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Exclusive Preview of Parsons' New Making Center - A Collaborative Space for Exploration at the New School

By Allison Fonder - October 17, 2016

The "wet room" within the basement of the Parsons Building for working with any liquid-based mediums. Core77 1 of 38

The "wet room" within the basement of the Parsons Building for working with any liquid-based mediums. Core77 2 of 38

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Kiln Room A number of different kilns for ceramic projects within the New School's basement Core77 4 of 38

The basement photo supply houses hundreds of cameras that can easily be accessed by New School students by request. Core77 5 of 38

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Vandercook Press in the Printing Facilities The Making Center's printmaking hub houses an impressive amount of accessible printing equipment, like this Vandercook letterpress. Core77 8 of 38

A silkscreen washing station within the printmaking center. Core77 9 of 38

The Making Center's printmaking hub The print making center contains equipment that can be used for lithography, silkscreening, letterpress and more. Core77 10 of 38

The Making Center's printmaking hub The print making center contains equipment that can be used for lithography, silkscreening, letterpress and more. Core77 11 of 38

The Making Center's printmaking hub The print making center contains equipment that can be used for lithography, silkscreening, letterpress and more. Core77 12 of 38

A CMYK color mixing setup within the printmaking center. Core77 13 of 38

One lower wing of the Making Center includes a number of different CNC machines, ranging from a basic desktop CNC to an advanced 3-axis model. Core77 14 of 38

One lower wing of the Making Center includes a number of different CNC machines, ranging from a basic desktop CNC to an advanced 3-axis model. Core77 15 of 38

One lower wing of the Making Center includes a number of different CNC machines, ranging from a basic desktop CNC to an advanced 3-axis model. Core77 16 of 38

The Making Center's material supply store will be an easy access point for students within the facilities, with longer open hours than previous iterations of the space. Core77 17 of 38

One of the Making Center's work areas, which can be used by any student Core77 18 of 38

Administrators hope this space will encourage students from different fields of study to co-mingle and collaborate on projects. Core77 19 of 38

A high tech loom being installed within the center that allows students to create highly detailed textile work. Core77 20 of 38

A high tech loom being installed within the center that allows students to create highly detailed textile work. Core77 21 of 38

One laser cutter in the space allows students to easily create 3D models for quick prototyping. 22 of 38

A line of Ultimakers in the digital fabrication wing Core77 23 of 38

A enclosed room within the fab lab houses a number of unbelievable 3d printers, including a multimaterial 3d printer that combines hard and flexible materials into one seamless product. Core77 24 of 38

Form experiments from 3d printers within the facilities that can generate soft-touch, flexible models. Core77 25 of 38

Form experiments from 3d printers within the facilities that can generate soft-touch, flexible models. Core77 26 of 38

The space has been designed with adaptation and flexibility in mind, with furnishing and machines all equipped with wheels that allow for easier portability. Core77 27 of 38

Keeping sustainability in mind, much of the furniture is sourced locally from upstate New York as opposed to large corporate wholesalers. Core77 28 of 38

Directors of the facilities found it of utmost importance to create an incredibly safety-conscious space—this model making area is equipping with a downdraft vacuum table to avoid dangerous inhalation. Core77 29 of 38

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The general wood shop in the center includes a optimal view over 5th Avenue in Manhattan. Core77 31 of 38

The general wood shop in the center includes a optimal view over 5th Avenue in Manhattan. Core77 32 of 38

In the satellite space for the Making Center, one room is equipped with plenty of vintage knitting machines that allow students to create and explore under the scope of textile and knitting's DIY/consumer culture. Core77 33 of 38

A highly valuable and advanced embroidery machine at work in the satellite space. Core77 34 of 38

The satellite space a Sonobond SeamMaster that allows people to create seamless hems and welds on synthetic fabrics, which can potentially be incredibly valuable in projects involving high-tech athletic wear, inflatables, etc. Core77 35 of 38

This felting machine allows students to create complex felting projects without the strenuous energy normally needed to practice the craft. Core77 36 of 38

This felting machine allows students to create complex felting projects without the strenuous energy normally needed to practice the craft. Core77 37 of 38

This machine within the satellite space enables students to create waterproof clothing or objects by incorporating a hot glue seam rather than a traditional sewing seam. Core77 38 of 38

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. "We will push the new space to help us think about the acts of teaching, learning, making, interaction, and collaboration in new, progressive ways," McHale says. "It will be a petri dish of sorts, producing tangible evidence of ideas and thinking, as well as brilliant accidents and unknown trajectories that are the root of real innovation."

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."