Philosophy on the Organization of the Makerspace
Our Improved Space
Over the past two weeks, Make Santa Fe staff and volunteers completed one of the biggest upgrades our space has seen. In anticipation of turning 10, and largely out of necessity, we closed the doors and spent two weeks over the holidays upgrading and improving the space.
Over the past year, we attempted these upgrades over our short weekends and during operating hours, but so much of this effort required completely closing down large portions of Make, and we didn’t think that fair to our members, and, quite frankly, couldn’t have done it while also performing day-to-day tasks like organizing classes and helping makers.
Leading up to the closure, the staff and I worked behind the scenes to define our priorities and develop a plan. We started with floor plans, dreaming big, and moved to the practical limitations of budget, time, and space. Through this planning effort, we boiled the upgrades down to three main necessities: reduce the visual noise and cognitive load of the space; create systems that are easier to maintain and clean; and improve the quality and capability of our most popular disciplines.
This work reflects a larger truth: Make Santa Fe is growing up. Our community is larger, our tools are busier, and our expectations for safety, clarity, and reliability are higher. We needed a space that supports that growth while also demonstrating what’s possible when a makerspace takes design, fabrication, and systems thinking seriously.
Why We Did This
When someone walks into a makerspace for the first time, the biggest obstacle is rarely technical; it’s cognitive. Too much visual noise creates overload. Tools and equipment disappear into the background. Even experienced members don’t know what we have or what’s possible. A maker’s exploration becomes smaller and simpler, and they tend to retreat into a single discipline. The goal of our space is for our disciplines to work together to add capability. So, we needed to fix it.
In other words, this wasn’t just about making things look “nice.” It was about making them work better.
What Changed (And Why It Matters)
Here’s what we accomplished during the two-week shutdown.
Visual Clarity & Wayfinding
We repainted major surfaces throughout the building, including:
- The front of the building
- The large white wall in the main room
- The new 3D printer wall
- The metalshop wall (goodbye years of wax and grime)
These weren’t aesthetic choices alone. Clean, consistent surfaces reduce visual clutter and make tools, signage, and people stand out. Blank space is intentional; it gives our brains room to work.
Digital Infrastructure & Reliability
We upgraded computers throughout the space and replaced aging PCs with Mac Minis better suited to running Fusion 360 and other demanding software. All machines were standardized and fully configured with our software suite.
This lowers support time, reduces frustration, and improves reliability. This will also allow us to remotely manage our computers, so everything stays up to date and on the same versions.
Shop Reorganization & Workflow Design
We reorganized nearly every major shop area:
- 3D printing relocated and restructured
- The tool wall was moved and rebuilt for clarity and access
- Both laser cutters were relocated, ventilated, and upgraded with articulating computer arms
- Metal machining and lathe area reorganized
- A brand-new metal lathe has replaced our aging and broken ones.
Tools now live next to the processes they support. Adjacent workflows are actually adjacent. Movement through the space is deliberate instead of accidental.
Safety, Air Quality & Dust Collection
This was one of the most important areas of focus.
- Improved laser ventilation
- Expanded dust collection across the woodshop, with added dust collection to the miter saw and router table
- Built a new downdraft sanding cart
- Fixed and upgraded overhead dust collection for better suction
- Added new dust collection to the wood lathe room
We also removed approximately 43,543 power strips (give or take) and replaced them with proper electrical infrastructure by adding new outlets in the woodshop and fixing existing ones in the metalshop.
Woodshop Upgrades
The woodshop saw major improvements, all fabricated at Make:
- New miter station and router table
- Fixed and upgraded the SawStop
- Built a new clamp wall with improved hangers
- Built new lathe carts, one for each lathe
These are the kinds of upgrades that quietly change everything: faster setups, safer operations, and less frustration per project. Plus, I am hoping they inject some inspiration into the space by showcasing what’s possible in a facility like ours.
Ceramics, Glass & Shared Storage
We expanded high-demand areas instead of trying to squeeze more out of undersized rooms:
- Extended the ceramics studio into the former “Doom Room” and created a dedicated Glass and Glaze Room
- Moved the Wazer waterjet into that space which freed up space and electrical in the matalshop
We also:
- Cleaned out a former bathroom turned closes which will become a bathroom again
- Created new overhead storage in the rafters
- Reorganized Make class storage
- Reorganized (still a work i progress) Make’s interal storage.
This is about respecting materials and respecting the people who use them.
A Space That Teaches Before You Touch a Tool
A well-organized fabrication space teaches you how to use it. It signals where things belong, how to clean up, how processes flow, and what level of care is expected. It reduces intimidation for beginners and increases efficiency for experienced makers.
Make Santa Fe exists to show what’s possible when artists, engineers, hobbyists, and professionals share tools, knowledge, and responsibility. This rebuild is part of that mission.
Now that we have a solid foundation…
With clearer systems, safer air, better workflows, and more reliable infrastructure, we can now focus on what matters to our community: making and supporting a growing creative community.
If you’re interested in how fabrication spaces can be designed to scale sustainably, financially, operationally, and culturally, we hope this work serves as a real-world example.
And if you want to see it in person, we’d love to show you.