Galleries, Libraries, and Laboratories

Galleries

The Department of Design and Merchandising owns and operates several galleries that provide a unique learning opportunity for students to engage with historic and cultural textiles from the Avenir Museum of Design and Merchandising. Galleries also showcase the work of students, faculty, and visiting textile artists.

Avenir Museum Gallery

The largest of the Avenir Museum’s galleries, this 1,500 sq. ft. space hosts exhibits of cultural/historic apparel and textiles. Exhibits are planned by Avenir Museum curatorial staff in tandem with the Department of Design and Merchandising.

fiber art and modern quilt pieces displayed in the Avenir gallery

The Richard Blackwell Gallery

American fashion designer/critic Richard Blackwell (1922-2008) was a CSU benefactor whose generosity is noted in the name of this intimate gallery space (500 sq. ft.) that was designed to showcase fashion. Exhibits are planned by Avenir Museum curatorial staff in tandem with the Department of Design and Merchandising.

A series of mannequins dressed in orange n the blackwell gallery

The Lucile E. Hawks Gallery

Lucile Hawks (1917-2019) was a respected Kansas secondary school teacher and quilter who earned her Master’s degree in Home Economics Education at CSU in 1958. She generously supported the Avenir Museum with donations to the textile collection as well as contributions to museum programming.

Mannequins dressed in recenty donated garments in the Hawks gallery

Gustafson Gallery

The Gustafson Gallery is located in the Gifford Building on the main CSU campus. This gallery features regular exhibitions of student and faculty creative scholarship and research in apparel design and merchandising.

Five mannequins outfitted in intricate gowns fill a gallery space.

Visit the Avenir Museum of Design and Merchandising

Libraries

The Department of Design and Merchandising is also home to unique libraries that support student learning. These libraries offer students the opportunity for in-depth study in a variety of subjects such as architecture, cultural/historic apparel and textiles, interior materials and resources, and textile innovation.

Architectural Virtual Library

The CSU-AVL project is an online web page intended to educate the public on architectural historic buildings—both on and off campus.

Sara Bovaird filming the Logan City and County Building

Avenir Museum Library

This non-circulating reference library features primary and secondary sources on the history of apparel, fashion designers, global textiles, weaving, dyeing, and other areas of inquiry. Appointments for access and use are scheduled through the Avenir Museum; please note that materials may not be checked out nor removed from the building.

Students fill a table with many open books while sitting in a room lined with full bookshelves

Design Library

The Design Library is open to students across programs and is a place to engage with innovative interior materials & products and support creative inspiration for designing healthy buildings. Check out this student-run space and explore both physical and digital materials and products ranging from lighting and furniture to textiles, stone, glass, resin, and much more! Collections are curated around material health, bio-based innovations, and sustainability.

Textile Library

The Textile Library is a valuable resource through which students may explore textiles and other materials, including fibers, yarns, and fabrics, as well as examples of dyed, digitally-printed, and other finishing processes. Discover examples of innovative and sustainable textiles for multiple applications including high-performance, nano-textiles used in outdoor apparel.

the opening reception in the textile science library

Learning Laboratories

Learning laboratories provide space for students and faculty to engage in critical thinking and problem-solving through creation, experimentation, and research.

Apparel Design Studios

Two apparel construction studios offer Apparel Design and Production students the opportunity to develop their skills in illustration, pattern-making, draping, and apparel construction. These studios also allow for presentation of student work and critique from industry professionals.

DLab

The DLab was designed as a flexible learning space that can easily transform into various modes to support collaboration, lectures, social gatherings, and an experiential learning lab. In this space, Interior Architecture and Design students hone their skills in drawing, model-building, and creative problem-solving. The space also is used for informal gatherings, meetings of student organizations, professional networking activities, and other events.

Lighting Lab

The Lighting Lab engages students in the study of different lighting sources/systems, illuminance levels, and energy consumption for commercial and residential spaces. More information coming soon!

A student's lighting project features wooden dowels creating a structure around a light bulb

Nano Textile Research Laboratory

The Nano Textile Laboratory is a research space for graduate students and faculty to engage in advanced experimentation with fibers and fabrics for application in the development of high-performance, medical, and other technical textiles.

Student with microscopes and research instruments

Textile Science Learning Laboratory

This laboratory is devoted to engaging students in experiential learning to build knowledge, skills, and understanding of fiber and textile science. Students study fiber chemistry, yarn and fabric characteristics, and conduct physical-mechanical performance testing on textile fabrics and products to advance their understanding of textile performance, sustainability, care, and conservation.

the newly renovated textile science laboratory

Product Design and Development Laboratory

The Product Design & Development Lab is used by faculty to conduct research and creative scholarship in apparel design and development. It houses a Human Solutions Vitus Smart XXL 3D Body Scanner, a digital textile printer, and other equipment to support creative and wearable product design solutions inclusive of diverse people. This space also is the home base of the Inclusive Innovations Lab.

Two people looking at a computer screen with a 3D body scan in the inclusive innovatins labratory

Spatial Perception and Cognitive Experience Laboratory

The SPACE Lab investigates the impact of environmental stimuli on occupant perception, cognition, and performance in built environments, with particular attention to neurodiversity. To examine occupant experience in physical and virtual environments, the team utilizes various technologies, including building information modeling (BIM), eye tracking, electroencephalography (EEG), and virtual reality (VR).

Dr. Jain Kwon, Assistant/Associate Professor of Interior Architecture and Design works with eye tracking and virtual reality with graduate students Alea Schmidt and Suzie Liniham and senior Chenyi “Roy” Luo in the Richardson Design Center. April 17, 2023

Additional Resources Computer and Fabrication Labs

Additional resources available to you include two college computer labs and the fabrication and digital labs housed within the Nancy Richardson Design Center.

Gifford Computer Lab

The Gifford Computer Lab, located on the third floor of the building, houses an open computer lab for student work as well as a teaching classroom. This lab includes printers for classroom materials and posters and all of the machines are equipped with the Adobe Creative Suite, Lectra Kaledo programs, and other programs for design work. The lab is available to students enrolled in classes in the College of Health and Human Sciences.

A room filled with many long tables filled with computers

Nancy Richardson Design Center Computer Lab

The computer lab in the Nancy Richardson Design Center is on the first floor in the south wing of the building. There is an open lab space for students as well as a teaching classroom. All machines are equipped with Adobe Creative Suite, Revit, and other programs for design work. The lab is available to students enrolled in classes in the College of Health and Human Sciences.

A large room filled with tables and many computers.

Nancy Richardson Design Center Fabrication Labs

Housed in the Nancy Richardson Design Center are Prototyping, Woods, Metals, Screen Printing, and Virtual Reality Ideation Labs. Students gain access to these labs when they enroll in certain courses in their degree program or they may purchase a semester access pass. Find more information about the labs at design.colostate.edu.

Students use laser cutters and other technology

Learn about our research facilities

Design and Merchandising Galleries, Libraries, and Laboratories