FACILITIES

Glass studios and laboratories of VICARTE at FCT-NOVA campus are equipped with:

Gas furnace for glass melting, glory hole, annealing ovens, a bench work with torches, and all the tools needed for glass blowing and lampworking. Furnaces used for fusing (bottom-load furnace), ovens for kiln casting, pâte de verre techniques and work on reduction atmospheres. Cutting machines, polishing, milling, and the necessary material for cold work in glass and glass samples preparation.

VICARTE also has a laboratory for ceramic work with a spray cabinet, laboratory for preparing silica-plaster molds for kiln casting and pâte de verre, stained glass atelier and two scientific laboratories with fume hoods.

Other equipment existent at VICARTE is spray pyrolysis for film deposition, CO2 laser engraver, 3D printer working with ceramic powder and several scientific equipment used for the characterization of glass and ceramic materials such us: Optical Fiber UV/VIS Spectrometer, Differential Scanning Calorimeter and Dilatometer. Furthermore, the Dep. of Conservation and Restoration also provides spaces and equipment that are made available to VICARTE.

VICARTE’s members also use the facilities and equipment of Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Lisbon (FBA/UL) Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Oporto (FBA/UP) and School of Arts and Design, Polytechnic Institute of Leiria (ESAD/IPL). In particular FBA/UL and ESAD/IPL have available several facilities and equipment, which allow de production of ceramic based art work, mold production, prototyping and additive manufacturing of models and mockups, and workshops to work with other materials such us metals, wood or stone, whenever considered necessary.