Resources for Current Students

DAL LOCATION + HOURS

The DAL is located at 401 The Diana Center. During the spring semester, The Diana Center will be open from 8AM-2AM. 

ACCESS TO THE DAL 

Access to The Digital Architecture Lab at 401, The Diana Center is limited to the following individuals: 

• Declared architecture majors 
• Students enrolled in B+C|A studio and workshop courses 
• B+C|A faculty and TAs
• Barnard Visual Arts faculty and students (they own the five iMacs at the front labeled “ArtLab”)

Barnard CARES manages card reader access to 401 Diana and has already programmed access for all students admitted to our courses by 1/13/23. If you joined our classes after that date or recently replaced your ID card, you will need to fill out a request form for Barnard CARES (see Instructions for Requesting Swipe Access to 401 Diana, 404 Diana, or 116 Lewisohn). 

DAL RESERVATIONS 

The DAL may be reserved by B+C|A faculty for instructional purposes at any point during the semester. Students that are not enrolled in the class or workshop that is using the DAL should move to the back of the room to accommodate the incoming group. Faculty and TAs can email architecture@barnard.edu to request a DAL reservation. Existing reservations can be viewed on this calendar:

DAL EQUIPMENT 

• 22 Dell computers
• 1 HP LaserJet Enterprise M806 (B+W)
• 1 HP Color LaserJet Enterprise M750
• 1 HP Color LaserJet Enterprise M855xh
• 1 Projector 
• 1 Logitech Connect
• 1 Document Camera

DAL PRINTERS 

PawPrint is Columbia University’s network printing system. With PawPrint, you can send a document to print from any computer and print it at any PawPrint print station on campus.To view a list of printer locations or adjust your print quota, visit the CUIT website. To report a problem with any of the DAL printers, please call BCIT at 212-854-7172 or email them at help@barnard.edu. 

DAL COMPUTER LOGIN INFORMATION

Student
bcarch22

DAL SOFTWARE

• Adobe Creative Cloud 2020
• ArcGIS Pro
• Arc GIS 10.7
• QGIS
• Google Earth Pro 
• Microsoft Office 2019
• AutoDesk 2021
• Rhino 6.0
• V-Ray for Rhino 
• MakerWare

DAL POLICIES

While you are using our computer lab, please adhere to the following policies:

• Eating or drinking inside the lab is strictly prohibited. 
• The DAL is limited to students in our studio and workshop courses, and lab computers are meant to be used in support of architecture design assignments only. Please use a personal device to write your papers and conduct personal transactions.  
• Please leave your model-making supplies at your studio desks.
• Unattended computers will automatically log out of a session after 30 minutes of inactivity, and all files (saved and unsaved) will be erased upon logout. 
• To ensure the efficient use of lab resources, computers that are left unattended for more than 15 minutes should be considered open and available to other students. 
• Unplugging the lab computers, monitors, or printers is strictly prohibited. Doing so can damage the computer or printer and inconvenience the next user. If you need to access an electrical outlet to charge a personal device, please use the white charging stations that we have provided on the desks. 
• Talking is permitted in the lab, but we ask that you limit conversations to low levels, with the understanding that others near you are working and may be distracted by your conversations. Please use headphones when listening to audio. 
• Please clean up after yourself. Put your trash and recycling in the proper container before you leave. If you use the paper cutter, please collect and recycle your scraps before leaving. 
• Please be respectful of the lab's printer paper supply and help us keep that space tidy.
• Please do not prop the DAL door open. 
• Please do not leave personal items unattended for any length of time. If a personal item goes missing, you should contact Barnard CARES. Likewise, if you find an unattended personal item, please turn it in to Barnard CARES for safekeeping. 

IMPORTANT GUIDELINES FOR USING OUR COMPUTERS

Do not store files on lab computers: Lab computers automatically delete files on a routine basis to conserve limited hard drive space and improve performance. Please store your files on cloud storage such as Google Drive, or  alternatives such as Dropbox or iCloud Drive. Removable Media (Thumb Drives, External Hard Drives, etc.) can also be used. 

Adobe and Rhino have different ways of licensing software to university computer labs. Please review our instructions for using Adobe and Rhino in the DAL:

Rhino: All DAL computers have an educational lab license for Rhino 7.0, and the program should open and run without requiring the user to enter any login credentials. If you have purchased a personal Rhino license that you typically use on your laptop, please do not log into it on our lab computers because doing so can disrupt the functionality of our lab license, thereby inconveniencing the next user.

Adobe: In contrast, Adobe applications will not run on the DAL computers without the user first signing in with an Adobe ID. Students can create personal, free Adobe IDs at adobe.com without needing to purchase a subscription—our educational lab license enables users to access all the Adobe applications on the DAL computers once they've signed in with an Adobe ID. Since the lab is a shared space, we ask that users sign out of Adobe at the end of their work session.

Log out after each session: When you are finished, remember to log out before you leave. If you do not log out, the next person who uses that computer will have access to your personal files and accounts. To log out, click on the Windows Start Button (squares in the lower left); on the left side, click on the circle icon with a person and select "sign out" or use the "Log Off" icon located on the desktop.

TO REPORT A PROBLEM WITH A DAL COMPUTER OR PRINTER, CONTACT BCIT

• If you are an instructor or TA teaching in the DAL during the college's regular business hours, and urgently require assistance with the lab computers or software, please call BCIT  212-854-7172 (press extension 4 for faculty and staff). 
• Outside of the college’s regular business hours, faculty should report any issues to BCIT by email instead (help@barnard.edu), and cc architecture@barnard.edu on your email so we can help monitor the progress of your help request.
• If you are a student and encounter any problems with the lab computers or printers, please report them to BCIT by emailing help@barnard.edu and cc architecture@barnard.edu on your email so our department can help monitor the progress of the help ticket. Please remember to include the computer monitor number (or printer information) and a provide a detailed description of the problem. 

TO REPORT A PROBLEM WITH THE DAL PROJECTOR, LOGITECH CONNECT, OR DOCUMENT CAMERA, CONTACT BARNARD AV SERVICES, IMATS

• If you are an instructor or TA teaching in the DAL during the college's regular business hours, and urgently require assistance with the AV technology in the lab, please call Barnard AV Services, IMATS 212-854-2418 (press 1 for AV technology support). 

• Outside of the college’s regular business hours, please report any issues to Barnard AV Services, IMATS by email instead (avservices@barnard.edu), and cc architecture@barnard.edu on your email so we can help monitor the progress of your help request.

OTHER COMPUTER LABS ON CAMPUS FOR ARCHITECTURE STUDENTS
The Milstein Center's Post Production Computer Lab also has Adobe Software, including Premiere, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and AfterEffects; DaVinci post-production software; Hindenburg; AutoCAD; Sketch; and Rhino. This lab is not managed by B+C|A, but it is open to all Barnard and Columbia College students.

In Fall 2020, Barnard College Student Computing introduced a virtual computer lab platform, Apporto, that provides students with access to the same academic software currently installed in the physical computer labs on campus.

To use Apporto, go to barnard.apporto.com and log in using your Columbia UNI and password. Once you are logged in, look for the BC GPU Virtual Desktop and launch it to view software related to your architecture courses.

Instructions for requesting support:

If you have any issues logging into Apporto with your Columbia UNI credentials, please review these pages regarding resetting your UNI password and contact CUIT directly if you cannot resolve the problem on your own.

If you can log into Apporto, but experience any issues opening or using the applications, please email BCIT at help@barnard.edu to report the problem. Please include a detailed description of the problem and any relevant screenshots or screen recordings.

The Diana Center Architecture Studio (404, The Diana Center) and The Digital Architecture Lab (401, The Diana Center) are open to faculty, TAs, and architecture students in our studio and workshop courses. Only students whose courses regularly meet at 404 Diana are allowed to use the desks in that studio. All other architecture students are granted swipe access to the studio so they can access room 404A, where the DAL Assistants sometimes hold their in-person Design Consultations and the Office Assistants monitor Laser Cutting Appointments.

Barnard CARES manages card reader access to 401 and 404 Diana and has already programmed access for all students admitted to our courses by 1/13/23. If you joined our classes after that date or recently replaced your ID card, you will need to fill out the following request form for Barnard CARES: B+C|A Swipe Access Request Form: 404 and 401, The Diana Center. 

The Lewisohn Hall Architecture Studio (116, Lewisohn Hall) is only open to faculty, TAs, and students in Introduction to Architectural Design & Visual Culture and Advanced Architectural Design II.

Columbia Public Safety manages card reader access to 116 Lewisohn and has already programmed access for all students admitted to the above courses by 1/13/23. If you joined our classes after that date or recently replaced your ID card, you must fill out the following request form for Columbia Public Safety:  B+C|A Swipe Access Request Form: 116 Lewisohn Hall. 

The B+C|A Software Tutorial Schedule for Spring 2023

All software tutorials will be hosted in a hybrid format. While students are encouraged to attend in person and follow along on the DAL computers, the tutorials will also be streamed on Zoom and recorded.

All tutorials will be held in person at The Digital Architecture Lab, 401, The Diana Center.

Those joining our tutorial sessions by Zoom can use the following link: https://columbiauniversity.zoom.us/j/97621390909

Although advance registration is not required to attend a software tutorial, we encourage you to sign up beforehand so that the DAL Assistants will know how many attendees to expect at each session. 

Sign up for B+C|A Software Tutorials: https://dalassistantsoftwaretutorials.youcanbook.me

Intro to InDesign
Description: This tutorial will introduce the InDesign interface, basics, and workflows.     
Day/Time: 7-9 PM, Jan 30, 2023

Intro to Portfolio Design + Portfolio Q&A
Description: A continuation of the previous InDesign tutorial, this session will demonstrate how to create a portfolio for school and internship applications using InDesign.  Students are welcome to bring their progress from the first InDesign tutorial. 
Day/Time: 5-7 PM, Jan 31, 2023

Intro to Rhino
Description: An introduction to the capabilities of 2D-drawing and 3D-modeling, utilizing Rhino.  This tutorial will cover the Rhino interface and document setup, basic commands and navigation, and export possibilities.
Day/Time: 7-9 PM, Feb 8, 2023

Intro to Adobe Illustrator
Description: This tutorial will introduce the Illustrator interface and document setup, tools and uses, and workflows (including linked files).
Day/Time: 7-9 PM, Feb 9, 2023

Intro to Adobe Photoshop
Description: This tutorial will introduce the Photoshop interface and document setup, tools and uses, and workflows (including linked files).
Day/Time: 7-9 PM, Feb 13, 2023

Rhino to Laser Cutting Workflow
Description: This tutorial will cover the processes (including file setup, material selection, scaling, etc) of translating 3D Rhino models to 3D physical models through laser cutting.
Day/Time: 5-7 PM, Feb 14, 2023

Intermediate Rhino & Rhino Q+A
Description: A continuation of the previous Rhino tutorial that will include simple amorphous forms.  This tutorial will cover the Rhino interface and basic 2D and 3D modeling commands.
Day/Time: 7-9 PM, Feb 22, 2023

InDesign & Portfolio Review Workshop
Description: An opportunity for students to ask any portfolio or InDesign-related questions and workshop their portfolios with the DAL TAs and other students.
Day/Time: 7-9 PM, February 23, 2023

InDesign & Portfolio Review Workshop
Description: An opportunity for students to ask any portfolio or InDesign-related questions and workshop their portfolios with the DAL TAs and other students.
Day/Time: 7-9 PM, February 27, 2023

InDesign & Portfolio Review Workshop
Description: An opportunity for students to ask any portfolio or InDesign-related questions and workshop their portfolios with the DAL TAs and other students.
Day/Time: 5-7 PM, February 28, 2023

The Archive of B+C|A Software Tutorials 

Links to the recordings of our software tutorials are available here. 

Intro to Rhino, 9/27/22

Intro to Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, 9/29/22

Rhino to Digital Fabrication Workflow, 10/4/22

Rhino: Modeling Amorphous + Organic Forms, 10/6/22

Photoshop Collages (Using Found Images), 10/11/22

Intro to InDesign & Portfolio Design, 10/18/22

Intro to Rhino, Part 2, 10/20/22

Intro to Rendering and Photoshop, 10/27/22

Intro to InDesign, 1/30/23, this session was not recorded due to technical difficulties. 

Intro to Portfolio Design + Portfolio Q&A, 1/31/23, this session was not recorded due to technical difficulties. 

Intro to Rhino, 2/8/23, this session was not recorded due to technical difficulties. 

Intro to Adobe Photoshop, 2/13/23

Rhino to Laser Cutting Workflow, 2/14/23

Intermediate Rhino & Rhino Q+A, 2/22/23

 Software Tutorial Recommendations from B+C|A Students

In addition to the above tutorials, we've compiled a partial list of other free online tutorials recommended by our majors. This is a crowdsourced list, so if you would like to share your suggestions, please email us at architecture@barnard.edu.

The B+C|A Laser Cutter is reserved for students in select courses who have signed up for an appointment with a B+C|A Office Assistant. 

For Spring 2023, appointments for the B+C|A laser cutter are open to students in the following courses: 

Architectural Design: Systems & Materials

Architectural Design: Environments & Mediations 

Advanced Architectural Design II

Special Topics in Architecture 

If you are not enrolled in an approved course or if you would like to laser cut a personal project that is unrelated to your architecture coursework, please use the laser cutters at The Barnard Design Center or The Columbia Makerspace. 

Students who are eligible to use the B+C|A laser cutter may sign up for an appointment with an Office Assistant using the link below. Please note that students are not allowed to use the B+C|A laser cutter independently. All appointments are held at 404A, The Diana Center. Students are required to review our instructions for preparing their files in advance, provide their own materials for laser cutting, and stay nearby for the full duration of their appointment. 

Sign up for B+C|A Laser Cutting Appointments here: https://bcalasercuttingappointments.youcanbook.me

Design Consultations with the DAL Assistants are held at the Digital Architecture Lab (401, The Diana Center). They are open to students in our workshop courses (e.g., Design Futures: NYC or Special Topics) and studio courses (e.g., Intro to Arch, Systems & Materials, Environments & Mediations, Advanced Architectural Design I & I, etc.).

Sign up for B+C|A Design Consultations here: https://dalassistantdesignconsultations.youcanbook.me

Maintain A Digital Archive of Your Work
Architecture students are strongly encouraged to regularly document their design work and maintain a digital archive.

Model Photography Stations in 404 Diana and 116 Lewisohn
Both of the architecture studios have designated areas for photographing architectural models. Background paper for photography and lighting equipment are available at these stations but students are expected to provide their own cameras.

Borrow a Camera from Barnard Instructional Media & Technology Services (IMATS)
Barnard IMATS maintains an inventory of media equipment available for rental, including digital video cameras, digital still cameras, lighting equipment, audio recorders, headphones, miscellaneous cables, etc. To borrow equipment through IMATS, visit their website.

Scan Your Drawings at a Columbia University Library
Self service scanners are available across campus (see here for a list of locations).
 

Meet with a B+C|A Faculty Advisor
Declared architecture majors are encouraged to meet with their advisors for feedback on their portfolio drafts.

Watch or Attend a B+C|A Software Tutorial
Portfolio design tutorials will be offered throughout the semester and the recorded sessions will be published on our website.

Browse the B+C|A Portfolio Archive
Students are welcome to browse The B+C|A Senior Portfolio Archive to see examples of recent senior portfolios—please note that access to this archive is currently restricted to declared architecture majors, so if you are undeclared and would like to view the archive, you can request access using your Barnard or Columbia email. 

The Material Reuse Stations in 404 Diana and 116 Lewisohn
We strongly encourage you to source your materials from and donate your leftover materials to the Material Reuse Stations in either studio space.

Rheaply AxM at Barnard
As part of Barnard College’s sustainability and climate action agenda, Rheaply AxM has been launched to assist in building a resource sharing network. Rheaply AxM is a free-to-use marketplace that identifies available resources for reuse across different departments on campus. For more information, see here.

Janoff's Office and Art Supplies
Located on Broadway between 111th and 112th Streets, Janoff's is the closet art supply store to campus. Hours and more information are available here.

Blick Art Materials
Blick Art Materials has several locations in downtown Manhattan and one on 125th St and Frederick Douglass Blvd, offering a large choice of art supplies, tools, and materials. Hours, locations, and more information available here.

Canal Plastics Center
Canal Plastics Center offers plastics and fabrication services and sells acrylics in hard to find colors and sizes. They also offer a student discount. More information is available here.
 

The Barnard Speaking Fellows 
Many of our courses require you to present your work. The Speaking Fellows are specially trained Barnard students who work with students to help them improve their verbal presentation skills. Please visit their website to learn more.

The Barnard Empirical Reasoning Center
The Empirical Reasoning Center (102 LeFrak) helps students with all kinds of empirical reasoning. They offer a variety of services for students:

• One-on-one assistance during their lab hours with assignments, projects, and theses that require the use of data.

• Online tutorials on the use of certain software packages that are commonly used with data, such as Excel, Stata and SPSS.

• While the ERC primarily focuses on quantitative data and analysis, they can also offer some guidance on qualitatively focused projects.

• Assistance finding data for a class project or senior thesis.

• Assistance formulating a research question for a paper or project.

The Art + Architecture Librarian at the Barnard Library 
The Barnard Library welcomes and encourages students to take advantage of their research consultation services. To request a consultation with any of the librarians, fill out this form. To sign up for an office hours appointment with Meredith Wisner, the architecture librarian, please visit her profile page.

The Barnard Writing Center
Any Columbia University undergraduate student may use the Barnard Writing Center for Barnard courses. Barnard students may also use the Writing Center for Columbia courses, with their instructor's permission.

The Columbia Writing Center
Any undergraduate student enrolled in a Columbia University course may visit the Columbia Writing Center. Barnard College students who are working on projects for courses at Barnard should use the Barnard Writing Center instead.