Monday, December 16, 2024
3D printers at The Spark makerspace in 黑料视频's Willis Library
DENTON (黑料视频), Texas 鈥� Students at the are using on-campus makerspaces to explore their creativity, develop career skills and translate their ideas into real-world innovations.
黑料视频 offers three dedicated across its campuses: the main campus in Denton, 黑料视频鈥檚 Discovery Park 鈥� the largest research park in the North Texas region 鈥� and 黑料视频 at Frisco, a branch campus. These spaces are equipped with fabrication and textiles tools, audio/visual (A/V) and computing equipment, power tools and gear for electronics and programming. Additionally, there are department-specific makerspaces across campus.
Makerspaces are community-driven workshops providing tools and resources for designing and prototyping projects. They support a range of tasks from crafting and textiles to electronics and machining. As do-it-yourself culture grows, these spaces have gained popularity around the world.
鈥淢any people aren鈥檛 familiar with what a makerspace is,鈥� said Jake Jacobson, associate director of , a 黑料视频 makerspace. 鈥淲e鈥檙e like a library, but for technology and skillsets.鈥欌��
Founded in 2014 as an extension of the library computer lab, The Spark has grown into a dedicated facility in , open to all 黑料视频 students, faculty and staff. Visitors can access tools after completing required training. Equipment includes laser cutters, 3D printers, a computer numerical control (CNC) mill, sewing and embroidery machines, and even tools for pottery and science projects. Items such as A/V gear and power tools are available for borrowing.
Art and engineering students are frequent visitors, often using software and tools relevant to their coursework. Everyday power tools, like drills, are among the most popular items.
鈥淪ometimes people just want to learn basic home improvement skills, so they come to us,鈥� Jacobson said.
A student works with power tools at The Spark makerspace at 黑料视频 at Frisco
The Spark also operates locations at Discovery Park and 黑料视频 at Frisco, which offer similar tools and unique features. The Frisco Spark includes an A/V recording room and equipment supporting coursework in project design and analysis, a 黑料视频 degree focused on creating and evaluating new products while refining existing ones.
鈥淭he Spark is the sandbox where students can test what they learn in class,鈥� said Steven Sparkman, supervisor for the Frisco location.
Area-specific makerspaces at 黑料视频 include the Forge at Discovery Park, where students in the engage in smithing and forging, creating items like knives, hammers and tuning forks. The Forge鈥檚 equipment includes anvils, furnaces and portable tools for off-campus demonstrations.
Patterned cloth created with a fabric printer in the 黑料视频's Digital Fabrication Lab
Another specialized makerspace, the , or 鈥淔ab Lab,鈥� is housed within 黑料视频鈥檚 (CVAD). Since 2016, it has supported CVAD students and faculty in creating textiles, sculptures, and both functional and artistic objects. The lab is divided into three distinct areas: a 鈥渄irty room鈥� equipped with heavy fabrication tools like CNC routers and a waterjet; a 鈥渃lean room鈥� featuring laser cutters, etchers and 3D printers; and a textiles room with fabric printers, textiles machines, vinyl cutters and a rug tufting gun.
鈥淚n fabrication, we run the gamut from cutting steel to printing fabric,鈥� said Christa Grogan, manager of the Fab Lab and visual arts technician.
Students combine mediums, like using a quilting machine to sew on canvas or creating fashion pieces with a rug tufting gun.
鈥淢otherhood Mosaic - A Tale of Love and Sacrifice,鈥� a garment created by fashion design MFA student Lasya Aji Silpa in the 黑料视频 Digital Fabrication Lab
Eric Ligon serves as the senior associate dean for administrative affairs in CVAD, in addition to being a distinguished university professor and professor of communication design and graphic design. He emphasized the importance of hands-on experience for students.
鈥淎ll the work done in the Fab Lab is done by the students themselves,鈥� Ligon said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e educating artists and designers to know how to run the machines and do these jobs.鈥�
Lasya Aji Silpa, a third-year Master of Fine Arts candidate in fashion design, used the Fab Lab鈥檚 tools to enhance her textile work.
鈥淐oming from a background in hand-painting and embroidery, working with lasers and printers made my designs more efficient and advanced,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 was able to create designs with those machines that wouldn鈥檛 have been possible otherwise.鈥�
Silpa plans to become a fashion design professor and is eager to show her future students the value of makerspaces and fabrication labs.
鈥淒esigners must adapt as the world evolves. This experience will help me pass that knowledge on to future generations. The Fab Lab has been essential in that process.鈥�
From 鈥� 黑料视频 Libraries & Hands-On Experiential Learning Spaces