Lima Makers

Carmen 249, Surquillo 15047

Makerspace

Space size 98 m²

Opened in January 2015

Structure type Private company

Explored in September 2018


We are an Open Place dedicated to teaching how to make, create, repair and develop almost anything. The space is a place where people can learn how to build things from the very basic use of tools to the most complex processes of prototyping and manufacturing. We offer memberships, workshops, and activities in order to connect a community of makers and help them to make their ideas happen. Our space is an interface between the ideas, local entrepreneurs, companies and educational institutions.

Main interests

Technology - machines & tools Community Entrepreneurship Robotics Industry & innovation Electronics Design Art & culture Recycling & upcycling

This workshop is great for:

Public organisations Large companies Small & medium businesses Schools & universities Craftsmen Artists Entrepreneurs Seniors Hobbyist makers General public Students Makers pro Non-profit organisations

The closest workshops nearby are:

Our workshop

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

“We can make the ideas into reality”. This statement is the leitmotiv which made the 2 founders creating the Lima makers 3 years ago and the reason why they wake up every day with a smile.

When they discovered the digital fabrication in 2010, they were close to finishing their studies while the Fablab movement was just beginning in Latin America. Toshiro Tabuchi, who studied mechanical engineering in the UNI University, helped Benito Juarez and Victor Freundt to create the Fablab UNI, first Fablab in the continent. He was joined by several volunteers, eager to learn digital fabrication, such as Ricardo Torres, designer, and Mickael Hurtado, mathematician. 2 years later, when the strategy of the University changed about the lab management, they felt ready to create they own and independent makerspace dedicated to the creation of real-life products.

After a tour of Fablabs and makerspaces in Europe to identify good practices and experiences, they decided to open a space where entrepreneurs can learn and use digital fabrication to support their business. If Mickael quickly quitted the team to develop his personal projects, after 2 years, Toshiro and Ricardo decided to shift their strategy to increase their impact and their revenues. They rent a smaller but more adapted and better-located space and decided to put their energy into 2 missions highlighted by their catch phrases :

  • “Discover the Peruvian creativity inside you”: they empower people with workshops and access to space
  • “We make your ideas reality”: they offer services from the use of the machines to the development of products.

Nowadays, if their initial mission of empowering people was more difficult than expected, they acquired a reputation and an experience that enable them to work with universities, ministries, and companies, to gather a reliable makers community and to dedicate some time for investigation. For the future, they aim to develop a sustainable products line and to raise awareness about the manual work value within the Peruvian culture.

Ricardo Torres and Toshiro Tabuchi, the two founders of Lima Makers breathe the same air. The one of independence and liberty to spend their energy on making and supporting their team and their community.

Both find the time to teach in engineering universities, respectively in PUCP and UTEC. But in Lima Makers, Ricardo, an industrial designer, plays the role of product developer while, Toshiro, in line with its engineer mechanical training, is the fabrication director of the makerspace.

They are helped by Daneth Negreiros for all administrative stuff like purchases, taxes,… Their paths crossed while Lima Makers moved to its current location as she was working for the former tenant. In the meantime, Estafania KU is part of the team as a maker and community manager whereas it is not its native occupation. And, to complete the team, Miguel Quispe is a TECSUP student and gives a hand on many projects.

To be part of the team, the most important is the readiness to learn and to share its knowledge.

« Who are the users of the Lima Maker makerspace? Hummm…in fact… the only profile not represented is the doctors ». All is said.

In Lima Makers, there is no membership « off the shelf ». The access condition is adapted to the user needs. One could think it could be difficult to manage but in reality, this flexible way of doing is the concrete manifestation of the free spirit of Lima Makers.

In contrast, you can’t enter the lab for the first time whenever we want. You need to ask a meeting for the sake of security and also to be sure there will be someone to welcome you. And don’t worry if you don’t know how to use the machine. You can join the “intern program” during which the team will train you and give you all the keys to success to make your idea come true in exchange of participation in their project.

If you are just curious or need specific training, you can enjoy on a Saturday of every month, various courses to teach how to use the machine. Depending on the level of the students they can even make a more technical focus on a process o material.

To attract new members, they organize successful Open Days every last Friday of the month which attract a rich set of people with multi-disciplinary and multi-profiles. They also have the chance to live with cool neighbors so they can organize barbecues with the community in the street!

If you ask the team about the incomes, surprisingly they tell you that it never was a problem for them. They had quickly reached the breakeven point. However, the real question is about the sustainability of their business model. Since the creation of the Fablab, they tried 2 different models but are still looking for regular incomes.

Firstly, they opened a space similar such as a co-working space with digital fabrication for entrepreneurs. They brought their personal machines (manual tools, 3D printing, and laser cutter) and rent the space with monthly and annual memberships. They earned salaries but the problem of this model lies in the limit of the growth and sustainability. It depends on few entrepreneurs who could stop anytime, it didn’t foster collaborative investigation necessary for the team to develop new skills and the limit of the space didn’t allow to increase the number of users.

Secondly, they opened a new space, the current one, financed by services to make products based on digital files gave by clients and by projects to develop solutions and products from idea or problems jointly identified with the clients. After 6 months, they earned enough money to pay the rent of the space, to earn a minimum salary and to buy progressively new machines such as CNC or circular saw. To diversify their activity and reach their original mission of democratization, then they opened their space to everyone through paid workshops and pay-as-use machines. The workshops compensate a drop in projects or services. However, the rent of the machines doesn’t finance the space but increase and strengthen the community. This community also provides great financial support by participating in projects in exchange for free training. If this business model works in Peru it’s because manual work is not valued. People prefer to pay someone to make their product than learning how to do it. They are also ready to pay either for unique pieces or for cheaper products than the ones sold in the market.

Nowadays, they are looking for developing a specific line of products made with digital fabrication to ensure regular incomes and to smooth the workload. They also expect to develop long-term projects with companies such as investigation lines to help them benefit from technology while ensuring fixed and mid-term incomes.

“We can make the ideas into reality”. This statement is the leitmotiv which made the 2 founders creating the Lima makers 3 years ago and the reason why they wake up every day with a smile.

When they discovered the digital fabrication in 2010, they were close to finishing their studies while the Fablab movement was just beginning in Latin America. Toshiro Tabuchi, who studied mechanical engineering in the UNI University, helped Benito Juarez and Victor Freundt to create the Fablab UNI, first Fablab in the continent. He was joined by several volunteers, eager to learn digital fabrication, such as Ricardo Torres, designer, and Mickael Hurtado, mathematician. 2 years later, when the strategy of the University changed about the lab management, they felt ready to create they own and independent makerspace dedicated to the creation of real-life products.

After a tour of Fablabs and makerspaces in Europe to identify good practices and experiences, they decided to open a space where entrepreneurs can learn and use digital fabrication to support their business. If Mickael quickly quitted the team to develop his personal projects, after 2 years, Toshiro and Ricardo decided to shift their strategy to increase their impact and their revenues. They rent a smaller but more adapted and better-located space and decided to put their energy into 2 missions highlighted by their catch phrases :

  • “Discover the Peruvian creativity inside you”: they empower people with workshops and access to space
  • “We make your ideas reality”: they offer services from the use of the machines to the development of products.

Nowadays, if their initial mission of empowering people was more difficult than expected, they acquired a reputation and an experience that enable them to work with universities, ministries, and companies, to gather a reliable makers community and to dedicate some time for investigation. For the future, they aim to develop a sustainable products line and to raise awareness about the manual work value within the Peruvian culture.

Ricardo Torres and Toshiro Tabuchi, the two founders of Lima Makers breathe the same air. The one of independence and liberty to spend their energy on making and supporting their team and their community.

Both find the time to teach in engineering universities, respectively in PUCP and UTEC. But in Lima Makers, Ricardo, an industrial designer, plays the role of product developer while, Toshiro, in line with its engineer mechanical training, is the fabrication director of the makerspace.

They are helped by Daneth Negreiros for all administrative stuff like purchases, taxes,… Their paths crossed while Lima Makers moved to its current location as she was working for the former tenant. In the meantime, Estafania KU is part of the team as a maker and community manager whereas it is not its native occupation. And, to complete the team, Miguel Quispe is a TECSUP student and gives a hand on many projects.

To be part of the team, the most important is the readiness to learn and to share its knowledge.

« Who are the users of the Lima Maker makerspace? Hummm…in fact… the only profile not represented is the doctors ». All is said.

In Lima Makers, there is no membership « off the shelf ». The access condition is adapted to the user needs. One could think it could be difficult to manage but in reality, this flexible way of doing is the concrete manifestation of the free spirit of Lima Makers.

In contrast, you can’t enter the lab for the first time whenever we want. You need to ask a meeting for the sake of security and also to be sure there will be someone to welcome you. And don’t worry if you don’t know how to use the machine. You can join the “intern program” during which the team will train you and give you all the keys to success to make your idea come true in exchange of participation in their project.

If you are just curious or need specific training, you can enjoy on a Saturday of every month, various courses to teach how to use the machine. Depending on the level of the students they can even make a more technical focus on a process o material.

To attract new members, they organize successful Open Days every last Friday of the month which attract a rich set of people with multi-disciplinary and multi-profiles. They also have the chance to live with cool neighbors so they can organize barbecues with the community in the street!

If you ask the team about the incomes, surprisingly they tell you that it never was a problem for them. They had quickly reached the breakeven point. However, the real question is about the sustainability of their business model. Since the creation of the Fablab, they tried 2 different models but are still looking for regular incomes.

Firstly, they opened a space similar such as a co-working space with digital fabrication for entrepreneurs. They brought their personal machines (manual tools, 3D printing, and laser cutter) and rent the space with monthly and annual memberships. They earned salaries but the problem of this model lies in the limit of the growth and sustainability. It depends on few entrepreneurs who could stop anytime, it didn’t foster collaborative investigation necessary for the team to develop new skills and the limit of the space didn’t allow to increase the number of users.

Secondly, they opened a new space, the current one, financed by services to make products based on digital files gave by clients and by projects to develop solutions and products from idea or problems jointly identified with the clients. After 6 months, they earned enough money to pay the rent of the space, to earn a minimum salary and to buy progressively new machines such as CNC or circular saw. To diversify their activity and reach their original mission of democratization, then they opened their space to everyone through paid workshops and pay-as-use machines. The workshops compensate a drop in projects or services. However, the rent of the machines doesn’t finance the space but increase and strengthen the community. This community also provides great financial support by participating in projects in exchange for free training. If this business model works in Peru it’s because manual work is not valued. People prefer to pay someone to make their product than learning how to do it. They are also ready to pay either for unique pieces or for cheaper products than the ones sold in the market.

Nowadays, they are looking for developing a specific line of products made with digital fabrication to ensure regular incomes and to smooth the workload. They also expect to develop long-term projects with companies such as investigation lines to help them benefit from technology while ensuring fixed and mid-term incomes.

Technologies & processes available

3D printing Laser cutting CNC milling Casting & moulding Computing & softwares Electronics Robotics Wood working tools Traditional tools

Services offered

Design missions Community center Talks & conferences Startups & projects incubation / mentoring Repairing objects Classes & workshops Pay-as-you-go machines & tools access Prototyping Open moments

Our best practices

The inspiring things we do here to run our collaborative space

Offer service of designer and maker recruitement & coordination

categories
Business model Ecosystem & partnerships

What is it?

On the occasion of the World Bank governors international summit in Lima in 2015, reputed gourmet chefs and designers collaborated to offer an innovative dinner with a unique and tailor-made presentation.

What’s the project story?

Toshiba and Ricardo, 2 funders of Lima makers, met Jose Carlos Lopez, a coordinator of the World Bank Summit during an event dedicated to the design. Jose Carlos was desperately looking for designers who could bring the renowned Peruvian food to another level. He was looking for a way to sublimate the excellent food prepared by high-level gourmet chefs for the occasion with a constraint of time. This challenge suited perfectly to Toshiba and Ricardo who had both competencies in design, a reliable red of designers to support them and above all skills in digital fabrication to fit the constraint of time.

How the workshop was useful?

The community of the makerspace was crucial to identify the right designer able to understand the chefs’ ideas and to produce quickly the design. The tools and skills of the team were also key to make the designs into reality in an extremely short period of time.

Contact : coordinacion@limamakers.com

Business model to offer free training

categories
Community Training

What is it?

In this model, the Fablab offers to volunteers free training in exchange for their participation to projects.

In concrete terms?

Frequently the Fablab Lima organizes a call for volunteers to gather people willing to develop new skills, to be part of impactful projects or to be part of a community of talented and passionate people. In 2 hours, they organized activities for people to get to know each other, to collaborated and to discover the makerspace activities and spirit. Each one can select an area of interest represented by a team member who plays the role of coordinator. This role consists of being the contact point with the volunteers, to assess their skills and knowledge, to design and perform adapted training and to coordinate their participation in projects related to their training, depending on their skills.

Why it’s interesting?

It makes the training more accessible to anyone regardless of their financial state and it offers the possibility to volunteers to put into practice what they learn through projects. For the lab, it selects only motivated people to increase the community and the return on investment is achieved through their participation of projects. However, the limit of this model is the sustainability: volunteers don’t stay in the long term which requires the team to constantly recruit and train new volunteers to ensure continuity in the projects. Nevertheless, the team of Fablab Lima is testing a new way of retaining people such as the use of FabCoin, international money for makers.

Contact : coordinacion@limamakers.com

Our makers projects

Get inspired by the DIY projects of our team & members

Toys made with household tools

In 2015, for Christmas, the home improvement warehouse store chain Sodimac hired designers and makers for a challenge : they had 3 days to transform household tools in toys for kids!


Gourmet + Project

On the occasion of the World Bank governors international summit in Lima in 2015, reputed gourmet chefs and designers collaborated to offer an innovative dinner with a unique and tailor-made presentation.


Primitivo - Designed animals products

Series of casual products made in leather or cardboard of which design is inspired with animal species threatened with extinction.


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