The IDC Foundation, a legacy of the Institute of Design and Construction, has awarded the School of Architecture and Design at New York Institute of Technology two additional grants – a $250,000 innovation grant and $100,000 for student scholarships. This additional $350,000 in IDC Foundation grant funding brings its total support of New York Tech to nearly $3 million since 2018.
The driving force behind the newest grant award is to help New York Tech achieve technology equivalency among fabrication lab facilities and resources on both of its New York campuses as well as to support training for architecture and design students at all levels, from introductory training to developing the most sophisticated, advanced skills.
The $250,000 innovation grant will span two years and will contribute to the following:
Expanding the existing School of Architecture and Design fabrication lab on New York Tech’s New York City campus by adding a Robotic and Advanced 3-D Printing Smart Lab. This expansion will increase the footprint of the lab by more than a third and includes renovations to the existing 3-D printing/laser cutting area.
The goal is to ensure the New York City campus lab has similar state-of-the-art equipment and resources as the IDC Foundation Digital Fabrication and Robotic Matter Design Labs that opened on New York Tech’s Long Island campus last year.
Initiating the first phase of a Bio-Technology Research Lab (BTR-Lab) on New York Tech’s Long Island campus to investigate opportunities and promote innovative research, including the creation of a “healthy materials” lab for research on architecture and design solutions that support sustainable environments.
Skills training for students on new software and equipment and topical workshops that focus on design processes to help both develop and accelerate students’ abilities in digital design, fabrication, computational design and more, as well as prepare students for current industry demands.
The $100,000 grant for student scholarships will help to attract and retain the most talented, promising students. The funding will also provide graduate research scholarships as well as spur graduate program development for the School of Architecture and Design.
“We are extremely grateful to the IDC Foundation for the continuing trust and generous support of New York Tech,” said School of Architecture and Design Dean Maria Perbellini. “The School’s student population is growing and we are raising the bar by setting evolving ambitions. Specifically, students need to become familiar with 3-D printing and robotic technology early in their design processes, so the availability of digital tools at the New York City campus that are comparable to the technology in the Long Island campus Fab Lab will be helpful for students’ initial training and then as they prepare to access the emerging and more sophisticated fabrication equipment in the Long Island campus lab.”
Perbellini also noted that the equivalency of the state-of-the-art equipment and resources in both New York campus fabrication labs will support accreditation standards. “Larger, highly advanced labs will provide the opportunity to attract more talented students for innovative, experimental, and pioneering design courses. Our partnership with the IDC Foundation is the perfect place not only to grow but thrive. Thank you so much, IDC,” she added.
