Where ideas hatch, grow,
and take flight.
At The Hatchery Makerspaces, all students, faculty, and staff at Boston College are encouraged to expand upon their ideas, learn new skills, and collaborate with others.
About
In the spirit of ‘Think to Make for Impact,’ being able to iterate, visualize, refine, and communicate creative design ideas using prototypes is an essential skill set for our students entering the future workforce. The mission of the Boston College (BC) Makerspaces (The Hatchery) is to enable these transformative capabilities, irrespective of background or discipline, by providing an equitable, accessible, and well-equipped community-oriented space for all.
Spaces
Located on the second and third floors of 245 Beacon St., The Hatchery Makerspaces offers two dedicated environments for hands-on making. The second-floor Makerspace is equipped with 3D printers, laser and vinyl cutters, sewing and embroidery machines, electronics tools, and a print shop — built for exploration at any skill level. One floor up, the Prototyping Studio takes it further with CNC equipment, large-format 3D printers, metal casting tools, and a full woodshop, available for both individual projects and faculty-led courses.
Trainings and Equipment
Tool Trainings, led by Hatchery Student Team Members, educate users on how to safely operate our tools and equipment, all while making a product of their own.
3D Printing
Foundation
- UNAS 1025 / ARTS1125 Innovation through Design Thinking
- ENGR 1026 Innovation Through Engineering Design
- ENGR 1801 Making the Modern World: Design, Ethics & Engineering
- UNAS / ARTS 2300 Interaction Design
- UNAS 2301 Design Research Methods and Implementation
Collaborate
Classes hosted in the Prototyping Studio have full access to any equipment their students have been trained on. Faculty can submit a student roster to unlock early training sign-up — more than a week in advance. Ready to integrate The Hatchery into your course? Complete the Faculty Collaboration Form below.
Hours of Operation
The Hatchery is open to the Boston College community during our regular Open Hours*, providing access to the space and equipment for all your making and prototyping needs.
Open
Hours
FAQs
General
Foundation
The Hatchery is Boston College’s first community makerspace, located on the 2nd and 3rd floors of 245 Beacon St.
The Hatchery Makerspaces are open to all Boston College students, faculty, and staff, regardless of school or department.
Access & Equipment
Foundation
To join the maker community at The Hatchery, take our brief online Makerspace Orientation. Once the orientation is complete, you will gain access to our reservation site, QReserve, where you can book Tool Trainings and equipment.
Once you have completed The Hatchery online Makerspace Orientation, you will be instructed to sign into QReserve, our booking site. After registering an account, you can book an appointment to be trained on a tool!
Facilities Staff
Making is a large part of the design process, and sometimes the most intimidating. Our professional staff and student workers are there to support you.
Sunand Bhattacharya is the Associate Vice Provost for Design and Innovation Strategies.
His office is tasked to help build a future-forward culture of collaborative research and innovation across Boston College using design-driven methodologies. This includes management of design thinking projects, “making” at BC and other education-related endeavors including curriculum research and development for new academic programs and campus initiatives.
Design for social impact, industrial design
Carissa Henriques is a designer and maker whose work involves place and placemaking, expressive/experimental typography, and experience design.
Her work delves into design’s social role, including its ability to foster inclusive communities through collaborative and interdisciplinary approaches to making and storytelling.
Her current research interest involves urban palimpsests and the way the creation, history, and layering of visible vernacular impact linguistic landscapes.
Democratic design, design for social impact
henrica@bc.edu
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