About

Der CoMakingSpace ist eine gemeinnützige Bildungseinrichtung, die sich außerdem der Förderung von Kunst und der "Selbstmachkultur" verschrieben hat. Er wird komplett ehrenamtlich geleitet und wird neben Spenden von über 130 Mitgliedern getragen (Stand 2024).

Hintergrund: Offene Werkstätten

"Offene Werkstätten sind Orte des Handwerks, der computergesteuerten Fertigungsverfahren und digitalen Technologien, die du mitgestalten und -nutzen kannst. Sie alle eint die Idee, Wissen, Werkzeuge und Maschinen, Technik und Materialien zu teilen."

Verbund offener Werkstätten e.V.

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The basement is too small or you would disturb the neighbors? Renting a garage is too expensive? Let's share our workshop and split the cost!

The CoMakingSpace is an open workshop for Makers from all backgrounds. We aim to provide everyone with the tools, space and skills to make whatever they come up with.

Wouldn't it be awesome if you could work on your projects any time, even after work hours? You just need a large workshop with proper tools in easy reach.

Who Are Makers?

Artisans, artists, chefs, craftspersons, hackers, hobbyists, inventors, mechanics, musicians, photographers, programmers, prototypers, scientists, tinkerers; children or grown-ups, students or teachers, workers or retirees - simply: anyone can be a Maker!

What connects us is the desire to create something with our own hands or minds, be it because it does not exist yet or we want to make it more personal or simply better than the available alternatives.

Aside from creating or improving, Makers also repair broken things instead of throwing them away. This involves applied learning and figuring out how things work.

This idea is not new: the so-called Maker Movement started years before we became active in Heidelberg and is a worldwide phenomenon driven by a vast community of Makers who want to regain control over the objects surrounding us in our everyday life. Besides being highly innovative, the principle of local or "desktop" design and fabrication has the potential to replace conventional industry in certain sectors as the importance of sustainability is increasingly acknowledged.

Why Make Together?

Making things in a shared space as a community has a lot of benefits: for instance, there is a lot more space that can be used temporarily, as well as a lot of equipment that you might only need infrequently or can not even afford.

Besides these aspects we are a friendly community that can provide inspiration or new insights. Finding collaborators for larger projects or just having a chat in the social area is just as important as actually swinging a hammer! When a project involves unknown techniques, there is usually someone with more experience who can help or point you into the right direction.

Our Concept

We set up our CoMakingSpace as a charitable company (gemeinnützige GmbH). This allows us to rent a suitable workshop, organize insurance, etc. and provides a solid foundation for a long-lasting community workshop. You can find our goals in this excerpt from the founding documents.

The charitability makes sure that every cent gets put back into the workshop and community. At the same time, this enables any sponsor to support us with tax-deducible donations.

Membership is arranged into several affordable tiers suited for each Maker's needs; with higher contributions you can get your own key to everything or some storage space where you can leave your partially finished project until the next time you come back.