After seven years, the outdated hand-drafting lab is to receive funding for new computers and electrical rewiring that the room requires.

The proposal for 28 computers, monitors, desks, chairs and the accompanying network and electrical remodel passed at the Instructional Technology Committee (ITC) as well as the Student Senate earlier this year. It finally passed at the College Planning Council (CPC) meeting Wednesday, Sept. 19, which launched the long-awaited upgrade.

“I definitely think that the advice we get from the advisory committee, made up of professionals in various architectural fields, is true,” drafting department chair Armando Arias del Cid said. “They are advising us to upgrade and have been saying that for seven years, which is when I started proposing it. The students will appreciate being able to work with tools that are not 25 years outdated. ”

Arias del Cid was a member of the Advisory Board for world-renowned CAD software, Revit. For years, he has been seeking to upgrade the current drafting lab to a computer lab and convert all courses to computer-integrated courses, which is what modern architects and engineers need. Arias del Cid explained that hand-drafting has little benefit for students in search of real work experience.

“Hand-drafting is like teaching kids to cook with wood: the food is going to taste great, but it’s outdated,” Arias del Cid said. “No one’s going to do that commercially anymore. They’re not going to get a job.”

When evaluated last year, fiscal estimates for a full-scale lab remodel came back from architects with a price that astounded the CPC: $600,000.

“In my estimate, and I am an architect as well, that is too high,” Arias del Cid said. “And that’s typical because they only do the schematic design.”

The price tag halted progress until it was decided that only the electrical and network wiring necessitated immediate remodel.

“The majority of the faculty in my department believe that if we can get the computers, desks, monitors, and chairs, we can put them in the lab and we can work,” said Arias del Cid. “As long as we have the electrical connections, we don’t have to do a big remodel as proposed.”

At the CPC meeting, committee members affirmed that the computers are a necessary update for the program, and that evaluations should begin as soon as possible.

“It was surprising for me because from everything I’ve heard before, I thought it would be very negative again,” Arias del Cid said. “It really surprised me that right away they said they had no problem with it. That was not what I was expecting.”

The CPC is currently in the process of bringing back architects to continue developing plans for the remodel.

“This went through extensive review: the expenses were cut tremendously; it was agreed to modify over half the cost. If that could be the ploy for the spring semester, I would support approving this,” said Academic Senate representative Kathy O’Connor at the CPC meeting Wednesday.