Brenchie’s Lab started in 2015 as a community-built makerspace, and has played a key role in the development of a network of support for students, artists, hobbyists, entrepreneurs, and curious folks interested in the potential of digital fabrication, open technology, and co-learning.

Over the years, Brenchie’s Lab has collaborated with art and design academies, libraries, schools, businesses, government, women’s groups, and community organizations to train and equip open learning spaces for people of all ages to start making the things they see as important. More importantly, these spaces introduce a wide variety of people to new techniques and technologies that they might not otherwise encounter, and help them to become comfortable learning new things and realize that you can make almost anything if you give it a shot.

When we started, we built our own machines using open source designs, software, and components from e-waste. Since then, our makerspaces have been equipped with a variety of tools such as 3D printers, 3D scanners, CNC cutters, laser cutters and engravers, vinyl cutters, drawing robots, plastic recycling machines, microcontrollers, electronic sensors and components, video cameras, projectors, 360 cameras, VR headsets, art supplies, as well as power tools and hand tools for working with wood, metal, plastic, and electronics. These tools have been integrated into a variety of spaces designed for making, and supported by staff who are open and willing to help users of the space to figure out how to realize their ideas.