LIFE AT ECU | Creating + Learning

Shops + Studios

A spacious, sunlit printmaking studio with soaring ceilings lined in light wood and large floor-to-ceiling windows offering panoramic views of a city skyline and distant mountains. Several heavy-duty printing presses — black and red metal machines with rollers — are arranged on a polished concrete floor. A student in a black t-shirt and jeans works at a table near the window, preparing materials. Industrial ductwork runs along the walls, and modern linear lights hang from the ceiling, blending functional design with natural light.
LIFE AT ECU | Creating + Learning

Shops + Studios

Shops + Studios

Where ideas take shape.

Emily Carr University is home to 20+ unique art, design and media production environments. Each space is supported by expert technical staff who ensure safe, accessible environments and provide hands-on instruction.

Meet our Team
Student in a motion capture suit suspended in a harness, reaching forward while instructors observe and assist in a studio equipped with sensors and lights.

Explore our Shops + Studios

Student animating characters in the animation studio.

Animation Studio

Student shaping clay on pottery wheel in ceramics studio.

Ceramics Studio

Student gathering colourful Risograph prints.

Communication Design Studio

Student sanding a wood piece in the Design Wood Shop.

Design Wood Shop

Student and technician reviewing a 3D model file on a computer screen.

Digital Fabrication Lab

Student drawing with charcoal on large piece of white paper.

Drawing Studios

Student photographing a sitting subject in front of a green screen.

Film + Screen Arts

Flexible Materials Lab

Two students work together at laptops, smiling and talking in a classroom setting.

Foundation Shop

Student knealing, making adjustments to their wood and white fabric chair.

Industrial Design Studios

Student in a harness and black motion capture suit, mimicking swimming along the sea floor.

Integrated Motion Studio

Student working in the Interaction Design Lab.

Interaction Design Lab

Student wearing safety goggles using a blowtorch to heat metal in a workshop.

Metal Shop

A student kneels on the floor during a performance, adjusting wires and shining a small light over large translucent bowls filled with water and ice, with a glowing effect. A laptop and audio equipment sit nearby.

New Media + Sound Art

Student standing painting with a canvas propped up on an easel, using blue paint.

Painting Studios

A photography student examines negatives on the ECU campus.

Photography Studios

Student working on a print in the Print Media Studio.

Print Media Studio

Student building a wire sculpture.

Sculpture Wood Shop

Detail of a woven textile in turquoise and blue with yellow threads, showing texture and interlaced fibers up close.

Soft Shop

Technician helping a student measure a panel board in the wood shop.

Stretchers + Surfaces Wood Shop

Technician soldering at a work table in the WIP Lab.

Wearables + Interactive Products Lab

Other Creativity Resources on Campus

Tool Checkout attendant helping a customer at the service window.

Tool Checkout + Material Resale

The Tool Checkout + Material Resale is a campus-wide service offering a variety of tools for short-term loan and consumable materials for purchase.

Visit Tool Checkout + Material Resale

Digital Output Centre (DOC)

The DOC is where students, faculty and staff can submit digital files for output at a reasonable cost. We have several different top-of-line devices: wide-format inkjet and toner printers, colour and black & white laser printers, a risograph printer and a vinyl cutter. High-resolution scanning services are also available. The DOC is operated by Information Technology Services.

Explore the DOC
A group of students gathers around a professional video camera in a studio setting. One student adjusts the camera’s touchscreen while others look on, learning how to operate the equipment.

Media Resources Centre

Students taking regular credit courses, faculty and staff may borrow from a large selection of analog and digital audio, video and photo equipment. The Media Resources Centre is operated by Information Technology Services.

Visit the Media Resources Centre
Bachelor of Fine Arts student Shelly Kositsky and Master of Design student Sreya Naga Iakshi are engaged in the Charred Wood research initiative at Emily Carr University’s Material Matters research hub. Shelly holds up a piece of dark, textured material made from wood charcoal, showcasing an early experimental sample. Sreya stands beside her, smiling with interest, as they collaborate on exploring sustainable materials and innovative design applications.

Research Centres + Labs

ECU’s Research Centres + Labs bring together faculty, students and partners to explore creative, social and technological innovation. Each centre + lab focuses on a distinct area, from health design and sustainability to media, materials and entrepreneurship, advancing research that connects creativity with real-world impact.

Explore Research Centres + Labs