This guide is designed as a resource for Area 49's spaces and technology. Check our Workshops page for dates and times and to register for trainings.
To learn more about Area 49, please visit Area49.charlotte.edu.
For the Area 49 Resources LibGuide, which includes a variety of programs and examples of nontraditional projects, visit https://guides.library.charlotte.edu/area49resources.
Area 49 promotes creativity, collaboration, analysis, and experimentation, and can be used beyond academic reasons. We can even help you figure out how to approach your ideas, even if you are not on campus. Ask us for help with unconventional projects, determining which technology to use to complete a project, or figuring out how to make your ideas happen!
Area49.Charlotte.edu atkinsarea49@charlotte.edu
Use the arrows to take a look at Area 49's many spaces and services.
You can borrow all kinds of technology from the Area 49 Desk on the second floor. Take a look at our Borrow Technology page to see our selection of DSLR cameras, video cameras, tripods, audio recording equipment, circuitry kits, and more! Most items are available to check out for 7 days.
Record your videos here! All you need is a USB drive (available at the Area 49 Desk). Plug it in, and the system will let you choose backgrounds, show content from your computer via HDMI hookup, and record yourself against any backdrop using the blue screen.
Use the Makerspace's crafting and DIY materials for low-tech making or get trained to use our 3D printers, laser cutter, CNC Router, vinyl cutter, and sewing machines. The Makerspace is free to use, except for select materials sold at cost for use with certain machines. You can also submit a 3D print or large format print and have us print it for you. Take a look at the Makerspace page for more information.
The room-width screen in the Visualization Lab is great for seeing all your information at once from our high-powered computers or from your HDMI-enabled laptop. The HTC Vive virtual reality headset is great for gaming or even developing games or environments. Take a look at our Visualization Lab page for more information and how to get trained.
Here, you can create high-quality, digital models of 3D objects. The camera will take pictures of the object from all angles, and the software will stitch them together to develop the model. You can then use this model in other programs or even 3D print it!
Play a game! The Gaming Lab contains an Alienware gaming PC, an Xbox One and Xbox 360, a Playstation 4 Pro, and an Atari CX2600-A. You can check out games, controllers, and headsets at the Area 49 Desk, or you can bring your own. We also have classic consoles with preloaded games available for 7-day checkouts. These are NES, SNES, Atari Flashback 9, and Playstation Classic. Take a look at our Borrow Technology page for a complete list of gaming checkouts.
This computer lab supports professional-grade media production. The computers area loaded with software such as the Adobe Creative Cloud Suite, Final Cut Pro, iMovie, and GarageBand. Take a look at the Multimedia Lab page for a full list of software.
We offer trainings on our machines and spaces and workshops on all kinds of making and creation. We update the list on our Technology Instruction page all the time, but as you roam the second floor, look for current offerings on the Area 49 whiteboard wall and on the digital display above the Area 49 Desk.
We also offer class activities that align with specific course goals and help you think about ideas in new ways. We cover things like design thinking, critical thinking, collaboration, emerging technologies, making, brainstorming, and more. Students, if your instructor books a session for your class, get ready for something different! Instructors, our Technology Instruction page contains more information on how we can work together to build unique experiences for your students, even for online or hybrid classes!
