The launch of Parsons’ Making Center at The New School marks a new age of interdisciplinary design for the institution’s progressive education program—open to all students within the New School regardless of their field of study, the space hopes to be a meeting point for rich academic collaborations and innovations while further proving the utility of design within a wide range of academic concentrations.
Core77 was invited for an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour led by Making Center Director Will McHale and Director of Parsons Product Design Rama Chorpash earlier last week and after walking through the space, we have to say that it made us want to go back to school just to have access to such an impressive range of tools. Designed by New York based Rice + Lipka Architects, the sprawling open floor plan houses a number of spaces for producing prototypes in the fields of ceramics, textiles, woodworking, metalsmithing and much more. The Making Center also makes room for missions related to craft and experimentation—within these facilities, a progressive Shima Seiki knitting machine or 3-axis 3D printer is as accessible as a traditional sewing machine. In the basement, individual rooms are dedicated to students experimenting in the realms of film, virtual reality and yes, even drones.
As written in the New School’s press release, the Making Center hopes to “play an integral role in the resurgent making and manufacturing culture of New York City."
http://www.core77.com/gallery/57016/Exclusive-Preview-of-Parsons-New-Making-Center-A-Collaborative-Space-for-Exploration-at-the-New-School