Here’s an interesting concept that is slowly spreading across the Sates: A TechShop is:

…a fully-equipped open-access workshop and creative environment that lets you drop in any time and work on your own projects at your own pace. It is like a health club with tools and equipment instead of exercise equipment…
Anyone can come in and build and make all kinds of things themselves using the TechShop tools, machines and equipment, and draw on the TechShop instructors and experts to help them with their projects.
TechShop is designed for everyone, regardless of their skill level. TechShop is perfect for inventors, “makers”, hackers, tinkerers, artists, roboteers, families, entrepreneurs, youth groups, FIRST robotic teams, arts and crafts enthusiasts, and anyone else who wants to be able to make things that they dream up but don’t have the tools, space or skills.

The concept seem similar to a Fab Lab, only run on a commercial, membership basis.

As I’ve suggested in the past in relation to Fab Labs, the TechShop idea seems to me one that a school could adopt as a way of making its D&T facilities available to its local community.

Could be an idea of particular interest to Technology and Engineering colleges?

This entry was posted on Sunday, February 24th, 2008 at 9:04 pm and is filed under Fab@School. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.