The College of Design offers a variety of spaces that collectively make up a flexible yet robust design environment. The college's labs, studios, and library are professionally staffed to support student work and faculty instruction. The college's galleries and critique spaces encourage an open exchange of ideas. Auditoriums and large classrooms allow the college to host an ambitious visiting lecture and exhibition program.
All 700-plus students enrolled in studio programs within the College have dedicated studio space with 24-hour access and security. Every workstation is networked and students have additional access to three 18-seat labs, printing and scanning facilities, and departmental computer clusters. All labs are professionally staffed: four full-time Information Technology Lab staff members maintain hardware, software and networking, and manage student assistants, who check out equipment (all equipment in the College circulates at no charge). A faculty technology committee updates a technology plan annually and makes proposals and decisions regarding expenditure of the College's portion of university technology fees.
The Materials Lab is staffed by four full-time professionals and student assistants. There are also darkrooms and a screen-printing facility. The Advanced Media Lab includes state of the art 3D and 2D animation editing stations with industry-standard software, as well as professional-grade HD video equipment.
The buildings that make up the college's presence on NC State's campus blend traditional and modern architectural styles. The three buildings house the college's design library, gallery, auditorium, resource centers, studios, laboratories, classrooms and offices. Brooks Hall was built as the original library of NC State College and has been the central building of the College since 1956 when the new northern wing was added. To accommodate the institution's rapid growth, a southern wing was added in the late 1960s. Kamphoefner Hall (pronounced "Camp HEFF-ner," named for the college's first dean) was added as a connector to Brooks in 1978. A separate building, Leazar Hall, was acquired for basic design studies in 1969. Together these facilities create a compact nexus where design students and faculty can interact and invite design professionals to participate.
The Downtown Studio on S. Wilmington Street in Downtown Raleigh is designed to facilitate collaborative urban design projects between area municipalities, non-profit organizations, and College of Design students. Part think-tank and part project development office, the Downtown Studio specializes in mixed-use development, historic preservation, and neighborhood revitalization, to name just a few of its focus areas. Download a brochure here.
The Advanced Media Lab at NC State University College of Design is a multimedia facility housing the latest in digital hardware and software. Maintained by multimedia professional staff Lee Cherry, Pat FitzGerald and Marc Russo, the facility is used to support innovative and collaborative research projects between the design disciplines as well as the graduate students and researchers in the Master of Art + Design program.
The lab has a wide range of animation and interactive software including Maya, Mud Box, Motion Builder, zBrush, Shake, Final Cut Pro, After Effects, and Flash, as well as specialized 3D Match Moving and visual effects software such as Nuke, TrapCode, PFTrack and Maxwell Render. The lab houses multiple suites of Mac Pro computers with pressure sensitive Cintiq tablets. Students have access to high-end, HD digital video cameras and audio recording equipment, a digital blue-screen room, and projection rooms. Current upgrades and developments include a professional sound recording studio, RED Camera and infrared camera tracking systems.
Sponsored studio projects and collaborative research teams focus their studies in the following concentrations:
A new design discipline centered around innovative technologies, services and systems with an emphasis on user experience, form and function. Interaction between people through hybrid/mobile technology with an emphasis on the organization and presentation of data transferred as valuable, meaningful information.
Art and museum installations, location-based sound and visual narrative, navigation systems, physical interface design that enhance the experience based on the behavior of the user and their surrounding environment.
Great modern story-telling is an ancient art coupled with new technology. Current digital design and animation offer capabilities and opportunities not yet explored in the history of interaction and performance.
Commercial game and simulation developers, practices, and technology can be utilized by a wider field of organizations that build and apply models within training and simulations balancing adaptive and natural learning environments.
A crossroads between art, technology and society through the synergistic combination of precision engineering, electronic control, sensory inputs, information design and intelligent systems. These systems can provide users a clearer comprehension of information and a means of distributing knowledge through haptic and sensory feedback.
The Harrye B. Lyons Design Library, a branch of the NCSU Libraries, is located on the second floor of Brooks Hall in the College of Design. Take a video tour of the Design Library.
The Design Library supports the College of Design and has collection emphases in architecture, landscape architecture, graphic design, industrial design, and art and design. Additional materials in art, painting, photography and environmental design may also be found in the Design Library.
The Design Library Image Collection consists of over 50,000 digital images representing architecture, landscape architecture, graphic design and related areas. The image collection can be searched online through the Design Library Image Database.
Other libraries at NC State hold materials of interest to design researchers, such as the Archives of Architecture and Design at D. H. Hill Library. NCSU students and faculty may also borrow materials from the Sloane Art Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Duke University's Lilly Library.
Please visit the Harrye B. Lyons Design Library website within the NC State Libraries web site for hours, location, contact information, staff listing and more.
Library Hours
Brooks Hall Gallery provides space and wall surfaces for a visual presentation of the full scope of design activities. All shows are publicized to graduates, professionals and friends of the College to encourage the public to attend.
The Rotunda is the principal review space and jury room in the College of Design. It is located in the octagonal, domed space in the original part of Brooks Hall with museum-quality presentation and lighting installations. In addition to reviews and critiques, the Rotunda also serves as an attractive setting for special exhibitions, receptions and celebrations.
Surrounding the Rotunda, the Gilbert Gallery provides well-lighted space for reviews of student projects and for exhibitions.
Formerly the ramp room entering the auditorium in Kamphoefner Hall, the space was renovated in 2007 and named for S. Aaron Allred, a supporting alum of the College. The gallery leads into the Robert Paschal Burns Auditorium.
This 175-seat auditorium pays homage to the late Professor Emeritus Robert P. Burns, FAIA, who taught for more than 40 years at the College.
Whether it is students working all night on their own computers in the studios, classes held in one of the computer labs, or faculty and staff working in their offices, computers are running day and night at the college. Supporting these computers fall to the five full-time Information Technology staff, who provide computer, printing, and network support to the College of Design. Warranty repair service for Apple computers is also available. Information Technology staff offices are located in 202-204 Brooks Hall.
Online technical support pages are available to assist users in solving computer problems on their won. Users should check there first if they have a question. if the answer isn't there, users should see an IT staff member or send an email to design_help@ncsu.edu with details on the probem. Soon after that message is received, an automated reply will be sent. One of the IT staff will respond as soon as possible.
The Information Technology Laboratory in 202 and 203 Brooks is the main computing facility for the college. The IT department also operates small cluster labs around the college in studio spaces. In all, there are approximately 130 computers available in labs and clusters. A wide variety of printers using our own print accounting system, DesignPRINT, are available throughout the College.
The College requires most students to purchase their own computers. See the computer purchase requirement web pages for more information and recommendations on buying computer hardware and software. Students taking studio courses have access to a wired high-speed data network connection at their desks through StudioNet. Wireless networking is also available throughout the College.
Audio-Visual, photographic, and computing equipment is available for checkout from the main IT lab in 203 Brooks. You can reserve items on the online system here. The telephone number for the IT Lab checkout window is 515.3160. A photographic studio and darkrooms, as well as laser cutters, are also available. Use of these resources is strictly limited to students currently enrolled in Design courses.
Please take a look at our technical support and tutorial pages for more information and help.
The Materials Lab provides space, equipment and trained personnel to assist students in their work. Design ideas that originate in the studio can be implemented in three dimensions in the Materials Lab. Full-scale working prototypes and scaled models can be made to present design proposals.
Though students must provide their own materials for projects, the Materials Lab includes a complete wood shop, metal shop, paint booth and laser-cutting machine. The lab employs a range of equipment from traditional hand tools to modern CNC equipment. Students may work in a range of materials including plastic, concrete, and fabrics. Power- and hand-tools are available for checkout by students currently enrolled in Design courses.
| Location | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Dark Room | Basement of Brooks Hall | Note: Must be enrolled in the College of Design. Equipment for photo negative enlargers available from IT counter. Enrollment in photography class required for access. |
| Digital Printing & Sewing Studio | 230C Leazar Hall | 24 hour code access, must be registered in Art+ Design course. |
| Fibers & Dye | 230-230A Leazar Hall | Monday - Friday: 24 hour secured access (must have code to access the lab) Note: Must be registered/enrolled for an Art + Design course. Saturday & Sunday: 24 hour secured access (closed most holidays) | (must have code to access the lab) Note: Must be registered/enrolled for an Art + Design course. |
| Lasercutter | 220A Leazar Hall | 24 hour secured access. Must have |
| Letterpress Print | 119 Brooks Hall | Monday - Friday: 24 hour secured access (must have code to access the lab) Saturday & Sunday: 24 hour secured access (closed most holidays) | (must have code to access the lab) |
| Materials Lab | 220 Leazar Hall | Accessed during posted hours only. Must attend safety orientation and be enrolled in the College of Design. Friday: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday & Sunday: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. (closed most holidays) |
| Photo Studio | 115 Brooks Hall | key access only- reservations needed, See IT counter for info. |
| Sculpture Studio | 321B Leazer Hall | Code access, A+D Course required. |
| Weaving Studio | 230B and 230D Leazar Hall | Monday - Friday: 24 hour secured access (must have code to access the lab) Note: Must be registered/enrolled for an Art + Design course. Saturday & Sunday: 24 hour secured access (closed most holidays) | (must have code to access the lab) Note: Must be registered/enrolled for an Art + Design course. |
| Silk Screen Exposure and Washout | 100 Brooks Hall | 24 hour code access. must be enrolled in College of Design, orientation required. Large classes have priority. |
Download the equipment manual to read an overview of the tools in the Materials Lab. Anyone wishing to use these tools must attend an orientation session, as well as seek individualized instruction on any tool with which they are not familiar. The manual is not intended to replace such individualized instruction, but to familiarize the reader with the capabilities of the machines.
| Digital Printing & Sewing Studio |
|---|
| Epson 9800 ink jet printer 42" |
| 3 computer work stations |
| fabric storage |
| digital embroidery machine |
| Fibers & Dye |
|---|
| 4 burner stove sealed glass cook top |
| vented stove top hood |
| filtered dye mixing station |
| set of scales |
| large stainless steel sink |
| eyewash station |
| screen drying cabinet |
| refrigerator for silkscreen emulsion |
| assorted steamers |
| UV exposure and vacuum table |
| 5' x 20' fabric print table / storage cabinets |
| 2 dye storage cabinets (locked) |
| 6 color, 4 station carousel silkscreen press |
| silkscreen storage rack |
| washing machine and dryer |
| 2 knitting machines / Brothers 260 + 860 |
| 1 passap dual knitting machine |
| 1 serger sewing machine / Bernina |
| 2 sewing machines |
| 3 ironing boards, 6 irons |
| Maytag Mangle |
| Large T squares for print tables (registration boards) |
| Misc. PVC tubes and stainless steel tubes |
| 1 large gallery cabinet 80 compartment |
| inventory cabinets in kitchen |
[pagebreak]
| Letterpress Print |
|---|
| Vandercook Universal III proof press |
| 1 cabinet steel furniture |
| 1 cabinet wood reglets |
| 4 drawers assorted wood furniture |
| 1 case lead slugs and spacing material |
| Seay-Rouse slug cuter |
| 7 composing sticks |
| 20 drawers of wood type |
| 150 drawers of foundry type |
| glass light table |
| binder mate stitcher |
| ream cutter |
| 24" paper cutter |
| 5 sets of flat flies |
| 5 inking brayers |
| assorted Van Son inks |
| 2 drying racks |
| 2 large vacuum tables |
| 5 large work tables |
| assorted printers rules |
| 4 steel chases |
| 4 sets of steel quoins and keys |
| 2 Type high gauges |
| 1 large gallery cabinet 80 compartment |
| Type brushes, Planes, inking knives |
| 1 boxcar base 12x16 |
| glass inking table |
[pagebreak]
| Materials Lab - Wood Shop |
|---|
| 10" sliding table saw |
| 10" SawStop table saw |
| 14" band saws |
| 20" band saw |
| 6" belt sander |
| 20" disc sander |
| Oscillating spindle sander |
| 5' x 10' panel saw |
| Sliding compound miter saws |
| 12" wood lathe |
| 16" drill presses |
| 6" scroll saw |
| 4' x 8' CNC Router |
| Materials Lab - Metal Shop |
|---|
| 13" machine lathes |
| Vertical knee mills |
| Bridgeport CNC vertical knee mill |
| Southwest Industries CNC vertical bed mill |
| 17" drill press |
| 8" surface grinder |
| 52" foot sheer |
| 32" foot sheer |
| 24" slip roller |
| 36" slip roller |
| 48" magnetic finger brake |
| 30" mechanical finger brake |
| 30" bar brake |
| 72" sheet metal brake |
| Horizontal metal cutting band saw |
| Tinsmithing hammers and anvils |
| Hossfield metal bender |
| Hydraulic tubing bender |
| Pullmax metal former |
[pagebreak]
| Materials Lab - Welding Shop and Miscellaneous Items |
|---|
| MIG welder |
| TIG welder |
| Plasma cutters |
| Oxygen/Acetylene torch |
| Spot welder |
| 2.5 cu in oven |
| 2.5 cu in kiln |
| Spray booth |
| Sandblast cabinet |
| 1 - 36' x 36' Thermomat vacuum former |
| Weaving Studio |
|---|
| 6 20" AVL compu-dobby looms |
| 10 macomber ad-a-harness looms 40" |
| 2 macomber ad-a-harness looms 56" |
| 1 macomber ad-a-harness loom 48" |
| 1 AVL air assisted production compu-dobby |
| loom 42" |
| TC-I Jacquard digital loom 44" |
| 24' yarn storage in lab 7 shelves tall |
| Lockable storage cabinets for reeds and loom equipment |
| Warping reel |
| Warping boards |
| Felting equpiment |