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HISTORY
The Design Studio
The architectural design studio is the central focus of
an architect's education. It is the unique place where the
integration of the various elements of architectural practice
come together. Generally considered the most important part
of an architecture student's education, it prepares the
student to find employment in the profession, and which
best prepares the student to make a positive contribution
to the built environment.
The undergraduate Architectural Design Studio at the New
Jersey Institute of Technology is a five year, ten semester
sequence totaling 50 credit hours. In the five-year program,
it accounts for 30% of the undergraduate credit hours and
54% (13 hours per week) of the students' class time. Student
time in the design studios commonly exceed 50 hours per
week.
Students are given problems to solve which create a need
to know that encourages experimentation, research, and learning.
The variables with which architecture students (and architects)
are concerned in the design studio include:
- STRUCTURAL REQUIREMENTS (responding to loads, gravity,
wind, seismic forces)
- MECHANICAL/ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL SYSTEMS (making the
building visually and thermally comfortable)
- PROGRAMMATIC REQUIREMENTS (providing adequate spaces
in the appropriate location to satisfy the requirements
of the activities that are to take place)
- AESTHETICS AND IMAGE (the determination of what the
building looks like, the bringing of delight to people,
the recognition and use of implicit and explicit values,
metaphors, and visual forms that respond to building function,
client, site condition, technology, etc.)
- HISTORICAL AND THEORETICAL (the response to the cultural
context for which a project is designed)
Institutional Context
Almost twenty years ago, the New Jersey Institute of Technology
embraced former Governor Thomas Kean's challenge to "take
its place among the nation's premier comprehensive technological
universities." In the early part of the pilot program,
and ahead of any other school, NJIT provided resources (space,
assistants, equipment) to promote the intense computer integration
into the architectural studio program. By providing incoming
freshman students with personal computers, the university
made a statement in the early 1980s that computing technology
was important to all students. The university encouraged
experimentation with the (new) media, technology and design
processes permitting the Imaging Laboratory to respond to
rapid changes in technology.
Initial Implementation
In 1985, with the encouragement of former NJIT Provost
Dr. Gary Thomas and former School of Architecture Dean Sanford
Greenfield, and with a grant from the Technical/Engineering
Grant Program of the New Jersey Department of Higher Education,
Professors Glenn Goldman and M. Stephen Zdepski began one
of the first (if not the first) fully electronic architectural
design studios in the United States.
The decision was made to utilize the DOS/Intel PC platform
because:
• color was available
• the open architecture of the computer systems allowed
for hardware customization and flexibility for system
customization and evolution of technology. (Using customized
hardware, students were able to render and paint with
a palette of more than a quarter million colors at double-scan
CGA resolution 640 x 400 pixels.)
• the cost per workstation was competitive
• after a study of available software and hardware
we believed that it was the platform most likely to be
most common in architectural offices in the future (a
belief that was proven correct in later years).
• it was compatible with student systems given to
all incoming freshmen by NJIT.
Participation in the two design studios was voluntary over
a five year period, with studios given in the 2nd, 3rd,
and 5th years of the undergraduate program (B. Arch.) and
the 2nd year of the graduate (M. Arch.) program.
The decision was made at the outset to reverse the conventional
thinking about CAD/graphics, which started with drafting
and tried to replicate traditional drawing techniques. At
the New Jersey School of Architecture, students started
designing immediately with three-dimensional vector modeling
software (MegaMODEL by MegaCADD) creating rendered
images in color with raster paint programs (Dr. Halo
by Media Cybernetics). Two-dimensional representations (MegaMODEL,
and AutoCAD by Autodesk) utilizing traditional architectural
conventions were generated after the three-dimensional design.
Consistent with studio pedagogy, software was introduced
on a need to know basis rather than with an isolated series
of lectures. Discrete assignments were given that required
students to learn the capabilities - and potentials - of
various software applications.
In 1991, under the leadership of Dean Urs Gauchat and based
on the successes of the more than twenty experimental studios
taught, the New Jersey School of Architecture faculty voted
to make the voluntary studios part of the core undergraduate
curriculum so that all undergraduate students would have
a minimum of one full year of design studio in which CAD/graphics
was the principal design medium.
For approximately eight years, students were introduced
to digital design processes in the third year of the undergraduate
program and the second year of the graduate program. With
increased availability of graphics-capable hardware and
software, the introduction of digital design processes moved
to the first year of the professional architecture programs
at NJIT. Since the start of the twenty-first century, incoming
undergraduate students have used their NJIT freshman computers,
connected to the NJSOA/Imaging Lab network, in the design
studio.
Along with the establishment of the new core curriculum
in 1991, and the requirement of the integration of electronic
media into the design studios, Dean Gauchat established
a training program for existing and new faculty to assist
them in becoming familiar with CAD/graphics software and
hardware. It became clear very early in the process that
along with providing access to hardware and software, an
important component of a successful program is to make sure
that faculty have the opportunity and resources to learn
the software as well as a willingness to experiment with
new media and the inclination to use them in an architectural
context. What one does with the computers was at least as
important as what software and hardware one had.
PRESENT CONTEXT - IMAGING LABORATORY IN 2004
Computers in the Studio and throughout the Building
The use of computers has become ubiquitous, and is an essential
component of an architect's - and an architecture student's
- work. We continue to strive to provide as much access
to information technology as practical.
The Imaging Laboratory is a decentralized facility dedicated
to the study of the impacts of computer graphics and information
technology including - but not limited to - digital modeling,
image processing, animation, and gaming (collaborative and
individual) on the processes and products of architectural
design. Imaging Laboratory personnel have responsibility
to care for, and oversee the use of, all PC-based computing
at the School of Architecture, including computers in dedicated
electronic studios, network administration and connections
for all personal computers in the studios, input and output
facilities, MS Windows XP-based animation/video laboratory,
etc. A laser cutter is installed in the model shop on the
seventh floor and additional CAD/CAM equipment will be brought
online in the building during the 2004-2005 academic year.
Imaging Laboratory personnel may, from time-to-time, have
access to all dedicated computer facilities. These individuals
include: Professors Glenn Goldman and Steve Zdepski (Imaging
Laboratory Directors), Michael Hoon (Information Technology
Coordinator), and Michael Kehoe (Network Administrator).
(Note: All four individuals have other duties in addition
to taking care of the computing facilities at the School
of Architecture. Professors Goldman and Zdepski are both
faculty whose responsibilities include teaching their assigned
courses. And Messrs. Kehoe and Hoon have university-wide
responsibilities in the administration of the overall computing
environment at NJIT.) While we seek to provide as many resources
as possible, and the building (and usually the NJSOA network)
has 24/7 access when school is in session, computer support
is NOT available on a 24/7 basis. Please note further that
support staff is not available for individual consultations
outside of academic-related concerns and that software instruction
for students is the responsibility of the individual course
instructor, not Telecom or Imaging Laboratory personnel.
In spite of increased demands and an expanding user base,
we endeavor to provide as much support as we can.
The Imaging Laboratory personnel provides support for the
computers used by staff and faculty as well as in the Barbara
& Leonard Littman Architecture Library and NJSOA print
room.
Access to NJSOA/Imaging Lab licensed software is available
in the building only on appropriately configured or imaged
machines. The university is currently in a transitional
period and there is a mix of NJIT-provided student machines
as well as student-purchased computers. Incoming freshmen
are required to purchase the "Architecture Model"
of the recommended NJIT computer. The general computer requirements
for incoming freshmen may be found here: http://csd.njit.edu/compreq/
Specific information pertaining to the architecture computers
may be found at: http://csd.njit.edu/compreq/faq_arch2004.php
MANY OF THE QUESTIONS INCOMING STUDENTS MAY HAVE ARE ANSWERED
ON THIS PAGE! It is important to reiterate that two options
for the freshman computer are HIGHLY recommended: (1) Purchase
as much RAM as you can afford because speed of use is often
RAM-dependent and (2) purchase a 19" or larger monitor
that can be configured to a resolution of at least 1280
x 1024 at a refresh rate (72 Hz or higher) that will not
result in visible flicker. Because many of the software
applications we use have menus that rely on high resolution
monitors, smaller monitors may result in the need for excessive
panning which could compromise efficiency and lead to frustration.
Please note further that the increased RAM will facilitate
the use of multiple programs during a design session, which
again may lead to time-efficiency if one does not have to
continually open and close applications.
As part of the transition to student-owned computers in
the design studio, the School of Architecture continues
to maintain a number of computer studios and/or labs (all
in a laboratory setting) for use in upper level studios
and the Master in Infrastructure Planning program. Graduate
students who bring properly configured computers to the
program may connect to the Imaging Lab network to gain access
to the relevant CAD/graphics programs. All students have
high-speed Internet access at their studio desks.
Teaching Laboratory
Room 650 has been established as a teaching laboratory
for the School of Architecture. The room is equipped with
a number of workstations, a scanner, pressure-sensitive
drawing tablets, and specialized software for which only
limited numbers of licenses have been procured. Access to
the laboratory is restricted to those students who are enrolled
in a class assigned to the laboratory. Students in those
classes may use the laboratory whenever it is not occupied
by a class. Use of the Teaching Lab by students when classes
are not in session is a privilege and students are required
to leave the room as soon as a teacher enters to start setting
up for an incoming class. Each class assigned to the Lab
has its own combination for the room which will be disabled
upon completion of the class at the end of the semester.
These combinations may not be given to friends for any reason
whatsoever! ONLY students registered for classes can log
on to computers in the room. It is a violation of NJIT and
NJSOA Imaging Laboratory policy to allow another person
to use someone else's computer account to gain access to
the network. It is a further violation and breach of security
to give the combination to unauthorized personnel. Violation
of either of these rules, or the bringing of any food or
drink into the teaching laboratory, may result in the suspension
of computer privileges in the School of Architecture. Among
the software applications installed in the Teaching Laboratory
are current or recent versions of Macromedia Dreamweaver,
Macromedia Fireworks, Adobe Illustrator,
Adobe Photoshop, Corel Draw, Corel Designer,
Corel Painter, and other packages that vary as
needed by the courses assigned to the laboratory.
Supplemental Equipment
The Imaging Laboratory has animation production equipment
for use located apart from the design studios and includes
nonlinear digital editing and direct digital video as well
as sound production capabilities. The animation lab is a
supervised laboratory available on a scheduled basis. Within
the School of Architecture Library there is equipment available
to the general student population for library searches as
well as 11" x 17 " flatbed scanning, 35mm slide
scanning, CD and DVD creation, and digital photography.
Additional scanning equipment is available in the print
room and there is a variety of software and hardware equipment
in the Imaging Lab Teaching Laboratory (Room 650) used for
different computer-based elective courses that include Architoons,
Color Theory/Electronic Color, Special Topics in Computer
Applications, Three-Dimensional Modeling, Digital Tectonics,
Digital Video, and others.
Available Software
Students are exposed to all major software types: painting
(Photofinish by Softkey International, PhotoPaint
by Corel), drafting - including two-dimensional diagramming
(Microsoft Visio, Autodesk's AutoCAD and Architectural
Desktop), modeling (Rhino by Robert McNeel &
Associates, Revit, 3D Studio MAX by Autodesk/Discreet,
Autodesk VIZ), rendering (3D Studio MAX, Autodesk
VIZ with Lightscape, AccuRender by Robert
McNeel & Associates), image processing (Micrografx Picture
Publisher, Adobe Photoshop LE), animation (3D
Studio MAX and Adobe Premiere) and, of course,
business/spreadsheet/presentation/web authoring with Microsoft
Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, FrontPage).
Limited copies of additional software applications (RealViz,
Adobe Photoshop, DPS Video Action, Sound
Forge, Macromedia Dreamweaver, Adobe Illustrator,
Pantone Office Assistant and Color Web Pro,
Corel Designer, Corel Draw, etc.)
are located within the specialized laboratories in the Imaging
Lab.
Expansion of Student Capabilities
Students are able to deal with numerous design issues,
in greater depth and breadth than before. Buildings may
be pre-visualized in context with proposed materials, color,
and texture. Image sampling has expanded the vocabulary
available in both the design and presentation processes.
Personal expression has been broadened by the power and
flexibility of the medium The ability of students to deal
with a wider range of issues and present them with a greater
degree of completion has been enhanced with the integration
of computers into the design studio. Furthermore, students
are far better prepared to enter a rapidly changing profession
that has come to rely on the use of CAD/graphics in many
phases of the building delivery process.
The relationship between representation and interpretation
is one of the most fundamental operative mechanisms in the
architectural design process. Changes in technology continually
present designers with new media and images. The new images
alter the way we can visualize, interpret, and create buildings.
Out traditional understanding of building and infrastructure
design (through the conventions of plan, elevations, sections,
perspectives, and physical models) has been enlarged to
include dynamic systems for the simulation of movement through
space, with multiple vantage points, in interactive color
and texture models, with the merging of photo-realistic
images of context, and with the introduction of time-dependent
phenomena.
Product Testing and Evaluation - Corporate and Institutional
Support
Relationships with, and support from, industry has enabled
NJIT students to have access to the most current software
available and to have influence on related software development.
Since 1985, the Imaging Laboratory and its experimental
predecessor have received in excess of 6 million dollars
in hardware and software grants from corporate sponsors,
governmental agencies, and the university. Consistent with
the current mission statement of the university, which encourages
"partnerships and joint ventures with the business
community and through the development of intellectual property,"
the Imaging Laboratory contributes to the development of
industry. The Laboratory and its Directors are actively
involved in beta testing and product evaluation of CAD/graphics
and design software. Companies for which testing or evaluation
relationships have been established have included Microsoft,
Aldus, Intergraph, Bentley Systems,
Autodesk, Alias Research, auto-des-sys,
Design Futures, Graphics Software, and Strata
Corporation.
Exhibitions, Awards and Honors
Work from the Imaging Laboratory was the basis for the
receipt by the Laboratory Directors of a Progressive
Architecture Award - Citation in Applied Research in
1991 as well as Honorable Mention in the 1989 and 2004 American
Institute of Architects Education Honors Awards Program.
Examples of student work from the Imaging Laboratory design
studios have been exhibited throughout the United States,
Europe, Japan, Russia, and South America. Student work has
been exhibited and/or presented at a variety of conferences
including: ACADIA (Association for Computer-Aided
Design in Architecture), NCGA (National Computer Graphics
Association), A/E/C Systems, ACM/SIGGRAPH (Association
of Computing Machinery/Special Interest Group in Graphics),
ACSA (Association for Collegiate Schools of Architecture),
and EDUCOM. Work has appeared in numerous publications
including: Arquitectura Digital, Architecture,
Architectural Record, Interiors, Progressive
Architecture, Computer Graphics, Computer
Graphics World, ACADIA Quarterly, Village
Voice, T.H.E. Journal, Design 4, Education
by Design, Cadalyst, and Architecture New
Jersey. Additional examples of NJIT student work have
appeared on various corporate websites and have been published
in the books Rendering Real and Imaginary Buildings:
The Art of Computer Modeling from the Palace of Kublai Khan
to LeCorbusier's Villas by B.J. Novitski and Artists'
Impressions in Architectural Design by Bob Giddings
and Margaret Horne.
Since NJIT started submitting entries to the prestigious
CADDIE Awards Competition (sponsored in part by Cadalyst
magazine) in 1996, the School of Architecture has enjoyed
unmatched success. The CADDIE Awards program honors excellence
in design visualization and most of the success has come
in the Full-Time Undergraduate Student Division/Still-Image
Category. NJIT students captured first place honors in 1996,
1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2004, second place in 1996,
2000, 2002 (two second-place winners), 2003, and 2004, third
place in 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2003, and honorable
mention in 2002. Additional first place awards have been
won in the animation category in 2000 and 2002. NJIT graduate
students entered the competition for the first time in 2004
and swept all three spots in their division. In nine years
of participation, NJIT architecture students have won 25
awards! And finally, for the first time in 2003 an NJIT
student entered the Autodesk Design Awards competition -
and won first place in the Building Category - Student Division.
revised June 3, 2004
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