Technology Upgrades Make for State-of-the-Smart Tools for DAAP Students

Better tools. Better results for students. That’s the recipe behind new technology tools in the Computer Graphics Center (CGC) and photo labs in the University of Cincinnati’s top-ranked College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP).

With the start of spring term 2013, improvements within the CGC include

• A greater number of high-end, wired work stations (46 vs. 36 previously), each with much larger monitors.

• These work stations (and other technology) at DAAP have much greater speed and memory to handle complex software.

• A screen wall for use during crits or classes. Each of the four panels in the screen wall can be unified to show one large image or can show four different images, e.g., a comparison or time-based series, or plan, section, elevation series.

• Workstations or students’ laptops will have universal access to six printers located throughout the building. Students can send a print job to the DAAPprint queue and retrieve it as the closest printer.

• A laptop bar where up to 15 students at a time can recharge laptops, phones and tablets as well as access to high-speed internet.

• Use of 10 large, mobile, digital presentation screens. Students and faculty can plug their laptops into these screens – which measure as wide as 70 inches across – for presentation of work. Each screen comes with large keyboards as well as touch screen applications that resemble nothing so much as the iPad’s touch screen functionality. Technology associated with these screens also makes possible the sharing of work via distance with partners in industry and academia.

Improvements within DAAP’s photo and “flat” lab includes

• Printers capable of more diverse output at the 81/2 x 11 size and the 11x17 size, including thicker card and paper stock, as well as choices of matte, glossy and satin finishes, for high-end results for resumes and reports.

• Two color-managed photo printers for 8x10 or 5x7 photography print jobs.

• Three large-scale plotters than can produce prints up to 41 inches wide and 100 feet long.

• Plans to construct a large, camera-based flatbed scanner for digitization of large drawings and artwork.

Costs for these improvements total about $200,000, met in part by donors like UC alumnus Mike Ullman, savings realized by the college due to cost cutting, as well as DAAP student fees.

According to DAAP Associate Dean Anton Harfmann, “We’ve poured savings we’re realized into better and consolidated equipment for the students. We want to respond to their needs in terms of design work and required course work.”