Design facilities

The prototyping lab featuring a cardboard chair design and some materials.

The Richmond Institute for Design + Innovation (RID+I) is housed in LEED-certified Kohrman Hall with an excess of 37,000 square feet of dedicated studio spaces for interior architecture and design and product design programs and ancillary support and production spaces. 

On the first floor of RID+I is the Welcome Center to support all your advising needs and is adjacent to a lounge area dedicated to students to socialize and interact while surrounded by exhibits of students and professional work.

The Demmer DREAM Lab is located on the first floor of RID+I. The Institute’s main prototyping facility features CNC, Vacuformer, FormLabs 3D printers, laser cutting capabilities, and more. This spacious lab supervised by a dedicated technician also includes a professionally equipped wood shop, including SawStop, lathes, downdraft sanding tables, band saws, vacuum formers, 3-D printers, and a large walk-in ventilated spray room. There is also a Light Prototyping Lab with ample hand tools, hot wires and other appropriate tools in the studios on the 3rd floor of RID+I available to all students in the programs. 

Located on the third floor Richmond Institute for Design + Innovation Materials and Product Library provides a wide array of material, finish, and product samples to help you advance and enhance your design studies. Knowing the materials and products you will work with is essential. 

Your choice of art electives with allow you access to the Frostic School of Art with 44,000 square feet of studios and resource spaces. In addition, you have access to view quality fine art exhibits in four galleries:

  • Albertine Monroe-Brown Gallery, for rotating exhibitions

  • Rose Netzorg and James Wilfrid Kerr Gallery, for special exhibits and the University Art Collection

  • Eleanor R. and Robert A. DeVries Student Art Gallery, for students and alumni

  • Atrium Gallery for video and sound 

On the third floor of the Richmond Center for Visual Arts you have access to the College of Fine Arts Resource Center and Print Center.

The third of the Institute houses The Vicki Matranga Housewares Collection. A one-of-a-kind collection of housewares curated as a teaching resource for contemporary design students as they learn about design innovators from the past.

The Institute provides all the current high-end technology in all the studios. The labs and studios provide all the industry standard software and technology to support your learning and prepare you to enter the professional world. Make sure you visit the technology requirements for laptop, software and accessory requirements.