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Makerspaces and instructional laboratories both support hands-on learning, but they are not interchangeable room types. A makerspace is usually an open, self-directed environment for experimentation, prototyping and building; an instructional lab is organized around scheduled classes, demonstrations and supervised application of techniques. The right design follows what users will do, not which room label is currently fashionable.
That means mapping activities to tools, utilities, ventilation, acoustics, circulation, sightlines, storage and staff support before fixing a plan. HDR’s practitioner guidance, “Designing for How We Learn: Maker Spaces and Instructional Laboratories”, offers a useful framework. Its planning ranges and examples are guidance, not building-code requirements or independently measured evidence of learning gains.
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What is the difference between a makerspace and an instructional laboratory?
The essential difference is the pattern of use. Makerspaces support open-ended projects in which learners may choose a problem, prototype an idea, work toward a competition or project deadline, and collaborate with faculty, peers or industry participants. Instructional laboratories support a planned course section: an instructor demonstrates a method or concept, then students carry out a defined activity, often in pairs or small groups.
| Dimension | Makerspace | Instructional laboratory | Planning consequence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary activity | Self-directed making, experimentation and prototyping | Scheduled experiments, demonstrations and technique practice | Write an activity brief before choosing a room geometry |
| User autonomy | Users select projects and may work on different tasks at once | Students generally follow a common sequence under instructor direction | Provide flexible zones in a makerspace; provide clear teaching and circulation zones in a lab |
| Equipment | May include laser cutters, 3D printers, saws and other shop equipment | Course-specific apparatus arranged at repeatable student workstations | Coordinate power, data, gases, water, exhaust and maintenance access with the equipment list |
| Supervision | Practical supervision of varied activities and equipment use | Continuous instructor visibility and movement among workstations | Protect sightlines and avoid storage or partitions that create blind spots |
| Support space | Material storage, project staging and collaboration areas | Accessible preparation, equipment storage and changing course materials | Place support rooms where staff can reach them without crossing active work |
| Acoustics | Noise can vary substantially by tool and project | Students must hear demonstrations and instructions while equipment operates | Separate noisy processes, control reverberation and plan hearing protection where appropriate |
Some institutions will need both types. A shared label such as “innovation lab” does not remove the need to resolve these different operational patterns.
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How should a project team begin the design?
Begin with an activity-and-equipment brief, not a preferred furniture plan. List who uses the room, when they use it, what they make or measure, which tasks happen simultaneously, and what staff must be able to see, hear and reach.
- Describe the sessions or projects. For a teaching lab, document class size, demonstration sequence, student grouping, clean-up and turnover time. For a makerspace, document typical project durations, independent work, team work, storage time and peak occupancy.
- Create an equipment schedule. Identify every machine or apparatus, its footprint, operating clearances, service connections, heat or noise output, maintenance access and material input/output. HDR’s examples—laser cutters, 3D printing, saws and shop equipment—illustrate the range of possible makerspace activities; they are not a universal equipment list.
- Map flows. Draw separate paths for people, raw materials, in-process projects, finished work, waste and staff servicing. Test the busiest combination rather than an empty-room circulation diagram.
- Set supervision requirements. Mark the locations from which an instructor, technician or supervisor must see workstations, machine access points and exits. Then place benches, partitions and tall storage so those views remain usable.
- Confirm operational ownership. Assign responsibility for equipment training, certification, opening and closing, consumables, inspection, cleaning and incident response. A room cannot be made safe by layout alone.
This process turns teaching intentions into a construction brief. It also exposes conflicts early—for example, a machine that needs exhaust, a demonstration that needs quiet, and a storage rack that would block the instructor’s view.
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A makerspace normally benefits from a large, adaptable environment with distinct work zones rather than a fixed classroom grid. The zones can support digital fabrication, hand assembly, messy work, project discussion, testing and storage while preserving a legible route through the room.
Plan the room around change
Self-directed projects change over a semester. Use durable, reconfigurable work surfaces where projects can remain assembled, and provide enough staging that a user does not have to dismantle work simply to clear a bench. Flexible utilities can reduce the need to predict one permanent arrangement, but “flexible” still requires a documented service strategy: identify where power, data, compressed gases, water, drainage or exhaust may be needed and how they will be inspected and isolated.
Put tools where supervision is practical
HDR says equipment should be accessible and arranged for practical supervision. High-risk or high-energy equipment should not be hidden behind ad hoc partitions or crowded into a corner that staff cannot monitor. Grouping machines by process can help technicians support them, but the grouping must also account for noise, dust, heat, vibration, material length and the direction in which users approach and leave.
Make training visible in the plan
Makerspace users typically need training and certification before operating equipment. Provide a place for induction and demonstrations, clear status information for machines, and a way to separate trained operation from observation or waiting. The room brief should identify who authorizes use and how a project is paused when a machine is unavailable or requires service.
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Allow for air, gases and waste
Some makerspace processes require ventilation or gases, and the appropriate solution depends on the actual tools and materials. Identify source capture, general air movement, storage and shutoff requirements with the project’s engineers and safety personnel. Plan bins, collection points and routes for offcuts, dust, sharps or other process waste so disposal does not pass through a crowded collaboration area. Local fire, environmental, occupational-safety and building requirements must be confirmed for the jurisdiction and the specific activities.
Support collaboration without sacrificing concentration
Open project tables encourage peer and faculty interaction, while quieter areas can support design review, coding, documentation or individual concentration. Acoustic separation can be achieved through zoning and finishes, but the solution should be selected after identifying the loudest tools and the times when instruction or critique occurs.
How should an instructional laboratory be designed?
An instructional lab should let students see the demonstration, perform the work at a well-serviced station and receive help without forcing the instructor to work around fixed obstacles. HDR describes group workstations in place of long peninsula benches and emphasizes instructor movement and visibility.
Use workstations that match the teaching sequence
Decide whether students work individually, in pairs or in larger groups, then size and equip stations accordingly. A demonstration point should be visible from the student positions, with enough room for students to shift from listening to doing. In a “lecture lab,” a short presentation can transition directly into applying techniques and concepts in the same setting; the room therefore needs both an attention zone and a practical work zone.
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Protect sightlines and circulation
Instructors should be able to see workstations and move around the room. Keep tall casework, equipment screens and stored materials out of the primary view corridors. Check the route to each station during an active exercise, not only when chairs are pushed in. Where equipment creates a localized hazard, make its controls, access and supervision position explicit in the room data sheet.
Plan preparation and turnover
Teaching laboratories benefit from nearby preparation and storage rooms where staff can stage apparatus, change course materials and secure equipment. Locate these spaces for efficient staff access while preventing carts, chemicals, specimens or other materials from becoming obstacles in student circulation. Include clean-up, reset and waste handling in the schedule; a room that works for the experiment but cannot be reset between sections will fail operationally.
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How much space does an instructional laboratory need?
HDR reports planning ranges of 24–30 students for a lower-level science laboratory section, 12–20 people for an upper-level laboratory section, and 40–80 square feet per student station across teaching-laboratory disciplines. These figures are published by HDR in its 2024 guidance and should be treated as starting points for programming, not universal minimums or maximums.
| HDR planning figure | How to use it | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|
| 24–30 students | Initial enrollment range for a lower-level science lab section | It is not a code limit or proof that every course fits this size |
| 12–20 people | Initial enrollment range for an upper-level lab section | It does not account for every discipline, apparatus or accessibility need |
| 40–80 sq. ft. per student station | Early area test across different teaching-laboratory disciplines | It is not a universal area standard; equipment, circulation and support can change the result |
Use the lower end only when the activity, equipment and circulation genuinely allow it. Large apparatus, substantial preparation, frequent demonstrations, high service density or unusually long material paths may require more area. Verify the final program against the actual course roster and operating model.
What does “See, Hear and Do” mean in a construction brief?
HDR organizes its guidance around three checks: See, Hear and Do. The phrase “See + Hear + Do = Remember” is HDR’s design mantra, not a scientific formula or independently validated learning equation.
- See: Can students see the demonstration, their own work and relevant safety information? Can instructors see workstations and machine access points? Are tools placed for safe use and practical supervision?
- Hear: Can students hear instructions while equipment runs? Which tools create impact, extraction or continuous noise? Where might hearing protection be needed? Does a teaching lab need a quieter acoustic condition than an adjacent shop zone?
- Do: Can users move safely with materials, tools and waste? Are utilities located at the point of use? Is there room to set up, test, repair, clean and store work without blocking another activity?
These questions are useful at every review stage. They also make a design critique concrete: a proposed partition can be evaluated by the sightline it removes, the sound it contains and the work it obstructs.
“The space must accommodate the tools appropriately, maintain sightlines for safety and build in acoustics as required by the activities.”
Kim Elliott, senior planner, HDR, in Designing for How We Learn: Maker Spaces and Instructional Laboratories
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How do utilities, furniture and equipment affect construction cost and risk?
Room area is only one part of the construction decision. A compact room with dense services, robust floors, extraction and specialist equipment can be more complex than a larger room with ordinary teaching furniture. The equipment schedule should therefore be issued early enough for engineers to coordinate electrical capacity, data, water, drainage, gases, exhaust, heat rejection, maintenance clearances and controls.
Specify furniture by task rather than by a generic “lab bench” or “maker table.” Consider work height, clamping, cleanability, chemical or heat resistance where relevant, lockable storage, cable management and the ability to reconfigure groups. Confirm that doors, lifts, corridors and receiving routes can handle the longest materials and largest equipment before ordering or detailing the room.
For a makerspace, a desktop 3D printer may be an appropriate example of equipment to evaluate, but suitability depends on intended projects, supervision, space, utilities and safety planning. The same principle applies to laser cutters, saws and other tools: select them from the activity brief, then design the room around their actual operating and service requirements.
What safety and compliance questions must the design team resolve?
The supplied HDR guidance is not a code document. It does not establish jurisdiction-specific requirements for building, fire, ventilation, accessibility or occupational safety. The owner, architect, engineers and safety specialists must identify the rules that apply to the location, occupancy, materials, equipment and operating procedures.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesAt minimum, the design review should identify hazardous energy and material sources, emergency access, machine guarding, ventilation strategy, storage compatibility, waste routes, supervision points, training records and maintenance isolation. Document assumptions so that a change in equipment or curriculum triggers a review rather than silently invalidating the original plan.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How can an institution choose between a makerspace, a teaching lab or a hybrid?
Choose a makerspace when the dominant need is project variety, user choice, prototyping and extended work-in-progress. Choose an instructional lab when classes follow a repeatable sequence and instructors must demonstrate, observe and reset activities on a timetable. A hybrid can work when the program deliberately separates incompatible conditions through zoning, scheduling and storage rather than expecting one undifferentiated room to do everything at once.
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Test the choice against six questions:
- Are activities open-ended or prescribed?
- Will users need continuous supervision or periodic technical support?
- Do tools require different utilities, exhaust, noise control or floor loading?
- Must every student see a common demonstration?
- How will materials, unfinished projects and waste move?
- Where will preparation, storage, training and maintenance occur?
If the answers vary sharply, separate zones or rooms are usually easier to operate than a compromise layout. If the answers overlap, a flexible room may be justified—but only after the busiest simultaneous use has been planned and supervised.
What should be documented before construction and handover?
Carry the activity brief into the construction documents and commissioning process. Include an annotated plan showing work zones, equipment and sightlines; a utility matrix; equipment clearances; acoustic assumptions; storage volumes; waste routes; and the operational owner for each system.
Before handover, verify that installed services reach the intended equipment locations, access panels remain serviceable, storage does not obstruct views, and staff can move through the room with a representative load. Provide equipment instructions, training and certification procedures, cleaning and waste protocols, and a process for approving future tools. A makerspace or lab is an operating system as much as a finished interior, so the handover package should explain how the space is meant to function.
HDR’s article was republished by Building Design + Construction in 2017 and is available in an HDR version dated October 10, 2024. The European Commission’s 2021 Digital Education Action Plan staff working document provides broader context for makerspaces as rooms or studios in schools, libraries or community buildings where people develop skills through exploration; it is not a design or safety standard.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can one room serve both a makerspace and a teaching laboratory?
Yes, if the program separates conflicting activities through zones, scheduling, storage and supervision. The brief should prove that demonstrations remain visible, noisy or hazardous equipment can be controlled, and unfinished projects will not obstruct the next class.
Are HDR’s 40–80 square feet per student station figures mandatory?
No. They are HDR’s 2024 planning ranges for teaching laboratories, not universal code requirements. Final area depends on the discipline, equipment, circulation, support rooms, enrollment and local regulations.
What belongs in a makerspace equipment-training policy?
Define which tools require induction or certification, who may authorize operation, how competency is recorded, and what happens when equipment is changed or serviced. Tie the policy to the actual machines and materials in the room rather than issuing a generic rule.
How can a teaching lab remain usable when equipment changes between courses?
Use serviceable, documented workstation connections and nearby preparation and storage space so course apparatus can be exchanged without rewiring the room. Recheck sightlines, clearances, acoustics and waste routes whenever a new apparatus is introduced.
How should acoustics be handled when a makerspace is next to classrooms?
Identify the loudest tools and the periods when adjacent teaching occurs, then use zoning, separation and suitable finishes to control transmission and reverberation. Hearing protection may be appropriate for particular tasks, but it does not replace a properly engineered acoustic and equipment plan.
