Our wide-ranging facilities include workshops, laboratories, studios, reprographics facilities, computer hardware, and digital infrastructure, as well as specialised facilities, that provide us with the capacity to support a diverse array of research.
Both universities have extensive workshops with teams of technical support staff, including for three-dimensional design and architectural model making, acoustics labs including anechoic chambers, a metal fabrication/structures research laboratory, timber workshop, a concrete laboratory, building services laboratory, finishing suite, machine and assembly workshops, and exhibition spaces. All are served with a wide range of plant, machines and hand tools. We have access to high-end computer facilities, including reprographics, scanning, and display services. We make extensive use of virtual reality, digital fabrication, laser cutting and 3D printing. Both universities have extensive library resources, including a specialist architectural library in Chambers street, and the Art, Design and Art History library at the Lauriston Place campus.
Shared specialist facilities include high performance computing. Consumer-level electroencephalography (EEG) equipment, LiDAR scanning, and 360 video recording equipment are standard. Apart from localised provision, Alliance research draws on the uCreate Studio in the University of Edinburgh that has a range of high-end virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) head-mounted display equipment, including access to a local GPU-based render farm that allows graphics researchers to use extremely high-resolution Unity or Unreal Engine models. Researchers also access a series of thermal and 360-degree cameras, and 3D scanners, including an industrial grade terrestrial LiDAR scanner, the Leica BLK 360, and have access to a medical grade mixed-medium Stratasys 3D printer, and a range of other fabrication facilities.
Apart from premises at the Riccarton campus, Lauriston Place and in Chambers Street, the Alliance has a shared hub at 7-8 Chambers Street for meetings and joint research projects.
