Photo credit: urbanworkshop.net
How do you build a sense of community while providing tools and training for business development? Urban Workshop in Costa Mesa provides an innovative answer.
A community centered, membership based DIY workshop and makerspace, Urban Workshop is the third-largest of such spaces in North America. It provides the high-quality tools, software, and equipment for members to use, work space in which to use them, and instruction to use them safely and effectively. Whether completing a home project or starting a new high tech business, Urban Workshop’s staff and community of makers support and help people in a creative environment.
For a monthly or annual fee, members can use and reserve Urban Workshop’s tools – including 3D printers, laser cutters, a welding shop, wood shop, machine shop, CNC mills, textiles area, vinyl cutters, plastics shop, electronics lab, auto shop, co-working space and computer lab – after completing the equipment-specific basic safety classes. A huge work area with large tables, compressed air and electricity are ideal for working on projects and collaborating with others. The experienced staff is always available to provide personalized assistance whenever needed.
Urban Workshop promotes manufacturing and career-specific training. It supports young business development through access to expensive machinery that may not be affordable. Finally, it offers clean and adaptive reuse of existing industrial space. It just may be an affordable, community-based alternative to training the next generation of workers who can explore their options in a friendly environment.
Written by Nate Gunderman, an Associate at RSG