Beebe Hall Makerspace
OBJECTIVE
Provide a program for a new makerspace at Beebe Hall that fosters interdisiciplinary learning and collaboration
DELIVERABLE
Program Document & Presentation
TIMELINE
Sep - Dec 2024
TEAM Angie Ko
Lucy Wang
Julia Zhang
01 THE TASK
For this project, our team was tasked with preparing a program document for a new makerspace on Cornell’s campus at Beebe Hall. While Cornell is home to several makerspaces tailored to different disciplines, the new makerspace will serve to emphasize interdisciplinary learning and collaboration, reflecting a core value of Cornell Human Ecology. This project is funded by a ten million dollar donation to Cornell Human Ecology, and is set to be implemented on Cornell’s campus in the coming years.Mission statement: To provide a program for a makerspace at Beebe Hall that serves as a vibrant design hub where Cornell community members of diverse disciplines and abilities can come together to learn, innovate, and create.
02 INTERVIEWING THE CLIENT
Our first steps included a series of interviews with our clients—the project directors—whereby we confirmed the scope of the project, collected background information, and developed an interview list of other relevant faculty. From here, we performed research on exisiting college makerspaces and features conducive to collaboration.
03 SITE CONTEXT
We visited the site early on in our process. The two-story building is currently used as a large office unit for university faculty and graduate researchers—albeit an underpopulated one. The space spans 14,744 gross square feet. Both the first and second floors boast expansive, open areas, which are currently occupied by office cubicles. The second floor features a lofted, industrial ceiling with skylights, opening into a paved outdoor space furnished with tables and chairs. But despite impressive interior features, the site’s exterior facade lacks the same level of appeal.
Our main takeaway from our site visit was the issue of signage. In the area behind Mann Library, there are no signs directing people to Beebe Hall. Additionally, while its location behind Mann Library is relatively convenient to campus, many students remain unaware of the building’s existence due to its poor visibility from high-traffic routes and focal points. Trees obscure clear sightlines to the building, and its lower elevation with respect to the rest of the Agriculture Quad reinforces its status as a hidden gem on campus.
04 OUR APPROACHES
In developing our program, we employed three different programming approaches: User Profile Approach, Social/Psychological Functions Approach, and User Participation Approach. Through surveys, semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and observations, we gathered qualitative data on existing makerspaces and their users as well as identified opportunities for the new makerspace.
The User Profile Approach allows programmers to divide potential users into groups, or distinct personas, based on environmental needs. In the context of the new makerspace, we defined different usage patterns among these user groups, as students come from varying disciplines. Likewise, faculty and custodial staff use the space for different purposes than students. This approach helps ensure that the program meets the needs of a wide range of users. For this approach, we employed surveys and interviews to gather qualitative data about potential users.
The Social/Psychological Functions Approach
focuses on the impact of an environment on individuals’ social/psychological functions. This approach involves identifying spatial characteristics that support or suppress these processes. For the purpose of this program, we will observe student interactions with existing makerspaces to identify how collaboration is supported or suppressed by the environment. This information will inform design requirements, thus ensuring that DiHub supports positive collaboration among students. We conducted observations for this approach.
The User Participation Approach involves users at every stage of the design process. Since the primary intended users of the new makerspace are students, their active involvement allows programmers to gain a comprehensive understanding of students’ needs and preferences with respect to the constraints of the project. For our program, we will engage focus groups as well as carry out follow-up dialogue to generate ideas and guide design decisions.
05 SURVEYSFor the User Profile Approach, we conducted surveys to gain a comprehensive understanding of the various types of users who may use the space. Then, we created user profiles by analyzing common answers in survey responses (i.e, tool usage, makerspaces frequented, etc.). Additionally, we employed convenience sampling to gather qualitative data from various users. That is, we gathered data from an easily accessible group of participants with whom we had strong connections and could reliably depend on to fill out the survey. This method likely influenced the demographic composition of our survey respondents, most of whom came from a design background. Hence, it is important to note that our sample is not wholly representative of the target population.
We constructed surveys for three predefined categories: students, faculty, and custodial staff. We sent our survey to approximately 100 students, faculty, and custodial staff and received a total of 43 responses (18, 10, and 15, respectively).
06 INTERVIEWS
We also conducted interviews with faculty and custodial staff for the User Profile Approach.
07 FOCUS GROUP
For the User Participation Approach, we conducted a focus group interview with five members of the Cornell Maker Club. The participants included both undergraduate and graduate students. This approach helped us to identify key categories of issues and associated values to be addressed in the new makerspace.
08 OBSERVATIONS
In conducting observations for the Social/Psychological Functions Approach, we observed Mann Library. Mann Library consists of several spatial zones accommodating different group sizes and activities. From these observations, we drew several key takeaways related to features that support and suppress collaboration.
Informal CollaborationMovable Partitions
Individual Focus ZoneReconfigurable Collaboration
Snack AreaSocial Lounge
09 RECOMMENDATIONSFrom our findings, key categories of our recommendations include spatial zoning, storage, branding, signage, environmental characteristics, accessibility, safety, and electrical components. We drafted a series of goals, performance requirements, and concept diagrams for each of these areas.
Spatial Zoning: While many makerspaces already exhibit an open layout, they lack spatial zoning to separate and differentiate different types of workspaces with different functions. Some makerspaces are too small to accommodate many different zones, which may lead to crowding and high noise levels. Furthermore, some spaces lack assets that support spontaneous communication and interaction networks, such as flexible furniture. Spatial zoning also allows for the allocation of ample space for equipment, addressing a space need of both faculty and student workers.
Storage: Makerspaces lack sufficient storage to accommodate large numbers of users. Students, student workers, faculty, and custodial staff alike emphasize the need for more space—both storage space and workspace. Students require storage space for their belongings and unfinished projects. Faculty and student workers need additional space to accommodate more machinery. Custodial staff value designated storage space for users to ensure projects are safely stored and not accidentally discarded.
Branding: Since the makerspace will be closely associated with Cornell Human Ecology, it is important that the interior environment and exterior facade represent the college’s values for inclusion, interdisciplinarity, impact, and innovation through signage, machinery, and other spatial assets.
Signage: Beebe Hall lacks exterior wayfinding to help users identify the building. Hidden in the woods behind Mann Library and accessible by trail, Beebe Hall is especially difficult to locate for those unfamiliar with the building. Additional signage is needed to aid navigation to the building for students arriving on foot, by car, or by bus, both during the daytime and nighttime.
Environmental Characteristics: Custodial staff prefer hard flooring over carpeting. In particular, hard flooring is optimal in workable areas, which are prone to spills and dust accumulation. Any carpeting should be multi-colored and high-quality to conceal stains and resist wear from foot-traffic. Moreover, the space should exhibit flexible lighting, acoustic partitions, and effective ventilation systems to enhance users’ comfort.
Accessibility: Beebe Hall’s location is isolated in relation to the rest of Cornell’s campus; it is not located on a major commuting route for students travelling between classes, which physically separates the building from potential users. Accessibility of the new makerspace may be limited by spatial layouts and furniture that impede wheelchair access or are not easily reconfigurable. Interviews revealed a need to accommodate individuals with diverse physical needs through flexible, adjustable furniture. Additionally, makerspace users—particularly students and faculty—expressed a desire for continuous access to Beebe Hall.
Safety: Interviews revealed a need for clear safety protocols to ensure that all users are prepared to safely navigate the space. Emergency equipment, such as fire extinguishers and first aid kits, must be easily accessible at all times. Egress routes must remain unobstructed to allow for efficient evacuation of the space. Additionally, mandatory machinery training helps minimize accidents.
Electrical Components: Existing makerspaces on campus lack sufficient power outlets in convenient spaces, leading many users to avoid using the space altogether. Additionally, some users noted that unshaded LED light strips cause excessive glare.
10 PRESENTING OUR WORKFinally, we presented our work to the project stakeholders.