Kingston School of Art facilities
Explore our world-class design facilities
Explore the world class Kingston School of Art facilities
At Kingston School of Art we believe in:
Thinking through making
We believe that students learn most about ideas, materials and techniques by being experimental practitioners. We therefore encourage maximum participation in creating tangible objects. Students use this to understand their medium and find a unique identity for their work.
Analogue to digital
We believe that students gain a true and deep understanding of making if given access to a spectrum of processes, from historic and traditional to contemporary and experimental. Consequently, we provide a vast range of tools and methodologies to explore and combine, from blacksmithing to laser cutting.
Collaboration
We believe that students – and ideas – are stimulated by sharing concepts and approaches, and by collaborating with people whose perspective is different. Therefore, we ensure all facilities are open to all Kingston School of Art students, regardless of their chosen field of study.
3D workshop facilities
A state-of-the-art space offering tools for metal work, model making, forge and foundry, as well as a ceramics studio, welding bay, woodworking mill, plaster room and digital prototyping suite. Bring your ideas to life in our 3D workshop.
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Ceramics Studio
Our ceramics studio includes a dedicated kiln room, advanced slab-rolling bench, jigger-jolly machines and a large 5-foot kiln for ambitious projects. With expert support, students engage in slip casting, glazing, mould-making and more, creating large-scale and intricate ceramic pieces.
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Digital suite
The digital suite is equipped with cutting-edge technology, including a Zund plotter, laser engravers and a 4-axis CNC milling machine. It also features a hackSpace with 3D printers and CAD stations. This space empowers students to bring concepts to life, transforming ideas into 3D with the latest design technology.
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Metal work
This versatile metalwork area provides everything needed for traditional and digital metal techniques, from toolmaking to CNC plasma cutting. Facilities include industrial lathes, milling tools and high-quality sheet metal equipment.
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Model making
The model-making space is designed for creating detailed, small-scale models in wood, plastic and other model-making materials. Students have dedicated bench spaces to safely store projects while constructing their models.
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Plaster room
With facilities for various mould-making and casting techniques, the plaster room offers a space to experiment with surface treatments and textures, exploring traditional and modern casting processes.
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Forge and foundry
Students can experience traditional foundry work, including metal casting and the lost wax process, learning ancient methods in a modern academic setting.
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Welding bay
Equipped for MIG, TIG, and ARC welding, our welding bay supports a range of fabrication needs with processes to join and shape both ferrous and non-ferrous metals.
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Woodworking mill
Our woodworking mill offers tools for processing natural and man-made materials, from table saws to planers and routers, allowing students to prepare and finish materials for large-scale projects.
Broadcast and media facilities
Professional broadcast & media facilities for real-world training.
Location: First floor, Main Building, Penrhyn Road Campus
Our dedicated TV Studio provides hands-on training in television production and broadcasting for up to 20 students. It’s divided into two sections: the Gallery, where the production team manages live broadcasts, and the Studio, where sets, lighting and cameras come together to create high-quality video and sound.
The TV Studio features industry-standard hardware and software, including:
- Cameras: 3 JVC DVX200 camcorders, 3 tracking camera pedestals
- Vision Mixer: Tricaster 8000 for seamless live and pre-recorded content
- Sound Equipment: Behringer X-Touch midi mixer, Black Magic audio monitor
- Software: Tinkerlist script management with 5 touchscreen PCs
- Audio Equipment: Hollyland Syscom Talk-Back, Sony ECM Lavalier microphones
- Lighting: ARRI 650 PLUS tungsten lamps, DMX lighting control, and green screen setup for dynamic backgrounds
- Sound Control: Acoustic curtain for soundproofing the gallery
Location: Third floor, Main Building, Penrhyn Road Campus
These purpose-built audio booths, featuring Rode Podcaster equipment, provide ideal spaces for podcasting and radio production. A newly upgraded radio studio and production rooms are under development, expected to open soon.
Location: Third floor, Main Building, Penrhyn Road Campus
Our computer labs are equipped with Apple computers and advanced software used for media and communication workshops. These labs support all aspects of digital media training.
Digital Media Workshop
Power Your creativity with industry-leading software and tools.
The Digital Media Workshop gives students access to a comprehensive library of design software, including Adobe CC, Cinema 4D, Vectorworks and Avid Media Composer. For CAD-intensive work, we offer a high-performance, GPU-boosted virtual Windows environment that supports SolidWorks and Autodesk packages.
With 128 iMac workstations, students have ample resources for both 2D and 3D design projects. Course-specific tutorials and software support are available in dedicated teaching rooms, creating a hands-on learning experience.
Print with precision using our large-format scanners, two wide-format printers and multifunctional A3 and A4 printers. Perfect for poster designs, photography and fine art prints, these facilities enable high-quality output in various formats.
Open six days a week, the Digital Media Workshop offers a collaborative space for all design students. Our technicians are always on hand to assist with technical queries and software needs.
Fashion Workshop: knitting & sewing facilities
Our Fashion Workshop offers everything you need to dive into your knitting and sewing projects. From beginner to advanced, our comprehensive facilities and on-site technicians are here to help bring your ideas to life.
The Sewing Workshop includes a full array of machines, from basic sewing equipment to specialised machines for jersey, leather and unique stitch types. Machines are available for buttonholes, overlocking, twin needle stitching, cover stitching and more. You’ll always have the right tools for every sewing technique.
Our Knit Workshop features both domestic and industrial knitting machines, with options for various gauges to suit your design needs. We provide linkers, yarn winders and advanced digital knit machines for techniques like intarsia, lace holes and tuck stitching.
hackSpace: a hub for innovation in electronics and programming
hackSpace is a collaborative environment where people with shared interests in technology, science, digital art and electronics come together to create, learn and innovate. This workspace is designed for students to explore electronics, programming and physical computing.
hackSpace was developed to meet the demand for a modern electronics and programming lab, providing an area where students can merge digital and physical mediums and experiment with new technology.
hackSpace offers inductions on processing and Arduino, a microcontroller that reads sensor data to interact with the physical world. Students also have access to a 3D printing service, which replicates what is offered in our 3D workshop. Once inducted, students can use the space freely to prototype, create and collaborate across disciplines. Find out more
Moving Image Workshop: filming, sound & animation studios
Explore professional studios and expert support for filming, sound recording and animation. Open six days a week for all Kingston School of Art students.Our state-of-the-art Moving Image Workshop is designed for Kingston School of Art students from any discipline to explore filming, sound recording, animation and post-production six days a week.
The workshop includes a large studio equipped for broadcast-quality filming. With a variety of film recording equipment, adjustable lighting rig, and a cyclorama, students have access to professional tools for their projects.
Students can use our sound recording room, complete with a control room and audio booth, to capture high-quality audio for films, animation and other media.
Our animation studio supports various techniques, including hand-drawn, stop-frame, 2D, and 3D animation. The space is designed for both traditional and digital animation.
We offer two post-production studios with 14 edit suites and 4 edit stations, where students can access industry-standard editing and effects technology. Disc production and streaming facilities are also available.
Our dedicated team of technical specialists is here to provide students with guidance, offering advice on everything from camera operation to sound design and post-production editing.
Photography Workshop: professional studios & darkroom facilities
Kingston School of Art’s Photography Workshop provides professional facilities for all photography needs. Open six days a week, it’s accessible to students from all disciplines, creating a collaborative environment.
Our studios are designed for projects of all sizes and include setups for tabletop photography, backdrops and flexible lighting options.
We offer a traditional darkroom for colour and black-and-white processing as well as a digital darkroom with Mac Pro workstations, high-resolution monitors and scanners and large-format printers for quality output.
Knowledgeable photography technicians are available to help students make the most of the equipment and develop their skills.
Music facilities: catering for every music genre
Studying music at Kingston University offers hands-on and academic experiences, with resources for every musical genre. From pop and rock, to experimental and multimedia, our facilities support your music-making, performing and producing. You’ll also have access to expert staff and advanced technology.
Located at Coombehurst House, Coombehurst Lodge, and the Visconti Studio, our facilities include five recording studios, a computer suite with Mac workstations, audio and video editing tools, and band rehearsal rooms.
Our renowned Visconti Studio features a live room with rare vintage recording equipment, such as Studer and Neve audio systems, Neumann microphones, and a Steinway concert grand piano. This tape-based studio also includes a Hammond organ, Mellotron and Roland Space Echo.
In addition to classic instruments like the Mellotron and Steinway, students have access to stage pianos, timpani, marimba, orchestral bass drum and other instruments. Kingston University is one of the few UK universities to offer a double-size Javanese gamelan and a set of djembe drums.
For recording and production, we also provide a 36-channel mixing desk and a range of equipment and software for monitoring, processing, and effects.
Our convenient online loans system lets students book equipment, instruments and rooms. Once booked, studios are accessible 24 hours a day, giving you maximum flexibility to work on projects.
The Nightingale Centre on the Kingston Hill campus houses our music library, containing an extensive collection of books, anthologies, scores, sheet music, periodicals and recordings. Students can also access a variety of online resources, including Grove Music Online, RILM, and the Naxos Online Recordings catalogue.
Printmaking studios
At Kingston School of Art, our printmaking studios allow students to explore a range of traditional and modern printmaking techniques. Open to all disciplines, these studios guide creativity through hands-on learning.
- Intaglio: Etching, drypoint and photo-etching.
- Relief: Woodcut, linocut, monoprint and embossing.
- Letterpress and Bookbinding: Noble Press offers bookbinding tools, metal and wood type, a foil blocking press and vintage presses.
- Screenprinting: Supports photographic, autographic, hand-cut stencil and textile printing.
- Risograph Printing: A2 Risograph duplicator with 11 colour drums for volume printing.
The studios are also equipped with a B1 Milander offset flatbed press, UV darkroom, Duplo DB-280 perfect binder, EBA-720 paper guillotine and a laser engraver. They also boast an editing suite with Epson large-format printers for creating negatives and positives for printmaking.
Our skilled technicians are always available to guide students. Health and safety are prioritised, and most processes require an induction prior to use, ensuring a safe and creative workspace.
