Jack sent me a great collection of photos and feedback from NCC in the cities, which I’m posting below:
These are from the common studio space. The most similar situation we have been talking about. They show individual storage shelves, a few wheels, and work tables.
These are from the glaze materials room. Storage, spray booth, mixing equipment.
Also a materials list that you fill out when you mix your glazes. You are then charged accordingly.
The glaze bay where bulk glazes are available for use. Test tiles on the walls of the various glaze combinations. There are two double sinks for clean up. Stir sticks and dipping tongs available for use.
Student class spaces including storage of wet work and personal items like clay and tools. Mostly folks bring there tools with them each class rather than risk them being “borrowed.”
The kiln room. Electric kilns for bisque work and low to mid-range firing. There are four gas kilns. Two for soda firings, one large one where class works are fired, and one computer programmed one for most studio artists. Storage for kiln furniture and tools for clean up.
Shelves for student work that has been bisqued, when it’s been glazed waiting for firing, and after that ready for pickup.
Miscellaneous shots. Plaster table for drying clay, an extruded. Another glazing station and double sinks.
This is a helpful way for people to identify studio monitors and staff. During student open studio hours there is a monitor available.
General rules that seem to be very important are, no outside clay is to be used by students. The only low or mid-range clay is a red type. Clearly identifiable. When you see several shelves of fired work ruined by a melted pot you understand why. The other pots are ruined as are the shelves and stilts. An expensive mistake.
The other basic rule being you don’t mess with other people’s work. In any stage of production. Hands off.
That being said this pottery studio is one of the friendliest, cooperative spaces I have ever experienced.
From Mark: Many thanks Jack for this great report back on NCC!
Thanks Mark and Jack for insight into Northern Clay! What a big space, and look at all those kilns. 
Similar set up at La crosse Clay, only much smaller scale, two kilns only - one for bisque and one for glazing.
