FEATURED - Creating Effective Spaces in Your Makerspace

Patti Faulkner • April 8, 2024

Inspired by Smith System, a school furniture company committed to improving and enhancing the learning experience, we design wholesale school furniture for all learners.

The makerspace is a hub of innovation, where students engage in problem-solving, creativity, and collaboration. It's a space where learning begins with identifying problems or needs and progresses to designing original solutions. Discussions, evaluations, and modifications are integral parts of the process, leading to prototyping, testing, and manufacturing.

Given the diverse range of activities happening simultaneously in a makerspace, it's crucial to design spaces that cater to quiet, individual work as well as group collaboration and construction activities. This calls for versatile furniture that can adapt to the ever-changing needs of the space, much like the projects undertaken by students.


Designing Functional Work Areas

An effective makerspace starts with a well-thought-out layout that divides the space into zones based on noise levels—quiet, medium, and noisy. It's beneficial to separate quiet and noisy areas to create a conducive environment for different activities. Adequate storage for raw materials, tools, and projects is essential. Strategic placement of classroom storage can act as a buffer between zones and help maintain organization.


Managing Storage and Logistics

The nature of making involves a variety of raw materials and projects of varying sizes. Managing these materials and projects efficiently is crucial to prevent chaos. Cascade® Storage offers a flexible system with removable totes in various sizes, ideal for organizing materials and projects. Cascade® cabinets provide secure storage for totes, freeing up workspace when not in use.


Facilitating Movement and Accessibility

Transporting items within the makerspace is made easier with versatile carts like the Everything Cart or Flat-Shelved Booktruck, which provide quick and easy access to projects and materials. These carts also promote a tidy environment by facilitating the storage of materials at the end of class.


Ensuring Durability and Functionality

Furniture in the makerspace needs to be durable to withstand the demands of the environment. Tables with Trespa® TopLab surfaces are incredibly durable and damage-resistant, ensuring longevity. The Planner and Interchange frames are constructed with steel tubing for strength and stability, with the option of adding casters for mobility.


Supporting the Instructor

The makerspace teacher plays multiple roles and needs tools that support mobility and versatility. The Cascade® AV Presentation Cart securely holds AV equipment and provides a mobile platform for presentations. The Cascade® Mega Tower serves as a versatile storage and organization solution, doubling as a presentation/communication center with its optional Whiteboard.


Consider equipping the instructor with a desk from the Cascade® line, which integrates seamlessly with Cascade® storage options and the Presentation Cart, providing a cohesive and functional workspace.

With over 25 years of expertise, 3 Oaks Resource Group International offers access to an extensive range of products, vendors, and suppliers. Let us be your trusted partner in transforming spaces, where every detail is crafted with precision and passion. Elevate your surroundings with 3 Oaks - where excellence meets innovation.

Want to see pricing and options for any of these products or others. Let's talk. From a single set of chairs to an entire campus, we provide inclusive design and procuremnet services that take you from vision through delivery and installation on budget.


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