Atkins Family Design Lab

Completed: October 2018

Upper Canada College’s Atkins Family Design Lab has been a hub of discovery and inspiration since its opening. It features stations for both individual and team-centred work, presentation zones, and adaptable spaces to accommodate a range of materials and supplies.

 

“There is everything from simple workshop tools, including screwdrivers and a drill press, to a variety of 3D printers and a laser cutter,” says Design Chair Paul Miskew. 

 

“The laser cutter is an amazing tool for rapid prototyping and forces boys to think about how two-dimensional cuts can be combined to make a 3D model.”

 

The design lab has a station for soldering and electronic fabrication, while small-scale electronics will give students the opportunity to wire up their visions and link them to the digital world, says Miskew.

 

The Design Lab has a large assortment of VEX robotics gear, including a variety of metal struts, various gears and electronic sensors that will enable students to build robots.

 

Not everything is high-tech, however, as boys will also have access to Lego pieces to help build their designs.

  

UCC has embraced design as an approach to learning and it needed a space where boys could engage in this process and collaborate with their peers.