Using the DBE Makerspace: for staff
Staff access
The DBE Makerspace is open to all staff in the School of Design and Built Environment.
To access the Makerspace, staff and students must complete a General Makerspace Induction. This is a general introduction to working safely in the Makerspace, and to our equipment.
After completing a General Induction, staff and students can complete training for specific equipment, including a 3D Printing Badge. These inductions are run regularly for the first 6 weeks of each semester. We can also induct staff outside of semester on request.
More information on inductions is available here.
You can sign up for inductions via Siso. If you are unable to access Siso, please contact DBE Technical Support.
Engaging the Makerspace for coursework
The Makerspace supports students to produce practical assessment outcomes using digital fabrication tools. To do so, we need information from you on assessment tasks, timing, materials, and student numbers. The Makerspace gets very busy with students during semester and we manage this through creating schedules. If we don’t have this information, we can’t support your students to complete their assessments.
Prior to the start of each semester, we contact all course coordinators with a request for information, including:
- Unit name and code
- Estimated student numbers
- Assessment dates and/or unit outline with schedule
- Brief description of tasks (e.g. "create 3 laser-cut models of houses at 1:100" or "build a pinhole camera")
- Material types and quantities
- In-class demonstration or induction requests
Unit and course coordinators can also contact us directly via email with this information before the beginning of each semester.
When you provide this information, we can also:
- Plan appropriate staffing including appointing a technical officer as your point of contact
- Help you plan appropriate processes and material types and quantities
- Develop technical resources and guides for your students, or direct you to existing ones
- Provide specific or unusual materials
- Organise inductions or demonstrations of specific equipment or processes
- Timetable "priority" time in the Makerspace for students in your unit
Cost recovery
Students pay for materials that they use at cost price via Curtin ePay. Students record their material use using the online forms available in the Makerspace, and we issue invoices for payment. Students are not charged for machine time. These costs need to be communicated to students in your unit outline.
You can arrange for your students to pay incidental fees to cover the costs of materials. To add incidental fees to your unit, contact the School Business Manager. (Note that amendments to incidental fees occur in the quarter 3, the year prior to when you wish them to take effect.) Once arranged, include this information when requesting to engage the Makerspace for your coursework.
Visits to the Makerspace
Please contact us directly to arrange a visit to the Makerspace, including for external guests, stakeholders, and family members. Usually, we can only accommodate these visits outside of semester. You must accompany your guests at all times.