Opened in December 2019 by Wellington City Council, The Hive offers a range of services, including laser cutting, 3D printing, a full recording studio, a sewing station, and arts and crafts material.
Helping people make the most of these services are the dynamic duo, Team Leader Libraries and Community Spaces Justin Hoenke, and Makerspace Specialist Jamie Boorman.
“My job is overseeing two libraries and four community centres, but I have a specific focus on helping the Makerspace grow to its fullest potential,” Justin says. “The original idea for the Makerspace started way back in the planning stages of the Waitohi community hub. It was to give the visitors of the library a different experience and access to more tools and resources.“Libraries are about sharing so why not share recording studios? Why not share 3D printers? It’s all about sharing and learning.”
Jamie’s daily tasks includes setting up 3D printing and laser cutting jobs, and welcoming people into the Makerspace. “I want to help people get the most out of the machinery. We offer a workspace. If you have a project you want to work on and you don’t have space at home you can come here and do it.” With a wide variety of equipment available to the roughly 6000 monthly visitors to the hub, Jamie says the sky is the limit. “The laser cutter can be used for engravings, laser cuts and putting drawings you’ve made onto a slab of wood. The recording studio has piano, guitar, bass, synthesisers, and a full recording suite. People have come in and made EPs and full albums which is amazing.“We also have some very simple CAD software that will allow you to make different items of your own design and use our 3D printer to print them off (10 cents per gram). You can take it home to finish or you can paint them at the Makerspace.”
