Introduction
The Architecture Annex holds freshman and sophomore design workshops, Illinois making it the first studio home for students entering the program. Located at 1208 West Peabody Drive in Urbana, Illinois the building serves as both a creative workspace and the center for the School’s fabrication facilities. The Architecture Annex is a flexible and shifting studio space, with multiple configurations for pin-ups and reviews, Illinois allowing students to adapt the environment to the demands of each project.
Instagram Student Location Photos
Your First Design Home
For students beginning their architecture education at Illinois, the Annex is where the journey starts. During your time here, architecture students will use Temple Hoyne Buell Hall, the Architecture Building and the Architecture Annex, and beginning in the sophomore year each student is allotted a dedicated studio work space. Study Architecture This progression through the School’s buildings mirrors students’ growth as designers—starting in the Annex’s collaborative workshop environment before moving to individual studio spaces in upper years.
Each student receives a dedicated work space in one of these buildings, and all buildings typically offer 24-hour access. Illinois This around-the-clock availability reflects the demands of design education, where students often work late into the night developing their projects. The building’s flexible layout supports both individual work and the collaborative critiques that are central to architectural education.
Digital Fabrication Lab
The DigiFab Shop, located in the Architecture Annex, provides students access to advanced manufacturing technology. We operate four Universal Laser Systems laser cutters. All four cutters are located in the Digifab “Laser Cutter Lab” in the Architecture Annex building. The lab is operated by trained staff for students and faculty from Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Urban Planning. Illinois
We offer 3D printing services on a first come first serve basis. Illinois The lab is equipped with Bambu Labs P1S multi-filament printers Illinois and an Onsrud CNC router Illinois for larger-scale fabrication projects.
The School also houses an industrial robotic arm, the largest on campus. The arm can bend and swivel on six axes and rotate 360 degrees around its base. It has a 9-foot reach from its center, so it can be used to work on something up to 18 feet long. University of Illinois News The School of Architecture purchased the robotic arm for its Detail and Fabrication Program in 2015, with the help of funding from the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and the College of Fine and Applied Arts. University of Illinois News
Please click here for a short video tour of our DigiFab Shop.
Root to Roof: Sustainability in Action
The Architecture Annex is also home to an innovative sustainability program that exemplifies the School’s commitment to environmental stewardship. Root to Roof is a student-led design-build organization serving the Central Illinois community. Our mission is to engage future architects to think critically about locally harvested lumber, hand-crafting, and the principles of sustainability through active project planning and participation. Illinois
Mr. Miller developed the Root to Roof program in spring 2016 soon after he started with ISoA. Root to Roof is a program which minimizes urban wood and tree waste by turning that material into usable lumber for design build projects. Illinois
The program addresses both environmental and community needs. Root to Roof is a program established to educate students about the sustainability and availability of urban wood for the design and fabrication of furniture, outdoor installations, homes and buildings. It does this through harvesting waste timber from campus and the City of Urbana and milling it to become usable lumber. Illinois
The environmental impact is significant: Milling material locally produces hundreds of pounds of CO2 annually compared to tens of thousands to buy the same material from all over the USA. This allows the Root to Roof program to utilize otherwise useful material for beneficial projects instead of that very same material being shredded into mulch. This creates a net gain of carbon sequestration locally. Illinois
Our locally sourced lumber is milled, dried, and dimensioned in-house to be crafted into high quality projects. This keeps material out of the carbon cycle longer as it becomes sequestered in a usable object for years to decades. Root To Roof
Zero Waste Woodshop Initiative
Building on the School’s sustainability focus, the Architecture Annex woodshop has pioneered waste reduction efforts. The goal of this student-led project is to create a zero-waste woodshop. A significant amount of material flows through the shop at the School of Architecture and most students waste more than they use. Illinois The Student Sustainability Committee allocated $3,500 to the Zero Waste Woodshop Illinois
The Student Experience
The Architecture Annex is where students first experience the intensity and camaraderie of architecture education. Three sophomores in architecture major are working in the Architecture Annex Studio The Daily Illini —a scene repeated daily as students develop their design skills alongside their peers.
“I don’t think being an architecture major is honestly that good for you, because I know a lot of us don’t really sleep that much,” The Daily Illini one sophomore noted. “We’re all working on our projects constantly.” The Daily Illini
Yet the demanding environment creates strong bonds. As another student explained, although the major is time-consuming, the students have many similar experiences, so there is a sense of camaraderie. The Daily Illini
“We just had final reviews, and I got to see my classmates’ projects that I haven’t seen for a while, and they looked awesome,” The Daily Illini one junior recalled, capturing the reward that comes from the shared intensity of studio culture.