Metropolis Celebrates Opening of New Digital Fabrication Lab at NYIT
By Frank Fortino
On Thursday, October 27, 2021, the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) School of Architecture and Design cut the ribbon for its new Digital Fabrication Lab.
The new facility, which includes a Robotic Matter Design Lab, was funded by a $2.6 million grant from the IDC Foundation, the legacy of the Brooklyn-based Institute of Design and Construction, which provided educational programs related to architectural design and building construction from 1947 until 2015.
Announced in 2018, the grant will further develop the School of Architecture and Design’s “culture of making” by enabling faculty and students to explore synergies at the boundaries of architecture, medicine, and healthcare professions, as well as combine design thinking with advanced digital fabrication technologies and equipment. In addition to the state-of-the-art lab, the grant contributed to funding NYIT’s first endowed chair, the IDC Foundation Endowed Chair of Digital Technologies at the School of Architecture and Design.
As a board member of the IDC Foundation and an alumnus of NYIT, I was honored to take part in the ribbon-cutting ceremony, which took place during the FRIENDS of NYIT School of Architecture and Design’s 13th annual alumni reception.
The event recognized Roger Smith of BBS Architects in the 2020 Spotlight on Alumni, and the 2021 Alumni Spotlight honored Steve Alessio of the Sweet Construction Group and Theresa Genovese of CetraRuddy Architecture. Steve and Theresa not only help shape the beautiful skyline, but their dedication to the architectural and construction industries has made a huge impact. Both are very dear friends, and I am very proud of all their success.
We at Metropolis Group are proud of our relationship with the FRIENDS of NYIT School of Architecture and Design, and we applaud the organization’s groundbreaking approach to transforming architectural design through immersive learning that blurs disciplinary boundaries. NYIT is shaping the future of both our industry and our world.