Makerspace Kwartzlab outgrows location, move planned in early 2019

Kwartzlab is a makerspace in Kitchener that has had so much success, it's outgrown its current location.

It's currently at 33 Kent Avenue, which is 2,000 square feet. With 80 members now and growing, it has to move, the group's chair Drew Ripley says.

Over the next two months, the makerspace will move to 145 Bedford Road in Kitchener, which is more than triple the amount of space at 6,500 square feet.

"We simply don't fit," Ripley said of the current location.

Ripley is a professional balloon artist and he uses the space in his work. He says others who are also at Kwartzlab include blacksmiths, robotics, costume designers, textile artists and people who create pieces using laser-cut wood.

"Quite literally, if it's a thing that you've dreamed of making, there's someone in there that's good at that material," Ripley said.

'Unique community'

Ravi Baboolal, president of Kwartzlab, says it's been a part of the region for nearly a decade.

"Now we are growing to serve the economic and social development that is created by this unique community as well as securing our role as a leader in Ontario's maker culture," Baboolal said in a release about the move.

The group hosts open houses every Tuesday night and Ripley says those will continue at the Kent Street location until Jan. 22. Then they'll move to the Bedford Road location on Jan. 29. Some aspects of the open house may be affected as preparations are made to move large equipment needs to be moved from the old space to the new.

"By the time that the opening weekend happens in March, we expect everything to be operational," he said.

Kwartzlab is planning a grand opening event on March 2.