[Open_fablab_architecture] Review of conversation started on Open Manufacturing list

[John Griessen]

On 10/06/2014 01:46 AM, Dr. Peter Troxler wrote:> check also the grass roots Fab Lab instructable
http://www.fablabamersfoort.nl/downloads/fablab-instructable.pdf
>
> On 6 Oct 2014, at 02:04, Bruce Mackenzie gm <BMackenzie at alum.mit.edu> wrote:
>
>> Some students at WPI in Worcester, Mass, USA, did a junior year capstone project titled: Founding a Hackerspace
>>
>> http://www.wpi.edu/Pubs/E-project/Available/E-project-122210-154836/unrestricted/Founding_a_Hackerspace.pdf
>>
>> They are:  Joseph Schlesinger,  Md Monirul Islam,  Kelly MacNeill. It was around 2009.  I heard they later implemented the
>> plan, and founded a hackerspace, but I am not sure which one. - Bruce
>>
>>
>>
>> On Sun, Oct 5, 2014 at 3:27 PM, Roberto Carrasco <roberticli at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> I am thinking in starting a projetc about an open and collaborative design of FabLabs. Something like the RepRap project
>>> but focused on the architecture of FabLabs, so everybody could use this information to start and build their own Lab. Do
>>> you know if there is something already like this? I ask because it would be quite useless this project if it already
>>> exists.
>>>

On 10/06/2014 01:54 AM, Dr. Peter Troxler wrote:> do you mean building architecture or organisational architecture or what?
>
>> so everybody could use this information to start and build their own Lab. Do you know if there is something already like
>> this?
>
> The Internet is full of bits and pieces for this, and there are at least two books in the making on the subject. Check
> http://wiki.fablab.is, particularly the part on Set-up and run. And check http://fabfoundation.org, the section on Fab Labs.
> And there are many more publications addressing such issues, see e.g. here for an overview:
> http://www.petertroxler.com/the-fablab-reference-list-2-0/ and check out http://www.openp2pdesign.org/category/fabbing/

On 10/06/2014 02:34 PM, Tiberius Brastaviceanu wrote:> I am interested. Please keep me posted and include me in the process is you
want.
> I can bring our experience with www.SENSORICA.co for resource management and value accounting.

On 10/06/2014 09:38 PM, Pablo Segundo Garcia wrote:> Roberto contacted me already. We had a long talk. It is from an
> architect's point of view. So the building and the space distribution and use. He was thinking in creating open designs of the
> space-building needed for a Collaborative Open Workshop (aka Fablab), he also talked to me about modular and temporal housings
> or at least easily deployable.

On 10/07/2014 09:13 AM, John Griessen wrote:> On 10/07/2014 01:24 AM, Dr. Peter Troxler wrote:
>> Also, local energy generation would be a very welcome topic
>
>
> All that's needed to take advantage of solar PV for many fab lab power uses is to run some of your electric equipment on 24
> Volt or lower buses fed by the PV system on the roof.  Sure, you have higher conductor costs for low voltage buses, but
> minimizing that is an architectural problem to solve and benefit from higher power reliability, lower energy costs.
>
> A fab lab building has many low voltage users of DC power:  computers, small stepper motors, LED lighting, work cell safety
> sensors, battery charging stations, etc.
>
> For subtractive fab a higher voltage DC bus would be a help also -- CNC machining, router tables use 90 VDC for spindle motors,
> variable speed drives, and the conductors to and from the PV array can be thinner.
>
> If this is an open design, what open CAD programs will you use?  Has FreeCAD evolved enough for you yet?  BRLCAD?
>
> To collaborate on such, shared open CAD tools are a big thing.  Words only is so much talk compared to drawings.

On 10/08/2014 11:31 AM, Roberto Carrasco wrote:>
> Hi again, Yes, as Pablo was explaining, the idea is to create a collaborative design of a FabLab itself: the space, the systems
> ruling the workshop, the human resources, etc. So that anyone can contribute to the design and use the design. I do not know
> the details, but I can picture a general strategy:
>
> 1st - Define the systems ruling a FabLab: Machinery, energy system, structure, space, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air
> conditioning), personal assistant and users (or makers all together), internet connectivity, etc.
>
> 2nd - Make a research to know the state of the current FatLabs in the world.
>
> 3rd - Create the design. Preferably with open and parametrical tools. And start creating the family tree.
>
> This three parts are not necessarily consecutive, they can be developed in parallel. Also every point can, or should, be open.
>
>
> Important doubts I have: - I have no clue of what is the best program for this. I know grasshopper (the plugin for rhino)
> pretty well, but it's based on a not open program and not free program. Even though the community around it it's quite strong.
> What other programs are available for this purpose? Any idea? - Should I start a blog, a wiki page or a webpage? I'm quite a
> beginner at this field.

On 10/08/2014 11:34 AM, Roberto Carrasco wrote:> My two main references are the RepRap project, and the wikiHouse project. I just
wouldn't use google sketch up. Might be better a
> really OpenSource tool, and possibly parametric.

On 10/09/2014 02:20 AM, Dr. Peter Troxler wrote:> I *think* to make this project meaningful it not only needs to be open source
and parametric but also modular in two ways:
> - modular in terms of the various sub-systems you will have to design (say machinery, energy system, structure, space, HVAC ) -
> modular within the sub-systems as e.g. not all fab albs will have welding, or large scale cnc routers etc.