Downtown lab immerses students in creativity of design
A cavernous space in downtown Long Beach that used to house the old Gold’s Gym has become a creative blank canvas, a space where Cal State Long Beach design students and faculty can showcase all kinds of thought-provoking art and installations.
The Immersive Design Research Lab (IDRL) — an extension of the same lab in the University Library – boasts over 66,000 square feet and 2 ½-story high ceilings. Since March 2025, the IDRL has become a public-facing gathering spot for “happenings”: experimental, high- and low-tech installations, photography, performance and research for those curious about human interactions with technology, art, design and space.
The IDRL has become a real-world laboratory for displaying work, getting immediate feedback and documenting reactions; it’s also become a go-to stop during the Downtown Long Beach Alliance’s monthly Art + Design Walks.
“It’s a chance for a public audience to see their work,” said Heather Barker, professor of design who is leading this effort, both as founding director and principal investigator, and as a councilmember for the Downtown Long Beach Design District. “The lab is providing much more opportunity for visibility, for students to refine their craft, to see their skills and their impacts.”
With the kinds of programming the IDRL has featured, including workshops and networking sessions with Adobe, Snapchat, professional designers and downtown Long Beach businesses, “it can translate directly into workforce opportunities,” Barker said. “It also holds (the students) accountable at a very high level.”
Recent research by consulting firm McKinsey & Company has also shown that consumers — especially Gen Zers — are more interested in immersive, in-person experiences than digital or virtual ones, even if they’re temporary.
So far, the IDRL has presented an experimental photography exhibit of CSULB students’ work; dance “experiences” choreographed and performed by Beach dance students; a design faculty member’s showcase of his sabbatical work, titled “Hockney’s Window” and a College of Liberal Arts presentation on monsters.
The most recent showcase is a project called “Calling for Doubles,” which explores the concept of duality and invites the public to share their ideas for a follow-up show. It was open to the public during the Feb. 14 art and design walk. The IDRL is also open to the public Wednesdays from 5-7 p.m.
Jessica Ivana ’25 worked as a manager at IDRL last year. She got her Master of Arts degree in human experience design interactions. “The lab aims to create a collaborative space, where CSULB students can work together,” Ivana said. “It’s different from a traditional class; it functions like a living lab, where we can experiment and explore ideas. And we do it in a public-facing, real-world context. We’re learning how to design and conduct research within real-world constraints.”
The IDRL is made possible through a Beach 2030 award and Mosaic, which owns and manages the space. It is also supported by Studio One Eleven, a downtown Long Beach architecture and urban design firm that’s one of the key forces behind the Downtown Long Beach Design District, which stretches along The Promenade, a pedestrian-only road between East 3rd and 4th streets.
Barker and her student assistants have planned exhibitions and workshops through May. From mid-April to early May, exhibition design students from Art 450 and 550 will build their final projects in the IDRL. Then a Professionals Night is tentatively scheduled for May 15.
Although the IDRL is intended to be a temporary space, students like Joshua Kim have already learned valuable life lessons in the lab.
“I learned how interactive design works in a real public space, not just a classroom,” said Kim, who aims to get his MFA in design this spring. “I’ve witnessed how people move and react and feel in an immersive environment. I also learned about collaboration and communication, especially storytelling through the installations, and how installations interact with (outside) communities.”
Want to see more?
The Immersive Design Research Lab is located at 200 N. Waite Court, Long Beach. It’s on the corner of East 4th Street and The Promenade; it’s open during the monthly Downtown Long Beach Art + Design Walks and from 2-7 p.m. Wednesdays.
On April 11, the IDRL will participate in the Art + Design Walk with a workshop and an exhibition, “@Design ... And Its Double,” from 2-7 p.m.
