Art and Design facilities
Located across our Parkside and School of Art campuses, our Art and Design courses are not short of incredible facilities.
In our Parkside building, students have access to cutting-edge facilities that rival those used in industry. At the School of Art, you’ll find light and airy studios, gallery and installation spaces, a fine art library and workshops for wood, metal, plaster, fibreglass, ceramics, digital media, print and photography.
School of Art
Mezzanine levels, glass lifts and cutting-edge specialist workspaces sit comfortably beside the original stained glass windows and mosaic floors of our glorious purpose-built School of Art. We’re right in the city centre on Margaret Street, perfectly placed next to the city’s museum and art gallery.
Wood and Metal Workshop
The Wood and Metal workshop gives students access to industry standard machinery, alongside dedicated support from experienced technical staff. Students will have the opportunity to explore techniques with a wide range of tools and specialist equipment for various applications, providing a mix of traditional hand skills for furniture and cabinetmaking as well as metal fabrication, accompanied by high tech computer aided equipment where we are able to CNC for both wood and metal parts. You will gain valuable hands on experience learning a range of processes to produce high quality models, prototypes and products that will build your personal portfolios and skill sets for life outside of university.
CAD Lab
The CAD Lab has 4 Trotec Speedy 400 laser cutters which can cut, etch and raster materials. There are 5 Ultimaker2+ 3D printers, 3 Raise duel head 3D Printers and 2 Formlabs Resin Printers for prototyping and final printing of 3D models.
Digital Print Room
Located within the Digital Print Room are a range of printers which are capable of printing on paper up to A0 width. We have different machines to suit the size and paper type of print job you require, and dedicated technicians on hand to offer guidance and training. Scanners can also be found in this room, including a large Roll Scanner and a Bulk Negative Scanner.
Ceramics Workshop
The Ceramics room is for clay based making and the glazing of ceramic work, we offer slip casting, throwing, coiling and slab building. The ceramics workshop features, a Spray booth for glaze application, Throwing Wheels, Slip casting facilities, including a slip blunger and casting bench, many samples and tools. We have a selection of different clay bodies as well as other materials such as glazes, coloured slips and underglazes available to students. We also have a separate electric kiln room, with two trolly and two front loading kilns for firing work, these are managed by technicians, who are always on hand to manage the area and share their experience and knowledge.
Plaster Workshop
In the plaster workshop you can create plaster moulds and models using casting techniques or using the lathes and whirler to turn plaster. We also have a plaster bandsaw and a multitude of tools and plaster additives to create models and manipulate the plaster. We also have a drying cabinet. There is a dedicated technician on hand to manage this area and share their experience and knowledge.
Traditional Print Workshop
This workshop offers a range of traditional printmaking techniques that include screen printing, drypoint, collograph, lino, mono printing, book binding and letter press. It has equipment and facilities that span 3 centuries of craft and traditional practice. The equipment ranges from hot foiling press to vintage hand operated printing presses and gateway print making processes, such as rubber stamping, kitchen lithography and styrene printing.
Illustration
The Illustration Studio is home to the BA Illustration course and is a large, open plan teaching studio space with two presentation bays, a risograph machine, a printing area, and a sink.
Supplies Shop
Visit the campus shop on level three of Parkside, where you can buy an array of art supplies, from paints to brushes and sketchbooks.
Creative Learning Environments
There are several open spaces throughout Parkside where you are able to work alone or collaboratively. The spaces also double up as a gallery facility, which host exhibitions such as the annual Inspired Festival.