Many of the core courses in the curriculums of both the MA and MFA programs in Design with Concentrations in Innovation Studies are taught at the Design Research Center. The DRC is uniquely well-suited to fulfill its dual mission of functioning as:
- an urban design research lab, and
- as the classroom site dedicated to meeting the unique needs of graduate students studying in these curriculums.
The physical space of the DRC is configured in an open floor plan. This allows the students and faculty working within its over 2,500 square feet of high-ceilinged workspace to flexibly arrange furniture, whiteboards, pin-up space, computing and projection equipment and lighting arrangements to support the progress of individual course projects and research endeavors. The location of the DRC in the heart of the fifth-largest metropolitan environment in the U.S. allows graduate students, faculty and their collaborators an operational hub that affords easy access to:
- local businesses,
- vendors and suppliers,
- community groups,
- NGOs,
- public policy makers,
- and a myriad of other resources that can only be found in an urban center.
It’s also located near many of Dallas’ design-based consultancies and related businesses, as well as the national and regional headquarters of several major private and public corporations, including Texas Instruments, Dean Foods, Affiliated Computer Services (ACS), Belo Corp., Alliance Data, Kimberly-Clark, American Airlines, Nieman Marcus, CoMerica Bank and Atmos Energy, among others.
