Having successfully reached its scaled-back crowdfundraising goals with a $10,000 Indiegogo run back in September, the team behind the Houston Makerspace says it has secured a lease for 21,000 sq. ft. in this warehouse building at 100 Hutcheson St., 4 blocks north of the coming rail line on Harrisburg. Inside, eventually, will be shops for jewelry fabrication, screen printing, rapid prototyping (with a laser cutter and 3D printers), carpentry, metalwork, and sewing and textile work, and plain ol’ work work. There are also plans to put in a commercial kitchen and classrooms, install 3,000 sq. ft. of climate-controlled office, studio, and lounge space. Outside, they hope to set up a garden.
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But before the membership-based startup can start work in these spaces, it’s looking for a little help of a more uh, janitorial nature. This Saturday, it’s hoping to get prospective members to attend one of a series of “cleaning parties” to “tidy up” the warehouse before all the tools and machines move in.
Founder Maclean Smyth, who moved back to Houston from San Francisco last year, says she was prompted to create the facility after finding access to expensive tools a lot more difficult here than it had been for her in the Bay Area. Though the money raised won’t fill the Makerspace with all the equipment it hopes to have, the group believes it has enough to get started, and is looking for memberships, drop-in fees, and additional fundraising to help fund the difference.
- Houston Makerspace officially has a brick and mortar location! [Houston Makerspace]
- Houston Makerspace to Make Space for Makers in East Downtown [Glasstire]
- Houston Makerspace Cleaning Party! [Facebook]
- Houston Makerspace [Indiegogo]
Photos: Marisa Brodie
Isn’t Tx/Rx already doing this? http://www.txrxlabs.org/
No, this is different from TxRx because there’s more space, more availability for people to take classes, become members, or teach/share skills. Also, why not make more space for Makers? There’s plenty of room in Houston for everyone.
@Kwog, while I can agree that there’s plenty of room in Houston for more makerspaces, your statements about TX/RX are wrong. The HMS space is MUCH smaller than TX/RX : Their primary building is 37,270 SQFT, and they have recently added a second building at 22,300 SQFT which makes their available space more than 2X larger than this space. I’m not sure where your statement that HMS will have more availability of classes, as TXRX constantly increases their classes available, and has a much larger base of teachers, given they have 3,000 members and HMS is just getting started. All of the talks I’ve heard from MS and such related to the new space is that it will focus more on crafts, furniture, etc. vs the heavy focus on technology and fabrication at TX/RX. It is important to stick to facts as much as possible, TX/RX has worked hard for years to become what they are, acting like a brand new space is suddenly going to be bigger, with more classes, etc. overnight is not helping HMS nor the maker community with unreal expectations.
@Drone, clearly you have a vested interest in TX/RX. While @Kwog may have his facts incorrect, there’s a non-pompous way to address those issues you could have chosen. As you said, there’s plenty of room for makerspaces in Houston as I’m sure that there are more than 3000 people in the fourth largest city in the nation that may have interest in something like this. As a prospective new member for a place to learn and gain more skill, I will be honest and say that I am more likely to want to be a member of a maker community that is welcoming and fosters learning in a friendly environment as opposed to one whose members represent them in a way that would make me feel like if I ever misspoke or messed up in the learning process (which is likely) I would be put in my place in a belittling way. Thanks for making my choice easy, @Drone.
What I’m getting out of this exchange is that HMS and TX/RX will soon be using their 3D printers to make AK47s for use in Houston’s first post-modern gang war.
Proud member of TX/RX here! And soon to be of the Makerspace too.
Kwog, please could you cite a source for your remarks on the “more space, more…classes, …members,” etc?
I don’t see how Makerspace is going to be bigger. And TX/RX’s fall listing had over 40 classes. Note, I am trying to ask this in as friendly a way as possible while remaining firm in my wish for sources.
I’m with Drone on the projected use of both TX/RX and the new Makerspace. TX/RX seems to be much more industrially focused than the new Makerspace will be. I was told the space upstairs at TX/RX was going to be for crafts/jewelry, etc., I’m not seeing as much of it as I am the electronics and metalworking and large machine tools. Most of the offered classes range from fabrication, electronics, etc. to programming. They do offer some craft classes. I have taken classes there and found them informative, fun, and not at all intimidating.
The new Makerspace is, I believe, going to be more focused on jewelry, textiles, food, crafts – maybe more accessible to beginners as well.
And – I’ve just heard the Children’s Museum is going to have a mini-Makerspace for young innovators. Let’s rope them in young, because the world has a lot of problems to solve.
@Simpleman, I think you misread Drone. He was reacting (as I am) to Kwog’s assertion. Granted, it was maybe a bit defensive, but perhaps somewhat justified given Kwog’s statements?
Don’t we ALL agree that Houston can use MANY more spaces in which creative people can get together and do their things? Yep, that seems clear from all the posts.
@simpleman You must’ve misread me, I was simply pointing out the factual errors in Kwog’s post, and encouraging them to not make false statements. I am not a member of TX/RX, but I am supporter, as I will also be of HMS when it comes to be (and of every makerspace I can afford to help support). You will find the members of TX/RX highly receptive, as I have and many others as well.
Great idea, but $500 bucks a month for all-shop access would be cost prohibitive for most of the people I know…
Considering this is in the general area of TX/RX labs, as in walking distance, maybe they should have aimed for a different part of Houston?
http://goo.gl/maps/035lW
Perhaps towards the Woodlands, or down towards Clearlake, or the energy corridor?