College of Design Revamps 111 Lampe Drive for Industrial Design Studios and Classrooms | New

This semester, the College of Design expanded west to 111 Lampe Drive, where industrial design students now have access to refurbished classrooms, studios and showrooms.

Tsai Lu Liu, professor and head of the graphic design and industrial design department, said the expansion has occurred in order to provide industrial design students with more space for teaching and workshop after a request increased and size of students.

“The College of Design just got bigger and we just needed more space, so we were happy when it became available,” Liu said. “Industrial design seemed like a very natural fit, as it was once a factory for industrial designers. “

For years, the College of Design has focused on the northeast corner of campus, with buildings such as Brooks Hall housing the majority of design courses and studios. According to Liu, the department received approval to renovate the first floor of 111 Lampe Drive in 2016, after the administration contacted the College of Design if it was interested in occupying what was then known as Daniels. Lobby.

“In the old space, the designer sometimes had to be limited by the space they had,” Liu said. “A chair design, for example, we would really like it to be a full-size model so that we can test whether it is comfortable or not. It was tough in the old manufacturers space, but now we see it as a possibility. “

Since, the Design Center at 111 Lampe Drive went through a two-year rebuilding cycle, Liu indicating the total cost of renovations totaling around $ 800,000. Christine Klocke, director of the College of Design, said the project was split into two phases, the first phase, which has just been completed, focused on renovating the interior building so that students and faculty could move in.

“The first phase was to renovate the space, remove all the machinery and drywall,” Klocke said.

Traces of the ancient use of space as an industrial engineering studio can still be seen in the space, Liu said, with some of the old fans and safety equipment being kept intact for aesthetic purposes. However, Liu and Klocke said the focus was on creating open spaces with direct sunlight not only to contrast some of the former design studios on the Northeast Campus, but also to enhance the old design. soil plant.

These renovations included redesigning the lobby areas, Liu said, in order to promote socializing opportunities in the Design Center.

“When it was part of engineering, there was a big wall separating the students and the faculty,” Liu said. “But we decided to tear down the wall, so we have this hall open for students and faculty to come together, socialize and collaborate.”

The design center at 111 Lampe Drive also serves as an exhibition space, with the hallways and lounge center showcasing a rotation of design work done by the department’s current students and alumni. Klocke said the space is meant to foster design criticism between design students and faculty.

“What’s pretty common in the College of Design is what they call a ‘pin-up review,’ Klocke said. “They ask the students to pin the work, and the faculty and students take turns criticizing each other’s work, so it’s a very collaborative work environment.”

According to Liu, the College of Design plans to invite a roster of alumni to host seminars and workshops in space for industrial design students starting in September.

“We have this lecture series, mostly on Wednesday afternoon, where alumni or local designers come to talk, sometimes they fly from different parts of the country,” Liu said. “But we opened that up to local designers, let’s go to a presentation, and a student can get ideas and feedback from these professionals.”

For more information, visit the College of Design website.