Inside DAAP Labs: Where classroom lessons meet real-world practice 

DAAP labs give students the opportunity to take what they learn in the classroom and put it to use through hands-on projects. From building models to creating prints and working with ceramics, the labs give students access to the equipment, resources and guidance they need to bring their ideas to life. 

Each lab offers something different, serving students across the University of Cincinnati's College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP). The DAAP Build, Photo and Print, Ceramics, Printmaking and Rapid Prototyping Labs provide students with opportunities to explore new techniques, work with different materials and develop skills they can carry into their future careers. 

Baylee Schmitt, the Printmaking Lab Associate, helps make those opportunities possible by managing the printmaking space and supporting students and instructors. Along with overseeing the lab, she helps students learn new processes and find ways to incorporate printmaking into their projects. 

While some labs are more closely connected to specific programs, the resources are available to students across DAAP, giving them opportunities to explore areas outside their primary disciplines. 

“I develop programming and workshops in order to provide access for the entire college,” Schmitt said. “For printmaking in particular, we host fine arts courses, but we make all of our equipment, tools and processes available to people across the college.” 

The labs support a wide range of projects. Students can use the Build Lab's wood- and metalworking equipment to create physical models, while the Rapid Prototyping Lab offers laser cutting, 3D printing and resin printing. The photography, ceramics and printmaking labs provide additional ways for students to experiment with materials and turn their ideas into finished projects. 

Students can also explore these resources through workshops offered throughout the year. Printmaking hosts make-and-take activities, including block-printed Valentine's cards and screen-printed tote bags, giving participants a chance to try a new process and leave with something they made themselves. Printmaking and ceramics also offer certification workshops that teach students how to use equipment independently. 

Through DAAP co-lab workshops, students can combine resources from multiple labs. These experiences introduce students to new ways of working with materials, including using printmaking techniques to add designs to ceramic pieces. The workshops also encourage collaboration and show how different creative processes can work together. 

“We try our best to do these DAAP co-labs, which are experiences that use materials, equipment or processes that can be found in two different labs,” Schmitt said. “We'll do something like those block-printed Valentines. Some of those are laser-cut in the Rapid Prototyping lab or done in ceramics to make some surface decoration; we will screen print underglaze to then be used on ceramics.” 

For students looking to get involved, access can begin through coursework or lab certifications. Some classes require students to complete training before using specific equipment, while other certifications can be completed independently. Once certified, students can use the equipment for class assignments and personal projects. Student organizations can also use the labs to create items such as club T-shirts and fundraising materials.

The opportunities extend beyond DAAP, too. Public workshops invite members of the Cincinnati community to learn new skills and connect with local artists. From wheel throwing to block printing and screen printing, these experiences open the labs to people who want to explore their creativity outside a traditional classroom. 

DAAP has also continued to update its lab spaces, improve equipment and make resources easier to access. Staff members have reorganized work areas and updated facilities, including the DAAP Foundry, to expand the opportunities available to students. 

“Lab Associate Alex Harrison has done a lot to update the labs with things like custom storage,” Schmitt said. “He's a carpenter, so he's able to build a lot of really cool things that just make using the space easier and he's received a lot of really good feedback from students. They've said it's been easier to access things that might have been a little bit harder to find before, like a certain tool or material.” 

With a demanding curriculum and professional expectations that continue to evolve, the labs give students a place to put their knowledge into practice. Access to specialized equipment and staff expertise allows students to experiment, develop their skills and receive support as they work through projects. 

By connecting classroom learning with hands-on experience, DAAP's labs help prepare students for what comes next while giving them the space to create, collaborate and explore new possibilities. 

“The amount of time, money and resources that DAAP puts into the labs to support these students is entirely focused on building a base for success for them after they leave this program, because we do have a lot of resources available to them,” Schmitt said. “We're very well-staffed, which means that any time their instructors may not be available, students can turn to someone who is there all the time and has the expertise to lend to their projects. It's all in the name of student success.”

Featured image at top of students and faculty showing off the projects they made in the lab. Photos/provided.