Fablab Analco

72500, Av 7 Ote 805, Barrio de Analco, Puebla

Craftmen cooperative Fab Lab

Space size 200 m²

Opened in March 2018

Structure type Cooperative

Explored in June 2018


Fablab Analco is an open place which gathers multidisciplinary craftmen into a cooperative to promote their traditional art with the power of digital fabrication.

Contact

Social networks

Main interests

Fashion & textile Social initiatives Furniture & house Education Design Clothing & accessories Art & culture Food

This workshop is great for:

Adolescents between 12-18 Artists Craftsmen Entrepreneurs Every single person & organisation! General public Large companies Non-profit organisations Public organisations Schools & universities Seniors Small & medium businesses Students

The closest workshops nearby are:

You have an art project and need help ? We are here for you !

Passioned about art and experimented in digital fabrication, we can combine our competencies and knowledge to help you produce and improve your art creation.

If you are looking for advices, new ways of creating or a reliable team to designed and produced your idea, contact us!

Our workshop

Learn more about our space, members, machines & services!

When you walk along artisanal market stands, have you already recognized craft objects made in a Fablab ? It is likely to more happen in Puebla than before. Because since 2017, a team of craftsmen have dared to seize the opportunity of digital fabrication to produce new type of craft objects. When you hear the story of Ana Arenas Riviera, one of them, the outcome was not certain…

All started 4 years ago when a wind of change blew across the craft market of the Puebla’s Analco district. After years spent in the market selling always the same objects, craftsmen, and more precisely Ana, were looking for something new. Although it brought the order established by the “leaders”, people who manage the team of craftsmen and are in connection with the city hall, in question, they - not without effort - succeeded in being in contact with the research institute of IBERO (IDIT) who was at that time looking for social needs in the context of its social economy program development.

IDIT saw the potential of the mix between digital fabrication and craft. Thus, they suggest to Analco’s craftsmen a dedicated pro-bono teaching program. 80 of the 300 craftsmen were attracted by it, but at the end of the third year only 8 were still attended the courses. First, because some were attracted thinking they could directly earn money. Secondly because some didn’t really got what was digital fabrication and were finally not interested.

At that time, the idea of a fablab creation emerged. And with the help of the municipal government and IDIT, it was born in March 2018 as a cooperative and lead by the 8 craftsmen.

Their 2018 objective is to be financially independent. To reach it, they have been helped by a business student who designed their business model and are supported by the FabLab Puebla about digital fabrication.

Textile, painting, carpentry, glasses work, these are a short list of the art skills you can find in Fablab Puebla. Each of the 8 members come from a speciality and with their personal experience to create this place. 3 years ago, when Fablab Puebla and IDIT offered them digital training, they didn’t imagine building they own business, moreover within a team.

Now, they stand together to make this project work. To put all the chances in their side, they decided to choose a cooperative model for the Fablab. All the decisions are made together, one vote for each person. It applies to their daily organisation such as new business opportunities. Fablab Puebla and the city council, who support them, are part of an administrative board to advise them with the strategy without interfering in their executive decisions.

To financially survive during the first months, some members have kept their personal business but the rules are very clear and shared : between 9 am and 6 pm, they need to work for the cooperative. Outside these hours, they can rent the machines for a few fee to make their products. Compromise, honesty and transparency are some values chosen by the team along with their mission and vision built as the first stone of the project. Their experience during the Fablab Puebla training brought them closer and they learnt to work together before giving up almost everything to be dedicated to the Fablab Analco success.

Even if the adventure is just starting, they consider collaborating with new craftmen and eventually integrating them in the cooperative.

“I am the heart of this team”. When you met Ana, one of the 8 craftmen who run Fablab Analco, you quickly understand that the place they are growing is not just about business. They build the cooperative to make a new turn in their career but after months without salaries, they keep working to achieve a larger mission : open this new world of digital fabrication to release the 300 craftmen of Puebla from their constraints and give them confidence to fulfill their dreams. The coaching and training provided by IDIT and Fablab Puebla give them the courage to build their own structure. Now they want everyone to benefit from that in return.

To achieve this goal, they open their doors to everyone and provide them support. The objective is either to raise awareness about art for laypersons or to show the digital potential for craftmen.

Since the opening, with the support of Fablab Puebla, they welcomed students in weekly classes who are attracted by technologies but need support to design their idea and develop their creativity. The advertisement made by the city also helped them to welcome some entrepreneurs and companies to help them innovate and prototype ideas. The most rewarding for them was to start helping or collaborating with local craftmen. Once they discover the place, they cannot imagine working as they used to do : alone and manually. To attract them, each member meet them in events and selling places and just stopped trying to explain what they do but they simply invite them to visit the Fablab. They also created a “free design month” to help them to numerically design their products. Even if they benefit from government and Fablab Puebla helped to initiate the community, they are conscious of the communication work they will have to quickly tackle to foster people around this project.

To help the 8 craftsmen to launch their own FabLab, the government and IDIT, the innovation research institute of IBERO university, financed all the machines and the operational costs during a period of 6 months. The lab pay no rent as the proprietary of the place gave them for free.

In that way, the craftsmen started their business without the 40 000US$ of debt that represents the financial help given. But they have 6 months to find enough revenues to cover at least the 900US$ monthly operational costs plus their salary.

Since the beginning, each month, they succeed in earning the monthly operational costs :

  • 25% come from the sale of craft objects to zoological parks.
  • 60% from the projects done for specific clients like the building of londonian phone door for the coworking space Emprenderock.
  • 15% from the use of the machine for clients. Today, people have not access to the machine yet, as client usually don’t have the skills and the FabLab has not started dedicated courses yet.

To develop their business, they just started courses for students and are working on trainings to allow anyone to use the machines.

Their short term objective is to reach a monthly revenue of 3,500US$.

One particularity of the start of this FabLab is that they have been helped by a business student to design their business model to adapt it to the market in which they are. (See more by reading the inspiring practices of the lab)

When you walk along artisanal market stands, have you already recognized craft objects made in a Fablab ? It is likely to more happen in Puebla than before. Because since 2017, a team of craftsmen have dared to seize the opportunity of digital fabrication to produce new type of craft objects. When you hear the story of Ana Arenas Riviera, one of them, the outcome was not certain…

All started 4 years ago when a wind of change blew across the craft market of the Puebla’s Analco district. After years spent in the market selling always the same objects, craftsmen, and more precisely Ana, were looking for something new. Although it brought the order established by the “leaders”, people who manage the team of craftsmen and are in connection with the city hall, in question, they - not without effort - succeeded in being in contact with the research institute of IBERO (IDIT) who was at that time looking for social needs in the context of its social economy program development.

IDIT saw the potential of the mix between digital fabrication and craft. Thus, they suggest to Analco’s craftsmen a dedicated pro-bono teaching program. 80 of the 300 craftsmen were attracted by it, but at the end of the third year only 8 were still attended the courses. First, because some were attracted thinking they could directly earn money. Secondly because some didn’t really got what was digital fabrication and were finally not interested.

At that time, the idea of a fablab creation emerged. And with the help of the municipal government and IDIT, it was born in March 2018 as a cooperative and lead by the 8 craftsmen.

Their 2018 objective is to be financially independent. To reach it, they have been helped by a business student who designed their business model and are supported by the FabLab Puebla about digital fabrication.

Textile, painting, carpentry, glasses work, these are a short list of the art skills you can find in Fablab Puebla. Each of the 8 members come from a speciality and with their personal experience to create this place. 3 years ago, when Fablab Puebla and IDIT offered them digital training, they didn’t imagine building they own business, moreover within a team.

Now, they stand together to make this project work. To put all the chances in their side, they decided to choose a cooperative model for the Fablab. All the decisions are made together, one vote for each person. It applies to their daily organisation such as new business opportunities. Fablab Puebla and the city council, who support them, are part of an administrative board to advise them with the strategy without interfering in their executive decisions.

To financially survive during the first months, some members have kept their personal business but the rules are very clear and shared : between 9 am and 6 pm, they need to work for the cooperative. Outside these hours, they can rent the machines for a few fee to make their products. Compromise, honesty and transparency are some values chosen by the team along with their mission and vision built as the first stone of the project. Their experience during the Fablab Puebla training brought them closer and they learnt to work together before giving up almost everything to be dedicated to the Fablab Analco success.

Even if the adventure is just starting, they consider collaborating with new craftmen and eventually integrating them in the cooperative.

“I am the heart of this team”. When you met Ana, one of the 8 craftmen who run Fablab Analco, you quickly understand that the place they are growing is not just about business. They build the cooperative to make a new turn in their career but after months without salaries, they keep working to achieve a larger mission : open this new world of digital fabrication to release the 300 craftmen of Puebla from their constraints and give them confidence to fulfill their dreams. The coaching and training provided by IDIT and Fablab Puebla give them the courage to build their own structure. Now they want everyone to benefit from that in return.

To achieve this goal, they open their doors to everyone and provide them support. The objective is either to raise awareness about art for laypersons or to show the digital potential for craftmen.

Since the opening, with the support of Fablab Puebla, they welcomed students in weekly classes who are attracted by technologies but need support to design their idea and develop their creativity. The advertisement made by the city also helped them to welcome some entrepreneurs and companies to help them innovate and prototype ideas. The most rewarding for them was to start helping or collaborating with local craftmen. Once they discover the place, they cannot imagine working as they used to do : alone and manually. To attract them, each member meet them in events and selling places and just stopped trying to explain what they do but they simply invite them to visit the Fablab. They also created a “free design month” to help them to numerically design their products. Even if they benefit from government and Fablab Puebla helped to initiate the community, they are conscious of the communication work they will have to quickly tackle to foster people around this project.

To help the 8 craftsmen to launch their own FabLab, the government and IDIT, the innovation research institute of IBERO university, financed all the machines and the operational costs during a period of 6 months. The lab pay no rent as the proprietary of the place gave them for free.

In that way, the craftsmen started their business without the 40 000US$ of debt that represents the financial help given. But they have 6 months to find enough revenues to cover at least the 900US$ monthly operational costs plus their salary.

Since the beginning, each month, they succeed in earning the monthly operational costs :

  • 25% come from the sale of craft objects to zoological parks.
  • 60% from the projects done for specific clients like the building of londonian phone door for the coworking space Emprenderock.
  • 15% from the use of the machine for clients. Today, people have not access to the machine yet, as client usually don’t have the skills and the FabLab has not started dedicated courses yet.

To develop their business, they just started courses for students and are working on trainings to allow anyone to use the machines.

Their short term objective is to reach a monthly revenue of 3,500US$.

One particularity of the start of this FabLab is that they have been helped by a business student to design their business model to adapt it to the market in which they are. (See more by reading the inspiring practices of the lab)

Machines & tools available

Ultimaker 2 3d printer Ultimaker 2+ 3D printer CAMFive Laser Cutters STM Robotics Force vinyl cutter 61 cm Fuel3d scanify - 3D scanner Router CNC 1.25 x 2.5

Technologies & processes available

3D printing Casting & moulding CNC milling Computing & softwares Laser cutting Vinyl cutting Wood working tools

Services offered

Classes & workshops Creations shop Design missions Machines rental Pay-as-you-go machines & tools access Repairing objects Space rental

Our best practices

The inspiring things we do here to run our collaborative space

Being mentored during the creation stage

categories
Creating your workshop

What is it?

Fablab Analco benefited from the mentoring of Fablab Puebla on behalf of IDIT through the all process of its creation and can rely on it to develop its activity.

In concrete terms?

After 3 years of digital fabrication training offered by Fablab Puebla, the 8 craftmen built the project of Fablab Analco in collaboration with Fablab Puebla. Fablab Puebla used its network and its reputation to leverage fundings from the ESS department of the city and to find a space in the artistic area. They managed the place installation (reinforcement and arrangement of the place with the machines and furnitures). Eventually, they provided advices and guidance to develop the activity.

Why it’s interesting?

Being mentor by an experienced and renowned lab helps a new one to leverage funds and to be guided through the first complexe steps of a makerspace creation. It saves time and gives the new lab the opportunity to focus on their activity and mission development rather than administrative tasks. For the mentor, it enables it to test the creation of a new lab and to set up a partnership to develop complementaries projects.

Contact : cooperativafabanalco@hotmail.com

A FabLab business model designed by a student for its thesis

categories
Business model

What is it?

A business student helps the FabLab Analco before its creation for its business model in the context of his thesis.

In concrete terms?

Rodrigo, a business student of the IBERO made a market study and designed a business model for an independent Fablab managed by craftsmen. Two markets were highlighted:

  1. Personalized furniture for clients like restaurants, hotel and coworking.

  2. Student in art and design who would like to do their study project.

In the context of his thesis, he also studied all the way to optimize costs and revenues like electricity costs. In Puebla it exists different price categories depending on the activity (small business, industry, personal use, …). Thus it was financially interesting to well define the activity of the FabLab.

Why it’s interesting?

It was a win-win relationships. From the Fablab side, the team of craftsmen who had not the knowledge/background to produce such analysis won energy, time and money. From the student side, rare are the situations to study the launch of a FabLab. Its has been a great opportunity for him.


Our makers projects

Get inspired by the DIY projects of our team & members

Custom & designer lamps accessible to everyone

A serie of designer and custom lamps for interior space declined in 3 formats : a floor lamp, a desktop lamp or a wall lamp.


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