Sew, saw, sculpt or solder — whatever your project, MakerLabs can help
Rebecca Bollwitt
Writer
Beyond bikes, rides, homes and gardens, Vancouver’s sharing economy also includes studios, workshops and tools available through community spaces like MakerLabs. The 26,000-sq.-ft. building in East Vancouver is where you can learn how to use tools, start your own small business, pursue hobbies or hire a fabrication team to bring a build to life for you.
“We do all sorts of things,” says General Manager Corinne Leroux. “We have a wood shop, metal shop, laser cutters, CNC routers, machining, ceramics, electronics, textiles and then communal co-working spaces and our independent artist studios.”
Sew, saw, sculpt or solder — whatever your project, if you don’t have a garage or the right tools to bring your vision to fruition, MakerLabs is the city-dweller’s solution where you can build what you dream, while also connecting with a creative community.
“We’ve got a lot of programming,” Leroux says. “It’s a cool space with lots of people with different disciplines so it’s always interesting to see what people are working on and just being in a space that has that creative energy.”
Leroux, a stained glass artist by trade, joined MakerLabs in 2014 and has been a staff member since 2019. It started out as a pop-up laser-cutter cafe in Chinatown, then moved to a temporary space in Mount Pleasant in 2014, landing in its current location at 780 E. Cordova St. in 2015.
“In Vancouver, there’s such a barrier to entry with space. Space is so expensive and so to be able to provide a space where people have access to those tools that they couldn’t put in their apartment, or just the financial barrier to buying some of those tools, it’s really cool to have access to that space — like nobody’s going to put a table saw in their apartment.”
Each user is required to take a safety and orientation class for each tool they want to use. Once that is complete, they can use the space on a drop-in basis or sign up for a membership (both for a fee) and go in as much as they like. Leroux says it depends on what you’re looking to do and how much usage you’re going to get out of the space.
“There’s been a lot of small businesses that have started in this space,” adds Leroux. “It’s been cool to see people grow, and then they leave because they’ve outgrown the space.”
Don’t have room at home? The facility offers storage. Don’t have the time or skills to complete a project? The fabrication team can help. They can assist with large or unusual projects — from anything like that oversized LEGO costume you’ve been planning for Halloween, to a birdhouse or shop sign. You dream it, they’ll build it, although it can be much more fun to learn.
Tools for change
In 2018, MakerLabs introduced the Tools for Change residency program, which focuses on empowering women and gender-diverse individuals to use tools.
“There was a pretty big disparity in genders in the building,” says Leroux. “It was about 90 per cent men at the time and now it’s about a 50/50 even split. It’s been really cool seeing that progression over the years and empowering people to use the tools.”
The residency is two months long: In the first month residents learn how to use the tools and machinery (including the wood shop, laser cutter and CNC router) while working on their projects; and in the second month they become the mentors for the next residents that come in.
Woodworking residency
The woodworking residency is similar to Tools for Change, and it’s open to all genders. The cohort learns how to build a side table with a sliding drawing, while learning to use all of the pertinent tools in the WoodLab, and getting support on their independent projects at the same time.
Open house on April 11
Showcasing the small businesses and hobbyists is part of the regular calendar of events, whether that’s through monthly meetups, free maker showcases or the member-run handmade gift shop on site, Awen Haus.
In the gift shop, open daily from 12-9 p.m., you can check out what members have been making. Leroux says it’s a great example of the different types of work you can do yourself if you want to get into any of those disciplines, such as woodworking, ceramics, laser cutting, painting, 3D printing and more.
“It’s kind of like a small business incubator,” says Leroux. “I think that’s one of the things that I like about being here the most. It’s seeing people learn all of these news skills, be successful with that and seeing how they progress.”
This month, MakerLabs will be celebrating its birthday on April 11 with an open house from 5-8 p.m. The goal is that this diverse showcase will be able to show off what any of the members are doing, not just the professional artists.
Tickets are at: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/we-make-stuff-tickets-1985546435839?aff=oddtdtcreator
Learn more at makerlabs.com.
Rebecca Bollwitt
Writer
Rebecca Bollwitt has been writing about events and travel in B.C. since 2004 on the multi-award-winning blog Miss604.com. With 25 years of digital publishing experience, she has co-authored and technically edited five books on the subject, and founded her own agency which assists clients across North America with their social media strategies and website development. Community is at the heart of her mission, and Rebecca partners with and sponsors campaigns for more than 20 charities each year. She also serves as a board executive for two local non-profit organizations.
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