The School of Architecture facilities are excellent examples of a building’s ability to serve multiple functions. In Starkville, Giles Hall consists of a remodeled livestock judging pavilion and new building addition that provides excellent studio space and support facilities. In addition to a woodworking and metal shop, plotter lab, library, gallery, auditorium, offices, research centers, and classrooms, studio space is available for all students. The Stuart C. Irby Studios located in the Jackson’s central business district is another example of the School’s commitment to issues of sustainable architecture. This renovated building houses a library, gallery, offices, classrooms, and studio space. In both locations, each student has access to his/her own desk 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The idea that the studio is the personal workspace for each student is continually emphasized, as faculty members believe students learn more from each other within this context. Studios are arranged to facilitate teaching and make students aware of the work of their classmates in all year levels. Both buildings have a card-reader system for secure access.
Giles Hall [ map ] 360 Studio Tour
The School of Architecture remains committed to the innovative use of technology in architecture and envisions new horizons for technology applications in teaching and research. To that end, Giles Hall is fully networked with over 240 100-megabit Ethernet ports located throughout the building including the Bob and Kathy Luke Library, offices, classrooms, studio spaces, and research centers. The studios received wireless Ethernet capability (802.1b) in 2003. Printers, plotters, and scanners are located in a lab near the studios and students have access to these resources 40+ hours per week. The building also has a card-reader system for security.
Each faculty and staff member has either a desktop or laptop computer. A faculty area workstation contains one Macintosh and one PC workstation with flatbed and slide scanners. There are also two shared laptop computers and two shared video projectors available for faculty use. In the fall of 2003, the auditorium and jury room were upgraded to Level II technology classrooms. This upgrade included a stationary computer with VCR and DVD in a lectern, as well as a fixed projector and sound-system improvements. A full-time IT manager provides technology support to the students, faculty, staff, and research centers.
Stuart C. Irby, Jr. Studios [ map ]
The Stuart C. Irby Studios, located in the newly renovated 509 Capitol Street building in downtown Jackson, is fully networked with over 125 10-megabit Ethernet ports supporting offices, classrooms, studio space, and the library. Printers, plotters, and scanners are located in a lab near the studios. Students have access to these resources 40+ hours a week. The School recently upgraded the network infrastructure to 100-megabit, adding wireless Ethernet capability (802.11b/g) and furnishing and equipping the large classroom to include video-conferencing and remote-classroom capabilities. The building also has a card-reader system for security.
