The University of Hawaiʻi has announced that students will have exclusive access to work areas featuring 3D printers, laser cutters and other tools in a new residence facility starting this fall.
These "makerspaces" are located in the $70 million RISE student housing on the Mānoa campus. RISE stands for Residences for Innovative Student Entrepreneurs.
The RISE makerspaces were inspired by the "make space" at the University of Utah's Lassonde Studios.
Sandra Fujiyama is the executive director for UH's Pacific Asian Center for Entrepreneurship, which will manage the building.
"At RISE, it’s really a game-changer for all of those students that have ideas that have the product element to it," Fujiyama said.
"So being able to have the makerspaces at RISE under the same roof as our co-working and ideation spaces will give them that opportunity to really bring their ideas to life."
RISE will also have meeting, recording and classroom spaces.
The six-story facility will house nearly 400 students when it opens next month.
