Mount Holyoke College opened the doors to its freshly renovated Fimbel Maker & Innovation Lab in January 2019, located in a former dining hall and consisting of a metal and wood shop along with 3d printers, laser cutters, electronics, textiles, and more. As a liberal arts women’s college that affirms gender diversity, our students are not the typical users of such a space, presenting a challenge that offers many opportunities to demystify technology and empower students who might otherwise avoid engaging.
An interdisciplinary team of faculty and staff deliberately designed a space that would appeal to the novice user (e.g. natural light, limited noise, clear layout and organization) and better fit the average smaller body size of our typical student (e.g. lower workbenches, smaller gripped or lighter weight tools when available, power cords within reach, frequently used tools…
