Technology

Graphic representation is of critical importance for landscape research, planning, and design as the language for thinking and communicating throughout the design process. The ability to develop, document, and communicate ideas to others is essential for the success of our future practitioners. LAEP’s students are faced with developing both hand and digital graphic ability, the continuing proliferation of digital media tools, and often limited access to the tools of digital media.

LAEP continues to support students’ graphic development and their access to digital media tools. Part of our strategy is to increase students’ access to equipment with the necessary capability and software. Beyond USU’s computer labs, our studios now have dedicated rendering stations made available with the support of CREATE 2020, will soon have Virtual Reality capability, and will next be equipped with mobile rendering stations. The mobile stations possess expanded RAM, high-end graphics processors, and are equipped with Adobe, AutoDesk, Sketchup, ArcGIS, and Lumion software. Students may check out one of these stations for use at their desk, where they already have a department provided monitor and peripherals. This improved access to digital media tools continues LAEP’s commitment to our students’ proficiency in the development and communication of design ideas.

Additionally, with funding from course fees, each desk inour studios is now equipped with a 27” LED high resolutionmonitor for student convenience.

The Visualization, Instrumentation and Virtual Interaction Design (VIVID) Laboratory is the new research home of faculty and students in LAEP. The 500 sq. ft. laboratory was completed after a remodel of offices and storage rooms in the University Reserve Building (just outside Fine Arts).

In the spring of 2019, Drs. Brent Chamberlain, Ben George, and Keun Park, along with their graduate students, began moving a wide range of state-of-the art technology into the laboratory. Equipment included a suite of drones, the latest in gaming and rendering computers, high definition TVs (up to 86”) and several virtual reality devices. The space is used to conduct primary research on a range of topics from site design, transportation, environmental psychology, environmental planning and much more.

In the first six months of use, the space has provided apremier research experience for graduate students frommultiple disciplines. The new Advanced Geospatial and Visualization of the Environment (AGAVE) course brought together an interdisciplinary group of students who used the lab to conduct design and scientific research.

We look forward to the VIVID Lab becoming a hub of exciting LAEP research!

-- Tiffany Woods (Grad Student)