RISD
COLOR LAB
RISD COLOR LAB DESIGN CHARETTE Rhode Island School of Design 30 North Main Street Providence, RI
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Documentation of the Spring 2019 student-run design charette for 30 North Main Street.
Color Lab Design Charette
Table of Contents
4...Title 6...Abstract 8...Initial Research 12...Context 16...Section 18...Flexible Plan 22...Practical Concerns 28...Final Model 33...Participants
2019 | Rhode Island School of Design | Spring
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Abstract
The purpose of this booklet is the deocumentation of a collaborative study project and the initial design proposal for the Rhode Island School of Design Color Lab. An educational space dedicated to applied and fundamental research on color study, and an active liaison between academia and industry. The designs of the Color Lab seek to support these goals and uphold a safe, sustainable, and community-oriented environment.
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Color Lab Design Charette
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2019 | Rhode Island School of Design | Spring
Initial Research
Material Library
Nature Lab
8 CoWorks
Color Lab
The next node in a ribbon of interdisciplinary research institutions on RISD’s campus.
Color Lab Design Charette
Initial Research
A survey was sent out to gauge student’s interest in the benefits of having a Color Lab on campus. We received responses from students across all departments at RISD-- all of which expressed enthusiasm at the idea of having full access to equipment that are not offered in their respective majors. When asked how often students would use the Color Lab, over 76% of the students that participated in the survey said that they would definitely use the space for classwork. Over 26% said they would use the Color Lab for recreational purposes. What we gathered was that there is a significant amount of overlap amongst various departments specifically when it came to the usage of color in projects. Over 30% of the responses from the survey came from the graduating class of 2019 indicating that based on their experience over the course of the 4-5 years, they would have greatly benefited from having a space in which they could freely access other studios that offered different education on color. Similarly, over 23% of students graduating in 2020 and over 29% of students from the class of 2021 (students who have been at RISD for over a year) agreed to the same sentiment.
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Graph.1
2019 | Rhode Island School of Design | Spring
Initial Research
Number of Students
What Classes are Responding?
Year
Number of Students
Are Students Interested in a Color Lab?
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Response
Number of Students
Would Students the Lab Facilities?
Frequency
Graph.2-4 Color Lab Design Charette
Initial Research
Many students said that their interests within their projects often overlapped with programs that other departments provided. Due to having restrictive access to studios in which they were not affiliated with, they often had to compromise their designs or could not complete their projects. For example, students studying in the Furniture Department noted that they often dye fabrics and chords to use for upholstered seating. Therefore, they often find themselves in need of a studio space equivalent to the Textile’s Dye Lab to complete their work. However, the Furniture Department does not provide facilities equipped to dye upholstery materials in a well ventilated space. Access to the Textile’s Dye Lab is extremely limited. In fact, it is only a space offered to Textiles students. After speaking with a Furniture student regarding how they completed work without a proper dye lab, they noted that they had to “D.I.Y.” their projects at home.
Graph.5
Number of Votes
What Skillsets Should be Taught at the Color Lab?
Skillsets
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Context
Our plans for the Color Lab draw upon a history of precedents related to color research and applications. These institutions exist around the globe and provide potential networking opportunities for the Lab as it continues to grow. Many of these groups have already established networks, circulating knowledge and innovations on an international scale.
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Boulder, US
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Imatest
Boston, US
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Forbes Pigment Collection
Rochester, US
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RIT Munsell Color Science Laboratory
Leeds, UK
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University of Leeds Department of Colour Science
New Haven, US
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Yale Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage’s Reference Pigment Collection
Kingston, US
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R and F Pigments
Tokyo, JP
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Pigment Tokyo Lab
Los Angelos, US
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Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) Reference Collection
List of Color Research Precedents
Color Lab Design Charette
Context
M.L.K. Jr. Elementary School:
Harry Kizirian Elementary School:
Montessori Children’s House:
Moses Brown School:
Hope High School:
Nathanael Greene Middle School:
School One:
COLOR LAB:
The Water Fire Arts Center:
The Wheeler School:
The Steel Yard:
Year Up:
Hasbro: Education In Action:
AS220:
Carl G. Lauro Elementary School:
Trinity Repertory Company: Providence Public Library:
Urban Collaborative Accelerated Program:
The French American School of R.I.
P.P.A.C.
New Urban Arts:
Columbus Theatre:
West Broadway Middle School:
U.R.I.
DownCity Design:
Vartan Gregorian Elementary School:
Youth Pride Inc.
Paul Cuffee Middle School:
Classical H.S. Central H.S.
Asa Messer Elementary School:
Providence Children’s Museum:
Social Enterprise Greenhouse:
P.C.T.A.
Southside Cultural Center: Academy for Career Exploration:
Trinity Academy for the Performing Arts:
Community Preparatory School:
Davey Lopes Recreation Center:
C.C.R.I. Liston Campus:
Asa Messer Annex:
Gilbert Stuart Middle School: West End Community Center:
Alfred Lima Sr. Elementary School:
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS: The Metropolitan Regional Career & Technical Center:
AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITES:
MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL ORGANIZATIONS:
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MATERIALS LIBRARY
Context
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Campus Section
Color Lab Design Charette
COLOR LAB
NATURE LAB
OPTICS LAB
Context
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Section
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Color Lab Section
Color Lab Design Charette
Section
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Flexible Plan
Proposed floorplan for Color Lab
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Color Lab Design Charette
Flexible Plan
Projected Interaction / Isolation Map
Admin Office Gallery/Assembly Ventilated Lab Classroom Infinity Wall Storage
2019 | Rhode Island School of Design | Spring
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Flexible Plan
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Potential pedagogic uses of the space throughout the course of a day.
Color Lab Design Charette
Flexible Plan
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2019 | Rhode Island School of Design | Spring
Practical Concerns
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It is a given that providing proper ventilation is essential to maintaining air quality while hosting various educational color programs across RISD. However, some studios that require ventilation currently have none. After talking to Suzi Cozzens (Graphic Design Color Theory Professor) and Cornelia McSheehy (Printmaking Department Head), who both monitor the shared Papermaking studio, it is evident that there are no funds readily available from either department to install such ventilation. We discovered later that, after consulting with Polly Spenner (Textile’s Dye Lab Technician), that the equipment and ventilation systems provided in the Textile’s Dye Lab were the same ones required to run the Papermaking Studio safely. Since it is evident that there are major overlaps between different educational color programs from different departments, the most economical and spatially efficient decision is to conglomerate the equipment and ventilation systems into the same location. Moreover, the amount of incoming students in the fall of 2019 is unprecedented in RISD’s history and will require more classroom space to accommodate their educational needs. For this reason, being strategic about merging studios that could share the samefacilities would ultimately open up more classroom spaces. The Color Lab would serve this purpose.
Color Lab Design Charette
Practical Concerns
Details of Textiles Dye Lab
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Details of Papermaking Lab at RISD
2019 | Rhode Island School of Design | Spring
Practical Concerns
After talking to students from different departments, we also discovered that because they had limited to no access to certain studios, they were “D.I.Y.-ing� toxic color related activities in their own homes. Over 76% of those who participated in a student survey said that they would definitely use the Color Lab to some capacity. Conglomerating ventilation and toxic waste disposal equipment into one space, such as the Color Lab, would be the most cost and space efficient decision.
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C
A
B
A
A. display shelving storage D
B. closet cabinet storage C. computer desk & work surface D. dye-lab work surface
Section of glass-enclosed workspace
Color Lab Design Charette
Practical Concerns
Section of pigment mixing space and digital work area
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It was agreed that, if students had a space that was equipped with all the materials and ventilation needed to accommodate all projects with color, they would have the ability to experiment, learn and expand their work to the A. display shelving storage greatest capacity without concern for their health. It is an institution’s job, especially one as renowned as RISD, to find students’ health and B. closed cabinet storage education at their best interest. When an institution provides the tools to C. computer desk & work surface the students will then feel inclined to give education for student’s success, back to the D. institution. dye-lab work surface
2019 | Rhode Island School of Design | Spring
Practical Concerns
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Detailing for flexible partitions
Color Lab Design Charette
Practical Concerns
Concept for Temporary Installation
An early concept for the Color Lab was an installation at the 30 Prov Wash site for the interim period between the demolition of its previous architecture and the construction of the Color Lab. This installation was intended to exist for a short period of time, opperating as promotional for the Color Lab and a backdrop for student show, music event, and lecture by James Goggin on color.
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Final Model
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Documentation of physical model
Color Lab Design Charette
Final Model
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Color Lab Design Charette
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2019 | Rhode Island School of Design | Spring
Final Model
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Section of final Color Lab designs
Color Lab Design Charette
Participants
Irene Wei - iwei@risd.edu Montana Gray - mgray@risd.edu Mindy Kang - mkang04@risd.edu Diana Lin - dlin@risd.edu Makoto Kumasaka - mkumasak@risd.edu Cameron Kucera - ckucera@risd.edu Gab Schmid - gschmid@risd.edu Vuthy Lay - vlay@risd.edu
Advised by Elizabeth Debs and Emanuel Admassu.
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