Over the course of two semesters, 17 college students came up with 7 individual plans that culminated in one final plan for the biodesign makerspace. These are the results.
Student designers were tasked with incorporating two existing 150 gallon aquaria and a 21'x7' green wall and to design for aquaponics systems and sustainable biomaterials into the space. We also needed to have areas available for making, to house the equipment supplies, and to store the projects in process.
The following list of considerations were to be accommodated based on a class size of 15 (specific equipment and material necessary for each lesson is detailed in the curriculum modules):
Issues to be considered:
- Placement of safety equipment
- Storage for flammables/consummables
- Project storage for student work-in-progress
- Materials storage
- Secure tool storage
- Requirements for projection
- Group work areas
- Individual work areas — 3’x5’ per work station
- Clean-up areas
- Access to water and drains
- Lighting required for work stations, including grow lights
Qualities:
- Biophilic
- Minimal dust
- Minimal fumes
- Minimal noise
- Activities in space
- Aquaponics
- Living Machines
- Bioplastics
- Green wall technologies
- Upcycling (including of “waste” products, e.g. sawdust)
Additional Ideas:
- Maximize storage (e.g. ideas from tiny houses, boats)
- Identify permanent vs. temporary components
- Portable items — brought in as needed
- Adaptability inherent in work stations
- Workspaces expandable
- Diagram external space relationships e.g., woodshop, grow space, bulk material storage
Tool Requirements (must accommodate “safe storage”):
- Drills
- Hand tools
- Vices
- Drill press
- Clamps
- Box cutters
- 3D printer
- oven
- testing equipment
- blenders
- stirrers
- burners/hotplates
- pots/pyrex glassware
- bowls
- drying sheets
- measuring tools
- balance
- cutting surfaces
- needle/thread
- sewing machines
* heavy fabrication to take place off site
Supplies:
- Adhesives
- PVC pipe
- sandpaper
- Potting materials
- Soil
- Aquaria/bins
- Pumps
- Grow lights
- Fish care supplies
- Drygoods (flour/starches, gelatine) and liquids (glycerine)
Durability of work station:
- Waterproof
- Heat proof
- Hammering/screwing clamps
