Discover Campus Makerspaces

June 13, 2022

As Mirabella at ASU residents become more comfortable venturing onto campus on their own time, it has been fascinating to hear about their experiences. The makerspace at the Hayden Library and also the Fabrication Lab (The “FabLab”) within the Arts, Media and Engineering school are both amenities to which Mirabella at ASU residents have access as a part of their affiliate membership in the ASU community. Both spaces have many thousands of dollars worth of high tech equipment for use in individual creative projects, including 3D printers, laser cutters, sewing machines, podcasting studios, a video editing bay, welding equipment, and much more.  Mirabella at ASU resident Donna taught a creative arts technique called “Zen Tangle” to ASU students at the Arts, Media and Engineering FabLab located just across the street from Mirabella. During her workshop, she had an impromptu collaborative experience with an ASU student, which these spaces are specifically designed to promote. She says,

Towards the end of my workshop, a student disappeared and I thought he just left. Later he came to show me that he had taken his Zen Tangle drawing and used a laser cutter to etch the artwork into a piece of wood. All I could say was, ‘WOW. Can you do that for me?

Thanks to the valuable maker space and the openness of the AME program to invite Donna to teach, she and the student were able to engage each other in a reciprocal teaching and learning experience through their shared love of art.

Marty, another adventurous Mirabella at ASU resident, headed to the Hayden Library maker space to solve a very real problem: a tipsy coffee cup.

What wonderfully creative, solution-oriented learners we have in the community! I can’t wait to see what they’ll come up with next!

My favorite travel mug had a tendency to tip over, so I thought I could use the makerspace to 3D print a cup holder to make it more stable. I did a rough design and made an appointment to carry out my plan. The makerspace provided the software to create the design and a knowledgeable and patient guide to walk me through the steps. He showed me out to submit the finished design and told me they would let me know when it was ready. Within a few days I was able to get it and put it to a test. It works perfectly!