Hasta La Ideas

There is still time to apply to the new MFA Products of Design program at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, which has just published renderings of the space currently under construction. It features dedicated student desks custom-made with “switchable surface tiles”–ranging from cutting mat and Masonite to Lego and paper pads–so people can build or study on whatever material they choose. Classrooms employ movable walls to double as student project rooms. And all of the architecture is based around a central lounge/kitchen/cafe, where food and food design play an important role in both the architecture and the pedagogy.

“We acknowledged from the start that people congregate around food, so we put a generous space for eating and hanging out right in the middle of the space,” comments Chair Allan Chochinov. “Then we designed dedicated student desk areas, classrooms, computer stations and other amities around that core. It’s a very social space, with lots of versatility in where to sketch, research, build prototypes and install work.”

The Visible Futures Lab making space adjacent to the department features laser cutters, 3D printers, MakerBots, ShopBot, electronics lab, woodworking, Arduino, soldering and sewing stations, so students should be well equipped to create to their hearts’ desire.

Check out the full blog post on the department site here, where you can see (and expand) more renderings and details.

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