The Makerspace Chasm
Ever notice how most makerspaces less than 4,000 square foot are powered by volunteers and are rich with community? Ever notice that larger makerspaces tend to have more than 12,000 square foot, are powered by paid staff and are relatively slim on community? At How to Make a Makerspace this gap was characterized as the makerspace chasm.
As Gui Cavalcanti said during class, “There’s a reason that there’s such a specific divide between small spaces and large spaces. Once you get much larger than 3,000 – 4,000 square feet, the space becomes incredibly difficult to manage with only volunteers. Spaces that aren’t large enough, however, can’t pay staff.”
