While braving DC’s frigid temps this week, we stumbled into ideaspace to warm up see how the project is progressing. Dave Naffis says it’ll open (hopefully) in the spring and become a co-working, collaboration, and educational space for people interested in STEAM. (STEM is now STEAM with the 'A' added for art and design.) It will also include a maker lab with $750k worth of high-end equipment like 3D printers, plasma cutters, and welding machines for production of small high-tech devices; a wet lab for DIY biohackers (a fast-growing movement, says Dave); an AV studio; and conference rooms and private offices. People will get access through $100 monthly memberships. The first 100 memberships already sold in five days through word of mouth.
Ideaspace is housed in the early 1900s Boilermaker building near Navy Yard and within sight of Nationals Park. (While hard to imagine in the dead of winter, Dave says this space at the entrance will have outdoor seating.) He plans to sell another batch of memberships in the coming weeks but wants to take things slow to make sure the space can accommodate the demand. He imagines it could hold 200 to 250 people and then at least 500 people for events. (The space will have a stage.)
The building history will be preserved, including keeping this crane that once moved boilers made for Navy ships. Revenue will be generated by memberships and some classroom fees, as well as corporate sponsors like defense and government contractors that could purchase membership blocks for their employees. Dave says there’s nothing like this anywhere in the country. The maker lab could be loosely compared to TechShop, a community-based workshop and prototyping studio that's opening a location in Crystal City, Va., this spring. And some may call this a co-working space, but Dave says ideaspace will be more collaborative and educational.
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