Monday, December 16, 2024
3D printers at The Spark makerspace in UNT's Willis Library
DENTON (UNT), Texas — Students at the University of North Texas are using on-campus makerspaces to explore their creativity, develop career skills and translate their ideas into real-world innovations.
UNT offers three dedicated makerspaces across its campuses: the main campus in Denton, UNT’s Discovery Park — the largest research park in the North Texas region — and UNT at Frisco, a branch campus. These spaces are equipped with fabrication and textiles tools, audio/visual (A/V) and computing equipment, power tools and gear for electronics and programming. Additionally, there are department-specific makerspaces across campus.
Makerspaces are community-driven workshops providing tools and resources for designing and prototyping projects. They support a range of tasks from crafting and textiles to electronics and machining. As do-it-yourself culture grows, these spaces have gained popularity around the world.
“Many people aren’t familiar with what a makerspace is,” said Jake Jacobson, associate director of The Spark, a UNT makerspace. “We’re like a library, but for technology and skillsets.’”
Founded in 2014 as an extension of the library computer lab, The Spark has grown into a dedicated facility in Willis Library, open to all UNT students, faculty and staff. Visitors can access tools after completing required training. Equipment includes laser cutters, 3D printers, a computer numerical control (CNC) mill, sewing and embroidery machines, and even tools for pottery and science projects. Items such as A/V gear and power tools are available for borrowing.
Art and engineering students are frequent visitors, often using software and tools relevant to their coursework. Everyday power tools, like drills, are among the most popular items.
“Sometimes people just want to learn basic home improvement skills, so they come to us,” Jacobson said.
A student works with power tools at The Spark makerspace at UNT at Frisco
The Spark also operates locations at Discovery Park and UNT at Frisco, which offer similar tools and unique features. The Frisco Spark includes an A/V recording room and equipment supporting coursework in project design and analysis, a UNT degree focused on creating and evaluating new products while refining existing ones.
“The Spark is the sandbox where students can test what they learn in class,” said Steven Sparkman, supervisor for the Frisco location.
Area-specific makerspaces at UNT include the Forge at Discovery Park, where students in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering engage in smithing and forging, creating items like knives, hammers and tuning forks. The Forge’s equipment includes anvils, furnaces and portable tools for off-campus demonstrations.
Patterned cloth created with a fabric printer in the UNT's Digital Fabrication Lab
Another specialized makerspace, the Digital Fabrication Lab, or “Fab Lab,” is housed within UNT’s College of Visual Arts and Design (CVAD). Since 2016, it has supported CVAD students and faculty in creating textiles, sculptures, and both functional and artistic objects. The lab is divided into three distinct areas: a “dirty room” equipped with heavy fabrication tools like CNC routers and a waterjet; a “clean room” featuring laser cutters, etchers and 3D printers; and a textiles room with fabric printers, textiles machines, vinyl cutters and a rug tufting gun.
“In fabrication, we run the gamut from cutting steel to printing fabric,” said Christa Grogan, manager of the Fab Lab and visual arts technician.
Students combine mediums, like using a quilting machine to sew on canvas or creating fashion pieces with a rug tufting gun.
“Motherhood Mosaic - A Tale of Love and Sacrifice,” a garment created by fashion design MFA student Lasya Aji Silpa in the UNT Digital Fabrication Lab
Eric Ligon serves as the senior associate dean for administrative affairs in CVAD, in addition to being a distinguished university professor and professor of communication design and graphic design. He emphasized the importance of hands-on experience for students.
“All the work done in the Fab Lab is done by the students themselves,” Ligon said. “We’re educating artists and designers to know how to run the machines and do these jobs.”
Lasya Aji Silpa, a third-year Master of Fine Arts candidate in fashion design, used the Fab Lab’s tools to enhance her textile work.
“Coming from a background in hand-painting and embroidery, working with lasers and printers made my designs more efficient and advanced,” she said. “I was able to create designs with those machines that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise.”
Silpa plans to become a fashion design professor and is eager to show her future students the value of makerspaces and fabrication labs.
“Designers must adapt as the world evolves. This experience will help me pass that knowledge on to future generations. The Fab Lab has been essential in that process.”
From UNT News – UNT Libraries & Hands-On Experiential Learning Spaces