Supplyframe Design Lab

So the City of Pasadena has given us some feedback, we have a few things to fix for disability access, and we discovered we needed to change the size of the rapid prototyping room to accommodate the laser cutters. However this is now almost finished so we'll be able to resubmit, get final approval and get building started!

Hopefully we'll have some more impressive pics to post soon as construction begins and we start moving in the big machinery!

Wish us luck.

So as you can tell this isn't going to be your ordinary hackerspace. We've had a team of intrepid designers working feverishly to design a space that is both functional and awesome to look at and be in.

Today the day finally came when we could submit the plans to the City of Pasadena and get approval on our build out. Hopefully this will take around a month to get approval, during which time we'll be searching for contractors to help us implement this vision.

Wish them luck!

Before all the building works get underway, we thought we'd squeeze in another little event at the space. We invited SGVHAK to host their regular meeting and we had a little show and tell. Some of the show and tell was recorded:

Thanks @James McDuffie and @ldang for co-hosting with me, and everyone who brought something to show & tell. We hope to do more.

If you are in the area and interested in coming to a meetup checkout these groups:

• San Gabriel Valley Tech People (SGVTech)

• Hackaday.io Meetup Group in Pasadena

Just a quick update.

Final plans for the space have been agreed, we've figured out placement of all the tools, and we're working with mechanical engineers to get the actual design of the space turned into something that can be made. This will then move on to getting permits with the city and then we can start the build!

Yesterday I spent some time with the designers planning the positions of every tool in the shop, so far we have:

• 36" sawstop table saw
• 4' x 8' PRSalpha shopbot
• Roland MDX-540 mill
• Roland MDX-40a mill (exclusively for PCB milling)
• Bandsaw
• Drill press
• Drum sander
• Belt + Disc sander
• Bench grinder
• Jointer
• Manual Lathe
• Panel saw

I can't wait to start ordering this kit and get in there!

So the designers have been hard at work and have given us our first previews of what the new space might look like.

We don't want to give the game away entirely yet, since there's a lot still undecided, but here's a plan view so you can get a bit of a feel for what we're going for:

Bear in mind that this is just an initial mockup. Here's a quick rundown of the intentions for each area.

Top left - main workshop. This will contain all the large dusty noisy tools. CNC, drill press, mill, lathe etc.

Bottom left - loading dock and large project area. We're keeping this open, there may be some soft seating which can be removed when we're using this space for larger projects.

Center top - kitchen area, below it some tall bar tables for eating and general work.

Center bottom - main work areas, soldering and test equipment along left wall, pull up seating and workstations along bottom wall. Right area is all chalkboard and rudimentary library.

Small rooms middle right - two small rooms here, one is a meeting room and the other is a 3d printing and laser cutting room.

Small rooms top right - storage and toilets.

Right window area - this is our main gallery and exhibition area. There will be some temporary movable seating here, but we'll also use this space for running events, exhibitions and there are some interesting plans afoot where we might projection map this entire space!

So, as you can see, we're coming along. We're hoping to begin build out in early December, and maybe have some preview open days in late January!

It has been a while since the last updated, but things are progressing swimmingly. We have a top notch design firm helping us out with the design and layout of the space. There are sadly no new photos at this stage, as we're keeping the design under wraps, but last week we got the first look at the plans for the space and it is frankly kind of awesome. Lots of interesting use of lighting, and materials, to bring about a Hackaday aesthetic (lots of black!) to the space. I won't reveal much more, you'll just have to wait and see.

I can say however that this is shaping up to be something very different from your usual hackerspace, more focused on design and aesthetics, but still providing the tools to get the job done. Stay tuned, more will be revealed in about a month or so as we start getting closer to finished renders.

Its been a long time coming, but we have finally secured the space. We haven't yet been given the keys as the owners are still doing some final work on the place, but we are very very close now.

We took a wander over today to check it out again and start planning how the space will be laid out. Lots of photos below.

We've also laid down some of the plans for how we're going to use the space initially. Nothing is yet set in stone, but we're trying to do something a little different with the space. SupplyFrame will be funding the rent and helping to bankroll the initial setup costs, this is really awesome as it means we can hit the ground running.

The plan in the general sense is to create a multi-use space for designers, artists and engineers to come together and create awesome things. As such we want to ensure the space has a welcoming well designed feel to it to help encourage more people from other disciplines than just hackers. This will require a bit more design work up front but we think we have the right contacts to make that happen.During the week we should have the space open during business hours most days, with a member of our staff covering the space. When staffed the space will be open for all to come and hangout, no membership required but you will need to sign a disclaimer if you want to use any of the equipment.

For those who want to use the space outside of working hours we'll be doing an invite only basis to begin with while we figure out how the space will run in off-hours. There'll be a nominal membership fee just to ensure you are committed, and there'll probably be discounts for students too!

While we get all this up and running we will probably start hosting some meetups and other workshops and events to get the ball rolling, so if you have ideas for an appropriate event please give us a shout and let us know and we'll see what we can do.

In the meantime we're going to start collecting together a final equipment list so that we can begin laying out the space, much fun to be had ahead! We don't have a huge budget but we'd like to get a few big pieces of equipment like a laser cutter and large format CNC. If you have any suggestions for equipment you'd like to see in the space then let us know now.

So its been a couple of weeks since we viewed some spaces, we made our top picks and we've started negotiations for renting the spaces. This is proceeding as planned, but might be a little while before we secure a space. Plus all the venues we looked at will require some work before we can get access so we're probably looking at late May before we get the keys in our hands.

All this means we're in a bit of a holding pattern right now, not quite able to go out and start buying tools yet, nor are we able to plan the space till we know which one we're getting.

In the meantime we've gained a lot of followers on this project, but not much feedback. So please speak up, let us know what would make the perfect HackASpace for you!

So last week we had Mike and Mathieu from HackADay in the office to discuss the plans for the year, while they were here we decided to go visit a few potential spaces in which to start the HackASpace. We viewed 3 spaces, all of which were around 4000 square feet and had loading doors for heavy equipment delivery.

Below are a bunch of photos from the tour, taken by the fantastic Chris Gammell who was also visiting us at the time. We all ended up agreeing on the most appropriate space, but we're not letting on yet which one we like best. The good news however is that things are now in motion, we just need legal to cross the t's and dot the i's and we'll be on our way!

​We want to build the best hackerspace we possibly can. If its going to be a HackADay official space then it really needs to be awesome. So, what goes into a great hackerspace?

The Philosophy

There seem to be a variety of styles of hackerspace. From the incredibly engineering oriented ​Null Space Labs to the far more casual hackerspaces that seem to be more common. We need to set the right tone for our space so that we get out of it something amazing. We want a lot of cool things to come out of the space that we wouldn't ordinarily see.

This isn't a TechShop where you turn up, use the laser cutter and leave. This is an extension of your workshop, a place you come to do things, not just sit around on sofas and drink beer. Getting this feeling right is going to be a big part of the success or failure of the space.

The Space

First off the space is of prime importance. We want it to be within a short distance of the SupplyFrame HQ which is in Old Town Pasadena, this gives us access to shops and food so we can spend more time in the space without having to get too far from our projects.

We want a few thousand square feet at least since we want to have space for heavy machinery as well as work space for our members. We also want high ceilings to ensure our imaginations are not limited by head height!

We also want enough space for car parking since parking in LA and Pasadena area can be a bit of a nightmare at times, and we want easy access to our space for unloading equipment and project materials.

We've started the hunt for a space that is suitable, but we haven't found one yet, so if you have any ideas please let us know in the comments!

The Equipment

At minimum we want enough soldering equipment for everyone, and a laser cutter and 3d printer. But that's just the start, there's an almost infinite number of tools you could want in a hackerspace. We've started putting together a wish list of all the tools and parts we'd want in the ​Components List on this project, so check that out and let us know in the comments here what we're missing or what the best options are. For instance whats the best laser cutter we should buy?

The Projects

One thing we're all in agreement on with regard to the HackASpace is we want projects to be going on. We want a big group project that anyone can contribute to. This should be an ambitious thing, something you wouldn't try and do as an individual. It should bring together people from across a variety of disciplines to make something truly special. We have a great collection of talent in Pasadena, lets make use of it! If you have any ideas for something we should build let us know.