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Makerspaces

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Students working at tables in sculpture class.

Make it happen in our makerspaces

Makerspaces are hands-on creative environments where you can explore new materials, learn how to use tools and equipment, and turn your ideas into reality. Whether you’re curious about 3D printing, laser cutting, woodworking, or textile arts, these spaces are designed to support your creativity — no prior experience needed.

AAD’s makerspaces give you access to equipment and guidance you won’t find in a typical classroom, helping you build skills, experiment boldly, and bring your vision to life.

  Make sure you get started safely

Our makerspaces are incredible resources — but safety comes first. Some spaces are restricted or require special training. Your instructor will share what you need to know, so be sure to listen closely. If you're ever unsure about access, tools, or safety procedures, just ask.

See what students are making

Student working on sculpture with power tools.

Curious about what happens inside a makerspace? Students in Sam Blanchard’s studio sculpture class used the Creativity and Innovation District makerspace to create their art — experimenting with tools, materials, and methods as part of the creative process. The space is also a go-to for senior capstone students building portfolio-ready work across a range of mediums. Want a glimpse of the action?

WATCH THE VIDEO
Faculty member sitting in one of the design makerspaces.

Check out the college’s makerspaces

When a great idea emerges, makerspaces are the places to get started and make your vision a reality. You may find yourself working in a space to complete coursework for a specific class or working outside of class on a personal project.

Dark Rooms

  • Locations: Burchard 003 and 006
  • Available to: Students enrolled in the undergraduate design related media course, the graduate Media and the Environment course, or a faculty-approved independent study course.
  • Restrictions on use: Currently, the room is open to all Virginia Tech students.
  • Equipment and/or capabilities: Black and white photographic paper processing equipment and enlargers for 35mm, 120 medium format films.

Silk Screen Room

  • Location: Burchard 011
  • Available to: Students currently enrolled in ARCH 3504/5115 who have completed foundation lab (ARCH 1016 or equivalent) or students who have previously passed the course and have permission from the instructor for continued use.
  • Restrictions on use: The lab is a designated space for ARCH 3504/5115 students to create screen printed media, where light sensitive emulsion is applied and exposed to burn a stencil-like design into a fabric mesh through which ink is pulled.
  • Equipment and/or capabilities: Light table for exposing screens and a wash station for cleanout.

LaserCAMM Cutting Room

  • Location: Burchard 014
  • Available to: Students who have faculty permission and training.
  • Restrictions on use: Training is required.
  • Equipment and/or capabilities: LaserCAMM Models 2310 and 2415.

Photography Room

  • Location: Cowgill 0401A
  • Available to: Students enrolled in specific courses.
  • Restrictions on use: Must be enrolled in related courses.
  • Equipment and/or capabilities: Lighting, a tripod, and backdrops.

Plastics Studio

  • Location: Burchard 015
  • Available to: TBD
  • Restrictions on use: TBD
  • Equipment and/or capabilities: Lathes, a vacuum former, and an Objet Printer.

Textile Lab

  • Location: Burchard 017
  • Managed by: Schools of Architecture and Design
  • Available to: TBD
  • Restrictions on use: TBD
  • Equipment and/or capabilities: Sewing machines, mannequins, and fabrics.

Loom Room

  • Location: Cowgill 102E
  • Available to: Students enrolled in ARCH 3514 or other courses related to textiles and weaving, and students interested in exploring weaving or making textiles.
  • Restrictions on use: Use by appointment only. Unlike sewing machines, the looms can't be freed at the end of each class period so they are used by one student at a time until a project is completed (one project may take a few days, a week, a month, or a whole semester).
  • Equipment and/or capabilities: One floor loom and one small portable loom.

Woodworking Shop

  • Location: Burchard 121
  • Available to: Architecture and design students; used for class projects only.
  • Restrictions on use: Safety training is required to use this space.
  • Equipment and/or capabilities: Table saws, jointer, planer, lathe, drill presses, mortising machines, and various hand tools.

Finishing Workshop

  • Location: Burchard 122
  • Available to: Architecture and design students.
  • Restrictions on use: Safety training is required to use this space.
  • Equipment and/or capabilities: TBD

Paint Room

  • Location: Burchard 122A
  • Available to: Architecture and design students.
  • Restrictions on use: Safety training is required to use this space.
  • Equipment and/or capabilities: TBD

Wood Laser Cutting Room

  • Location: Burchard 125A
  • Available to: Architecture and design students
  • Restrictions on use: Safety training is required to use this space.
  • Equipment and/or capabilities: TBD

Metalworking Shop

  • Location: Burchard 127
  • Available to: Architecture and design students.
  • Restrictions on use: Safety training is required to use this space.
  • Equipment and/or capabilities: Manual lathes, manual milling machines, axis milling machine, full CNC mill and lathe, Wazer WaterJet, and sheet metal shear, brake, roller, and forming tools.

Welding Room

  • Location: Burchard 127B
  • Available to: Architecture and design students.
  • Restrictions on use: Safety training is required to use this space.
  • Equipment and/or capabilities: Spot welders, metal inert gas welder, tungsten inert gas welder, handheld plasma cutter, welding helmets, welding coats, and welding gloves.

Sand Blasting Room

  • Location: Burchard 127D
  • Available to: Architecture and design students.
  • Restrictions on use: Safety training is required to use this space.
  • Equipment and/or capabilities: Sand blaster.

Ceramics Workshop

  • Location: Cowgill 101B
  • Available to: TBD
  • Restrictions on use: TBD
  • Equipment and/or capabilities: TBD

Ceramics Studio

  • Location: Burchard 102
  • Available to: TBD
  • Restrictions on use: TBD
  • Equipment and/or capabilities: Kilns.

AMP Lab

  • Location: Cowgill 101A
  • Available to: Available by appointment only.
  • Restrictions on use: Training is required to use the equipment in this space.
  • Equipment and/or capabilities: 3D printers and carbon printers.

Design Robotics

  • Location: Cowgill 102A
  • Available to: Architecture students by appointment only.
  • Restrictions on use: Training is required to use the equipment in this space.
  • Equipment and/or capabilities: Robots and two industrial robotic arms

Geospatial Visualization Lab

  • Location: Burruss 120B
  • Available to: Landscape architecture students.
  • Restrictions on use: TBD
  • Equipment and/or capabilities: 3D printers, computer monitors, and sandbox.

Materials and Design Lab (MaDLab)

  • Location: Burchard 15
  • Available to: Architecture and design students, but heavily emphasized in the Industrial Design program.
  • Restrictions on use: The lab is student-centric, supporting limited faculty with approved swipe access required. It is a material-agnostic lab; any material approved by the lab director may be worked on in this lab.
  • Equipment and/or capabilities: Table saw, chop saw, band saw, drill press, CNC routers, table router, BossLaser laser cutter, and various hand tools.

Apparel Technology Lab

  • Location: 130 Wallace
  • Available to: Students and faculty.
  • Restrictions on use: The 3D body scanner from Sizestream requires specialized training to operate. A trained individual must run the scanner, and, if the user is a student, a faculty advisor is required to complete the training and supervise the process.
  • Equipment and/or capabilities: A 3D body scanner from Sizestream, Snapmaker 3D printer, and Lectra digitizer and plotter.

Costume Shop

  • Location: Henderson Hall 107
  • Available to: Students enrolled in classes, graduate assistants, and students who are preparing for theatre productions.
  • Restrictions on use: Training is required to use the equipment in this space.
  • Equipment and/or capabilities: Sewing machines, dye machine, irons, washers, and dryers.

Costume Crafts/Dye Vat Spray HD

  • Location: Henderson Hall 107C
  • Available to: Students enrolled in classes and those who are working on costumes for theatre productions.
  • Restrictions on use: Training is required to use the equipment in this space.
  • Equipment and/or capabilities: Dye vats, washers, and dryers.

A/V Editing Studio

  • Location: Henderson Hall 110
  • Available to: Students enrolled in classes.
  • Restrictions on use: Training is required to use the equipment in this space.
  • Equipment and/or capabilities: An Apple Mac Mini runs an editing suite of Audacity, Reaper, and QLab. A MOTU Ultralite USB digital interface serves as a stereo preamplifier and supplies output feeds for a 9-speaker surround system. A mic and mixer talkback system feeds the recording room speakers. The sound-proof recording room is outfitted with vocal mic options including an AT 2020 and a Peluso P-414. The recording room also serves as a student workstation with an Apple Mac Mini, QLab, a Blue Yeti USB mic, and two JBL 6" studio monitors.

Scene Design Model Shop

  • Location: Henderson Hall 116
  • Available to: Students who are enrolled in classes and who are creating designs for productions in Studio Theatre.
  • Restrictions on use: Training is required to use the equipment in this space.
  • Equipment and/or capabilities: TBD

Lighting Class Lab

  • Location: Henderson Hall 324
  • Available to: Students who are enrolled in classes and who are working on theatre productions.
  • Restrictions on use: Training is required to use the boards that control the lights in this space.
  • Equipment and/or capabilities: Smart TV, lighting board, and stage lighting.

Scene Shop/Class Lab

  • Location: Squires Student Center 132
  • Available to: Students who are enrolled in classes, graduate assistants, and students who are working on theatre productions.
  • Restrictions on use: Training is required to use the equipment in this space.
  • Equipment and/or capabilities: Welding equipment, multiple saws, paint station, lifts, and wood working station.

Electro-Mechanical Lab

  • Location: Squires Student Center 166
  • Available to: Students who are also working in the scene shop.
  • Restrictions on use: Training is required to use the equipment in this space.
  • Equipment and/or capabilities: Soldering equipment.

Suite 2000 - Recording Studio

  • Location: Old Grand Piano Building 204, 202, and 202A (including nine acoustically isolated rooms)
  • Available to: Students who are enrolled in the classes held in this space, including for completing projects and assignments involving multitrack recording, editing and mixing, surround sound production, sound design, video editing, foley recording, and creating audio for post.
  • Restrictions on use: Training is required to use the equipment in this space.
  • Equipment and/or capabilities: Mixers, sound booths, microphones, preamplifiers, A/D converters, Avid control surfaces, digital audio and video applications, cameras, and1988 Yamaha CF III concert grand piano. Space includes nine acoustically isolated rooms and additional production rooms for overflow, multimedia/game development, and DVD production.

Graphic Design Photography and Computer Room

  • Location: Henderson Hall 201
  • Available to: Students in the School of Visual Arts who are enrolled in related classes.
  • Restrictions on use: Students must have class in this space and pass all safety trainings to have swipe access.
  • Equipment and/or capabilities: Photography lights, including high-wattage fluorescent lights.

Laser Room

  • Location: Creativity and Innovation District 131
  • Available to: This space is designed primarily for students enrolled in SOVA classes and CID residents.
  • Restrictions on use: Students enrolled in classes that use the makerspace and CID residents must attend orientation, complete online environmental health and safety training, and complete in-person training with the space manager on relevant equipment.
  • Equipment and/or capabilities: Mac computer, Epson SC-P900 photo printer, and Epson V850 Pro scanner (8.5" x 11.7", 6400 dpi).

Wood Shop

  • Location: Creativity and Innovation District 135
  • Available to: This space is designed primarily for students enrolled in SOVA classes and CID residents.
  • Restrictions on use: Students enrolled in classes that use the makerspace and CID residents must attend orientation, complete online environmental health and safety training, and complete in-person training with the  space manager on relevant equipment.
  • Equipment and/or capabilities: CNC mill machine for sculpting wood in 2D or 3D, table saw, miter saw, and band saw.

Metal Shop

  • Location: Creativity and Innovation District 137
  • Available to: This space is designed primarily for students enrolled in SOVA classes and CID residents.
  • Restrictions on use: Students enrolled in classes that use the makerspace and CID residents must attend orientation, complete online environmental health and safety training, and complete in-person training with the space manager on relevant equipment.
  • Equipment and/or capabilities: Welders, benders, and CNC plasma machine.

Expand your creative toolkit at Newman Library

Two creative technologies students sitting together with computer screens behind them.

 As an AAD student, you already have access to incredible makerspaces — but Newman Library opens up even more possibilities. With studios for audio and video production, 3D modeling, VR, game design, prototyping, and more, it’s a space built for exploration.

Creative Technology majors Jason Hodge and Matt Finn used the library’s Virtual Environments Studio to develop Grey’s Sonata, a student-made video game that brought storytelling and motion capture together in powerful ways.

Whether you’re refining a class project or diving into something entirely new, the library’s studios are open to all Hokies — and ready to help you push your ideas further.

EXPLORE LIBRARY STUDIOS