Workshops at the Design Futures Lab
Fabrication, robotics and digital craft in the School of Built Environment
Exploring fabrication and emerging technologies
The Design Futures Lab (DFL) is the School of Built Environment's fabrication workspace and part of the UNSW Making Network. It aims to inspire exploration, innovation and research into fabrication, emerging technologies and design theories.
The DFL equips students to develop projects from early concept design to resolution, and supports staff with coursework, research and short courses. Access is earned through UNSW Making badges, starting with the Workshop Safety Badge.
Ground Floor, Room G06B, UNSW Kensington
DFL workshops
Digital Clay Printing: From Setup to Practice
What we've learned, what we're testing, and what comes next
Get a practical introduction to digital clay 3D printing in our lab. We'll cover safety rules and PPE, tour the equipment (from the Potterbot to the kilns), and share how we support students with varying levels of digital literacy, including the custom Grasshopper and AI slicing scripts we've built to lower the barrier to entry.
We'll also be honest about the lessons learned so far and where we're heading next: smarter slicing, quick-load Potterbot canisters, and pairing a UR5 robot with the pottery wheel to expand what's possible in digital craft.
Building Safer Makerspaces: A Hands-On Workshop Safety Induction Badge
How do you introduce students to a workshop or makerspace safely, consistently and engagingly? The Built Environment and Engineering Makerspace teams will take you through the complete journey of the Making system with our introductory safety badge.
We'll show how the badge is set up in the badging system, then you'll experience it as a student would, from the required reading and quiz to the practical assessment. We'll share what we've learnt creating the system and discuss approaches you can adapt for your own facilities.
Participants will be inducted into the makerspaces and able to access them in the future.
Large-Scale Robotic 3D Printing Masterclass
See large-scale robotic additive manufacturing in action in the DFL's Robotic Fabrication Lab, where industrial robots are used for coursework, capstone and research projects.
Open Doors, Active Spaces: Inside Our Makerspaces
Step inside the Design Futures Lab, MCIC and Kirby Makerspaces for an open studio experience showcasing how our spaces support students and staff to explore, experiment and make.
Meet the technical teams, tour the facilities and see completed projects and live demonstrations, including injection moulding, robotics and CNC milling. Discover how our open-door approach works in practice, from safety and access systems to equipment maintenance and AI-assisted visual maintenance guides, with hands-on craft activities along the way.
