3D Printing with The Build Shop
Last week our team visited The Build Shop makerspace in Koreatown. The Build Shop was the first 3D printing and laser cutting DIY space in Los Angeles and one of the original pioneers of the 3D Printing movement in the area.
Our group of artists, architects and designers are very interested in what 3D printing offers and were all eager to discover what is done in this unique space.
We were welcomed by the owners, Bryan and Maya, who founded the business together back in 2011. The Build Shop has a very warm atmosphere. Brian and Maya were very friendly and the space was lively, with pets are running around the shop and the sound of machines whirring in the background. It is a casual and welcoming environment of which the regulars say, it feels like like a neighbor’s house.
If you look around, you see VR headsets and gaming controllers on the tables, character figurines on the shelves, drones, and many other techie objects in the space. The shop is basically filled with what every tech-gadget fan dreams of. It doesn’t take long to see that the shop is run by a family of tech enthusiasts who are passionate about what they do.
The Build Shop functions as a DIY space and welcomes anyone who may be interested in creating a project with 3D printing or laser cutting technologies. All kind of designers from fashion designers to architecture students visit the shop and use the machines to bring their ideas to reality. It is exciting to see how the 3D printing technology is developing and becoming more and more accessible because of places like The Build Shop.
We got to look at several objects that had been printed or laser cut in the shop — with different materials like acrylic, metal and wood. Many unique objects were created at the shop, Google cardboard viewers in plastic, engraved computer mouses, laser cut wedding invitations, sculpted characters, etc. Today it is pretty much possible to create anything with the latest 3D printers.
As a creative agency working extensively with architectural 3D models, and as architects ourselves, the development of 3D printing technology is worth following. The printing possibilities for architects in particular are very relevant to our clients and offer exciting opportunities.
We look forward to exploring how we can use 3D printing and use this to offer additional services for our clients.
