Design Studios: Academic Year 2023-2024

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Please be considerate, safe and respectful of other users when using the Design Studios by observing the following rules:

The studio walls / tables will be reset to the default layout each weekday morning.  Classes have priority for use of walls and furniture – only take tables and chairs after classes have started and only if they are not being used by those classes.

Exercise caution when moving the large walls/dividers/tables; check for obstructions, open floor boxes, etc. in the path of moving furniture.

No spray mounting / spray painting / soldering anywhere in the studio – this can be done in the workshop; there are dedicated spray booths there.

Do not stand on tables or chairs to reach higher places – use only the kicker stools or step ladders provided.  Studio furniture must not be taken away from the first floor.

Do not disturb other tutorials / classes / crits by walking through them or being unduly loud near them.

Portfolios and models should be left tidily in the racks / shelves / cages provided – with your name attached.  Items left lying around will be moved to the portfolio racks or CritPit portfolio shelves.  Long-term unclaimed items will be disposed of.

No small electrical items such as KETTLES, TOASTERS, MICROWAVE OVENS, HEATERS – these will be confiscated.

Hot food should NOT to be consumed at the computers or within the computing areas. Smelly food is also NOT acceptable in the studio when it affects those around you.

Please report building issues such as leaks, power problems, suspicious behaviour and other hazards to a member of staff or FM helpdesk

Student Studio Assistants – identified by “SUPPORT STAFF” shirts – are on duty to offer assistance with computing / printing / studio activities during core hours.

Stockwell Street Reception security personnel are First Aid trained; in the event that such attention is needed contact / inform front desk reception.

Take responsibility for YOUR studio by clearing up after yourselves; the cleaners can’t clean the floor if they can’t see it.  There are bins and brooms around the studio – please use them.

Key Contacts

Stockwell Street Reception / Security : 020 83318429 / 020 83318451

FM Helpdesk : FMHelpdesk@gre.ac.uk
Technical Support : DesignStudios@gre.ac.uk

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Post Graduate Show Collection of Work

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From the Monday 3rd July the show will be over and you may collect your work. 

Here is the timetable for dismantling:

3rd July : 2 WEEKS : Students take down / collect exhibition work

17th July : 1 WEEK : Tech Team takes down and stores any remaining work in a collection point beside the crit-pit [these will remain until September]. There will be a separate collection point specifically for portfolios.

24th July : 1 WEEK : Contractors take down / make good studio walls

11 September (Term Start) | Deadline for collection of work / models. Any models still remaining in the studio collection point on this date will be disposed / recycled.

2nd October | Deadline for collection of portfolios. Any portfolios still remaining in studio on this date will be disposed / recycled.

This includes items left in the computer areas and the surrounding cupboards and the open areas up on the second floor.

If you anticipate any problems with collecting your work then please get in contact with Francis ahead of any of these deadlines.

Building 11 Design Studios Summer Opening times:

Monday to Friday: 8.00AM – 9.00PM

Weekends: 9:00AM – 7.00PM

August Bank Holiday: Closed

Workshop Closed Days:

July: 28
Aug: 4, 8, 9, 11, 17 closed from 1pm, 18, 21 open at 2pm, 24, 25, 28 bank holiday, 31
Sep: 1 closed from 1pm

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2023 Key Dates : Submissions and Shows

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Earlier Building 11 Opening hours from March 27th – May 19th : 6.00AM to 12 Midnight
Monday 8th May (before final year Architecture / Landscape final submissions) will be overnight opening
There will be NO ACCESS TO STUDIOS on day of opening – all setup must be completed by midnight of the 14th June


4th April | BA Architecture Year ONE Submission
4th April | MArch DR Submission

5th April | BA Graphics Year TWO Submission

6th April | BA Graphics and Animation Year ONE Submission

25th April | BA Architecture Year TWO Submission

1st May | Bank Holiday

4th May | Contractors make good studios 1-6 for 2nd Year Graphics Show

8th May | Bank Holiday

9th May | BA Architecture Year THREE Submission
9th May | BA / MA / MLA Landscape Submission

9th-11th May | 2nd Year Graphics Show Setup 1001 – 1006

12th - 17th  May | 2nd Year Graphics Show

10th May | MA Architecture Submission

22nd May – 2nd June | Contractors Fit out for Graduate Show

29th May | Bank Holiday

30 May – 2 June | BA Design, Animation, Media students install

5 – 9 June | BA Graphics, Animation, Media marking

5 – 14 June | Architecture and Landscape install

12/13 June | BA Design Animation Media re-hang (as required)

15th June | 6.00PM Graduate Show Opening
2nd July | Graduate Show Close

3rd July (2 Weeks of) | Students take down / collect exhibition work

17th July (1 Week) | Tech Team takes down and stores any remaining work

24th July (1 Week) | Contractors take down / make good studio walls

31 July | Summer School

11 September (Term Start) | Deadline for collection of models. Any models still remaing in studio on this date will be disposed / recycled

2nd October | Deadline for collection of portfolios. Any portfolios still remaining in studio on this date will be disposed / recycled

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Remote Desktop Connectivity

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It is possible to access the University remote service and use specialist software via the Azure Virtual Desktop. Software available via this system includes

  • AutoCAD
  • 3D Studio + V-Ray
  • Revit
  • Recap
  • Rhino + V-Ray
  • Adobe CC
  • ArcGIS
  • DaVinci Resolve

While this system will not be as fast as one of the workstation machines here in our studios it is adequate for regular work – and very useful for accessing licenses otherwise not available on home machines.

Use your OneDrive storage space to have access to all your files between remote and real devices.

Instructions on how to connect from your home devices are here

Remote Desktop for students | IT and Library Services | University of Greenwich

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Academic Year 2022-2023

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Stockwell Street Design Studios :
Opening Times until Monday 19th September 2022: 8.30AM – 9.00 PM
Opening Times from Monday 19th September 2022: 8.30AM – 12.00 Midnight

Tables / walls will be reset to these layouts each weekday morning

Walls in 1020 may only be moved by tech personnel

Studio Code of Conduct

Please avoid disturbing tutorials / classes by walking through them or being unduly loud near them.

Portfolios and models should be left tidily in the racks / shelves provided – with your name attached.  Items left lying around may be moved to shelves, long term unclaimed items will be disposed of.

Exercise caution when moving walls/dividers; check for obstructions, open floor boxes, etc. in the path of moving dividers.

Do not stand on tables or chairs to reach higher places – use the kicker stools or step ladders provided.  

Studio furniture must not be taken away from the floor.

No spray mounting / spray painting / soldering anywhere in the studio – this can be done in the outside or in workshop

No small electrical items such as KETTLES, TOASTERS, MICROWAVE OVENS, HEATERS – these will be confiscated.

Hot food should NOT to be consumed at the computers or within the computing areas. Smelly food is also NOT acceptable in the studio when it affects those around you.

Please report building issues such as leaks, power problems and other hazards to a member of staff or FM helpdesk

Student Studio Assistants – identified by “SUPPORT STAFF” shirts – are on duty to offer assistance with computing / printing / studio activities during core hours.

Stockwell Street Reception security personnel are First Aid trained; in the event that such attention is needed contact / inform front desk reception.

Please do not leave laptops and valuables left unattended

Take responsibility for YOUR studio by clearing up after yourselves; the cleaners can’t clean the floor if they can’t see it.  There are bins and brooms around the studio – please use them.

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Remote Direct Access Decomissioned

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PLEASE NOTE: REMOTE DIRECT ACCESS WILL FINISH SOON

With the return to on-campus teaching our remote direct access feature will be switched off; we will be needing all machines for physical access and the remote service will be stop working on the 7th September 2021

You will still be able to use the lightweight VDI for remote plotting but for the heavier applications there will no longer be a service to dial in to our machines here

We will soon be implementing another route to accessing all apps at home via Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop.

Remote Access Plotting

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It is possible to connect in via Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) to remotely send plots to the Design Studio plotter.

These plots will then be left on or beside the plotter for collection.

This lightweight VDI does not have all the applications on it so you should prepare the files you need as PDF files and upload them to your OneDrive (or other cloud) space; just use this VDI for printing.

Please ensure your PDF files are:

  • Correctly sized pages and artwork – at real world dimensions
  • Suitable resolution images
  • For large, complex, multi-layered PDFs consider clicking the ADVANCED – PRINT AS IMAGE option to avoid errors in processing.
  • Crop marks are very useful
  • Spellchecked, etc.

These are the paper types available on the plotter for A2/A1/A0

  • Standard Paper : Coated Paper (120 GSM) – £1.00 / £2.00 / £4.00 (Q1)
  • Premium Heavyweight Paper (180 GSM) – £1.50 / £3.00 / £6.00 (Q3)
  • Polyester Film (tracing paper)  (90 GSM) – £2.00 / £4.00 / £8.00 (Q4)
  • Wallpaper Non Woven Paper (130 GSM) –  £2.00 / £4.00 / £8.00 (Q5)
  • Fine Linen paper  (130 GSM) –  £2.00 / £4.00 / £8.00 (Q6)

Connecting to the VDI

From your own machine visit the following site:

studentdesktop.gre.ac.uk

And choose VMware Horizon HTML Access (you could also connect via the VMware Horizon Client if you have it installed already)

Accept the terms of use and login with your University ID in the form of ab1234c@gre.ac.uk

Choose

VDI – School of Design.

After a few moments you will be logged into this virtual machine within your browser window

Sending your Plots

Locate the PDF files you have prepared for printing from your OneDrive or other cloud space.

Once you have your files, open them in Acrobat Reader by right clicking and selecting Open With > Acrobat Reader DC. (Say NO if asked to make Acrobat Reader reader the default, and allow)

(Just double clicking the PDF will open the file with MS Edge which is more tricky to plot correctly from)

Once you have your file open in Acrobat Reader choose FILE – PRINT and pick the printer queue you want to send to:

For the regular paper plots (120gsm / £2.00 per A1) choose:

\\GSM-RPS\STANDARD-PLOT-DST-CW7001_Q1

Then specify size by selecting PAGE SETUP and picking the size from the drop-down

Choose the size you want and then OK back to the main print page where you can see a preview indicating how your file will fit on the page. (You can choose FIT to scale to the page size but it is better if your document is correctly sized)

When you are happy then click print to submit the PDF.

After a few moments you will see a pop-up confirmation window that gives the price you will be charged (due to the way the area of plot is calculated the figure is not a round figure)

If the figure looks right then click CONFIRM. You will receive a message if there is not enough money in your account and the plot will not go through; you would need to send again after you have topped up your account.

You can monitor the progress of the plot by visiting this address in the browser window of the VDI session:

172.16112.21

Once the file disappears from here it is in the plotter’s internal queue

You can top up your print credit online by visiting the printcredit page – note this link will ONLY work from a browser INSIDE the virtual desktop environment, it will not work from your regular browser

Within Chrome in the virtual desktop visit

printcredit.gre.ac.uk

and follow the instructions

Collecting your Plots

The plotter will stop when there is too much paper on top, so plots will be periodically lifted off and put on the bench nearby.

Try not to leave it too long to collect your work – the longer these are left there, the more chance they’ll have of being damaged

Remote Access PC – Direct Access

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REMOTE DIRECT ACCESS WILL FINISH SOON

With the return to on-campus teaching our remote direct access feature will be switched off

You will still be able to use the lightweight VDI for remote plotting but for the heavier applications there will no longer be a service to dial in to our machines here (since they will be needed for physical access)

We will soon be implementing another route to accessing all apps at home via Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop.

The machines in the School that have been cordoned off for social distancing reasons have instead been made available to access directly from your machine at home. In this situation you take over the machine and have access to the power and software resources on it from your own Mac, PC or Chromebook – with the hard work being carried out by the Uni machine rather than your own machine – which is just a conduit to it.

To set yourself up for direct access you should first download and install the client software for your Mac, PC or Chromebook (the following example shows procedure for Mac).

NOTE: In April / May the remote machine will disconnect you if you leave it idle for 10 hours. This is up from the usual 2 hour disconnect time. If you leave a render going then you can reconnect with 10 hours and it will still be logged in.

Installation

Visit : studentdesktop.gre.ac.uk and click the link for Install VMware Horizon Client (use this link, not via Microsoft Store)

You will see a list of the clients for different platforms; choose Go To Downloads next to your machine platform and Download Now to get the installer.

The process for installing VMware varies according to device but for a Mac you would just drag it across to your Applications folder then launch it from there.

Connect to a Uni Machine

Create a new connection to the Uni with the address studentdesktop.gre.ac.uk and hit Connect

And then login with your Uni id in the format ab1234c@gre.ac.uk

You will then see two “pools” which represent the remote machines in the first floor computer area:

  • GM-DST : these are the machines in the first floor studios.
    You can plot from these machines and they include ArcGIS / NetFab
  • GM-L2001 : this is the teaching lab on the second floor.
    If a class requires the remote machines you may be logged off.
    ArcGIS / NetFab is NOT installed in 2001.

Double click to choose the pool you want to take a machine from and you will be logged in and connected to it.

It is worth trying this out so you can become accustomed to the setup – it can be a little disorientating at first having Windows in a window and hopping between your own OS (the host) and the remote one.

Notes

You cannot use USB devices directly through the remote access – but you can use your Uni OneDrive space to transfer files.

You cannot copy and past between the host and the remote OS

When you join the pool you will be allocated an available machine at random – there is no way to choose a particular machine

You can find out which machine you have – and the hardware it us running – by pressing the Windows key and typing MSINFO followed by enter

These machines will be available any time – but 2001 may sometimes need them for timetabled classes.

If you leave the machine for two hours it will automatically log you out.

If you don’t explicitly log out of the Windows session and instead just quit VMware you are still logged in (for two hours)

Please logout / signout from the remote machine rather than quitting the VMware application – otherwise you are tying that machine up for another two hours

Pre-Booking System

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05/01/21 Update: Due to the national lockdown, we are currently unable to offer this service until restrictions are lifted and access to university buildings is permitted. Remote access to the Work Stations will continue as before, instructions can be found here: https://blogs.gre.ac.uk/designsupport/remote-access-pc-direct-access/

We are implementing pre-booking system for access to some on-site resources in a controlled and safe way, Mondays to Fridays:

  • Design Studio Workstation PCS (18): AM / PM / EVE
  • Design Studio MACS (6): AM / PM / EVE
  • Design Studio Photography Studio-Pod (1): AM / PM
  • Workshop Spaces (6): AM / PM

The Moodle page for making bookings is here:

https://moodlecurrent.gre.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=64393

You must only come to the studio or workshop for your designated, pre-booked time slot.

When you arrive Support Staff will be on hand to offer assistance and let you know which machine/space has been allocated to you. For computer bookings, the the PC’s will be delegated first, then the iMacs. If you would prefer an iMac then please specify when making the booking in the comments section.

Workstation PCs

18 (dual monitor) machines are available in the studios for pre-booking. Machines and surfaces will be cleaned each morning by the University janitorial staff – but you should also wipe down the station at the beginning and end of your session using the cleaning wipes provided.

Photography Pod

A photographic setup with studio lighting and backdrops is available – for use by one user at a time. The studio will be bookable in 1 Hour slots.

Limited access is available for use of the basement photography studio for activities not possible elsewhere – single use occupancy / one slot per day. Please contact Robbie direct.

Workshop Spaces

Seven workshop spaces are available for full day / half day slots. Wipe down shared machine and tools surfaces after use.

School of Design Technical Facilities: Covid19 Arrangements

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School of Design Technical Facilities: Covid19 Arrangements

Updated 14 May

The computers in Stockwell Street studios are no longer pre-book only

Stockwell Street Building 11 is now available to students Monday – Friday; 9.00AM to 7.00PM.

Note these measures relate specifically to the School’s studios / computing / workshop and photography spaces; they are also subject to the University’s broader guidance which can be found here

https://www.gre.ac.uk/coronavirus

The Stockwell Street library will also be open

University Libraries operating times

Computing

  • Open access PCs in studio: a restricted number of machines are available for use in studios. Those machines taped off for social distancing reasons are available to access remotely
  • Remote access PCS: we have also enabled direct connection to our workstations to allow direct access to their software and processing power from your home machine.
    Instructions for Connecting from home
  • Click and collect plotting:  send plots from home for collection from the plot area when you arrive.
    Instructions for remote plotting.
  • Laptops: there is currently no laptop loan service

Studios

  • Studio spaces are open for Design School students, however you must continue to observe sensible social distancing measures – use chairs provided at individual tables; don’t drag them into a cluster.
  • You must not leave portfolios / models in studios; please bring and take away only what you need for your timetabled session.
  • Studio tables should not be moved from their designated locations.

Photography

  • We have a mini photography studio setup available in the first-floor studios
  • The basement photography studio remains available unless specific arrangements have been made and approved – for single users only.

Further information about studios

Workshop

  • The workshop will be operating Monday / Tuesday / Thursday / Friday at a reduced capacity with a limited number of spaces each day
  • Wear a face covering at all times and the provided safety goggles when needed. FFP3 mask to still be worn when using certain machines or chemicals
  • Laser cutting / CNC milling / 3d printing files may be submitted via email for processing by staff and collected by arrangement
  • One-way entrance and exit routes will be implemented  

Further information about model workshop

We are also publishing guides and information to help students carry out valuable home studio tasks such as 3d scanning, photography techniques, model making and process specific resources. If there are particular areas / techniques you would like to see covered then please let us know at

DesignStudios@greenwich.ac.uk

Please be aware that as this is a changing situation the specifics of these arrangements may also need to change.