamwork. Design-thinking students create work with specific purposes and functions, following a structured design process while collaborating with others to achieve their goals. These facilities stimulate innovation and address complex societal challenges through interdisciplinary approaches playing a vital role in promoting collaborative learning and preparing design-thinking students for real-world success.
Facilities Q&A:
Should all the rooms in the building 1000 be converted into Hybrid rooms?
Ridiculous. Having separate studio classrooms and hybrid Digital Media labs provides several benefits to our students by allowing them to focus on distinct skill sets. Studio classrooms are dedicated to traditional art techniques such as ceramics, drawing, painting, and sculpture. These spaces require specific physical setups, including easels, drawing horses, printing presses, and workbenches, offering students hands-on experiences and opportunities for experimentation with physical materials.
Meanwhile, hybrid Digital Media labs emphasize digital tools and software. Equipped with computers, Cintiqs, scanners, and other digital peripherals, these labs support the teaching of software-based, multimedia, and some traditional media classes.
This division of facilities enables students to fully immerse themselves in either traditional or digital mediums without distractions. It also encourages experimentation, creativity, and interdisciplinary learning, helping students develop a diverse range of skills throughout their education.
However, we can adapt our hybrid Digital Media labs into traditional art classrooms. For the past four years, we have successfully taught Color Theory and Illustration courses in Room 1029, a hybrid digital lab equipped with 25 iMacs. This flexibility allows us to use these spaces for both Art and Digital Arts courses.
Are you planning to create a Make Space to compete with the Sculpting Area?
Why? We don't need a make space. We have Room 1027 as our fully-dedicated 3D printing room, and Room 1025-A, which used to be used as a storage room, has our fabrication equipment: a Roland MDX-540 CNC machine, four Cricut maker 3s, four laser sintering machines, and small power-tools used to clean our 3D prints. Again, we have not intention, nor need, for a maker space!
After talking with Klutch Stanaway, Michele Van Ry, and the Sculpting Lab Assistant, David Beckman, we propose offering our upcoming PDES 120 F Fabrication for Animators, Artists, And Designers and PDES 121 F Three-Dimensional Illustration classes in the sculpting area, and during the afternoon, once all sculpting classes are finished. We hope the Dean, the VP, and the District support our reclassification of the part-time Sculpting Lab Assistant to a full-time Lab Technician position so that David could assist our students in the afternoons.