Case StudY:

Community/

Government

Objective:

To scope and plan for a downtown community based makerspace facility for the Wellington Region in Lower Hutt, New Zealand

Work Completed:  

• Conducting stakeholder engagement meetings to define user groups 

• Research and planning for all operational elements of the makerspace

• Budgeting and scoping for all equipment and tool requirements, specific to geographical location and user needs

• Assessment of key potential sites and completing architectural design, machine fit out and location layout for each

• Creation of business and financial planning over 3 year period

• Presentation of comprehensive Market Assessment Study Document

“Despite the concept being relatively new in New Zealand, Hutt City Council identified the potential a makerspace could offer its city when it visited one in its sister city of Tempe, Arizona. A makerspace complimented the long history of manufacturing in the region, providing an opportunity to futureproof some of those skills in the workforce – as well as an opportunity to reactivate prime property in the downtown area with a community focused, non-retail objective. 

Through the Council’s Strategic Development group, we engaged with Makerspace People across the Wellington region to conduct a process of research and planning towards the project. Both in leading on aspects of the process and also in supporting us in our own internal efforts, their perspective was invaluable to us in fully understanding the requirements of a makerspace and what that would look like in our town - and ultimately providing us with a realistic and robust blueprint. ”

– Kim Kelly, General Manager, City Transformation