In light of our recent cash injection from RIM and the lack of consistent heat in our current building, I thought it was a good time to check out possible alternatives to our current location. This is just a research project to provide information back to the members to help inform decisions around investing money to outfit our current facility with better power/light/ventilation. I volunteered to do the legwork and Gus has offered to help. I committed to delivering the report by December 23, 2010.

Want to help us?

The kwartzlab board of directors approved my request to green-light this report and I wanted to solicit from you, gentle reader, any leads on good candidate locations. I expect to be using the same criteria as I outlined the first time I led the space search in the summer of 2009. Looking for:

• KW-central area location
• good access to public transit
• space for both noisy, heavy tools (bandsaws, etc) and also for electronics/laptop/sewing/clean-room type work (we currently have 3000 sqft)

I’m also interested in investigating any help that may be available to us in the way of rent-breaks or other support from the region/cities/arts councils/industry/prosperity councils/benefactors and schools.

What have we done for the community lately?

• my 5+5 event that connects the public, local artists, and kwartzlab makers
• experimental art gallery – different artists through in a symbiotic experiment
• maker ambassadors for KW at the Bay Area Maker Faire in San Mateo, CA
• Making connections to other maker groups outside KW
• engaging smart Eng students from UW
• Showcasing local makers beyond our membership
• engaging our community with great free talks like Daryl Archer’s unbelievable backyard astronomy
• Electronics Workshops for the public
• Free Software Day, and other support for Open Source Software like Ubuntu launches and bugfix jams

Happy making,
DW