Student Computing Information
Students in the School of Architecture and School of Design have a wide array of computing resources available to support their work.
Input/output labs are located in close proximity to the various studios in each of the School’s buildings. These labs are provided with black-and-white and color laser printers, wide-format color inkjet plotters, and 11×17 color scanners. In addition, a staffed input/output lab is located in 013 Burchard Hall, with a range of wide-format color inkjet plotters, 11×17 color laser printers, large-format (36” wide) color scanners, a wide-format automatic paper trimmer/cutter, a Dimension 3D rapid prototyping printer, and a laser cutter (LaserCAMM) for group projects (located in 014 Burchard). In Burchard 013, students can also check out equipment: digital SLR cameras, photo light kits, and digital projectors.
The Burchard Shop (rms. 121-127) provides a number of digital fabrication tools, including a large-format laser cutter (LaserCAMM) for individual student use.
A large-format CNC router, a large-format CNC plasma cutter, and other digital fabrication and robotics tools are available at the College’s Research + Demonstration Facility. To access the school’s computing resources, students are provided with an individual user account with which they can log on to computers in all of the School’s input/output labs. All buildings serving the School of Architecture and School of Design are equipped with wireless internet service (wi-fi).
A portion of the Architecture and Design student program fee goes to support the School’s computing infrastructure for students, including facilities upgrades, as well as staff, GTAs, and wage employees. In addition, a significant portion of the School’s SCHEV Equipment Trust Fund allocation each year goes to purchasing input and output devices for the various student computer labs. Students receive an initial printing allocation of $20 each semester, posted to their individual user accounts; once this initial allocation has been used, students pay a nominal charge for output, to recover the cost of consumables — ink, toner, paper, 3D printing media, etc. — and equipment maintenance; these charges are only approx. 15-35% of the cost of comparable output at local private printing businesses.
Contact the Architecture and Design Student Computing Support Staff…
Computer hardware and software requirements: https://www.compreq.vt.edu/.