Fabrication Lab

What began as the home of a new engineering course has quickly become a school-wide resource. Since opening, the Fabrication Lab has supported nearly 300 students across grades 6 through 12, extending hands-on learning far beyond a single classroom. Across middle school and upper school STEM disciplines, the lab gives students new ways to test ideas, visualize data, solve problems, and engage with concepts through design and fabrication.

Recent STEM-centered projects and uses of the Fabrication Lab have included:

• Bridge engineering models – designed to explore force loads, geometry, and applied mathematics
• Marine science data models – created to visualize ocean depth and environmental variation
• Functional engineering systems – integrating motors, switches, circuitry, and gear systems
• Robotics parts, practice elements, and custom components – supporting Austin Prep’s First Tech Challenge team
• Tactile learning tools for students in Uganda – produced through 3D printing and laser cutting as part of a Christian Service initiative
• Custom puzzles – created through precision digital fabrication

Together, these projects reflect the lab’s ability to support inquiry, experimentation, and applied problem-solving across STEM fields. Students are not simply learning concepts. They are building with them.

“You can really diagnose the issue quickly. Most of the time, it’s just about figuring out what needs to be adjusted.” – Aidan O’Neill ’26

The Fabrication Lab also extends meaningfully into the humanities and other disciplines, giving students new ways to interpret ideas, communicate meaning, and bring abstract concepts into physical form. In these settings, digital fabrication becomes a tool for reflection, storytelling, symbolism, and analysis.

Recent humanities-centered and interdisciplinary projects have included:

• Theological visual reflections – connecting symbolic design to Scripture and prayer
• Family shield projects – exploring identity, heritage, and symbolism
• Historical artifact recreations – tied to civics and historical study
• Literary visual interpretations – translating themes and characters into physical form
• Creative writing artifacts – representing narrative elements and symbolism through design

These experiences show the breadth of the Fabrication Lab’s impact across the curriculum. The space supports not only engineering and technical design, but also creativity, interpretation, and intellectual exploration across academic disciplines.

“A makerspace is not about one class being housed in there. It’s about any student who wants to use a makerspace can come do it.” – Amy Foley, Dean of STEM and Science & Technology Innovation Specialist

The Fabrication Lab helps prepare Austin Prep students for a future in which design, engineering, and technology intersect across nearly every field. Students gain experience with advanced software, fabrication technologies, and iterative problem-solving while learning how to move from concept to execution with care and precision.

Just as importantly, they develop habits of mind that extend beyond the lab itself: resilience, adaptability, collaboration, and intellectual curiosity. Whether students are engineering a working system, creating a historically inspired artifact, producing tactile learning tools for service, or designing a custom robotics component, they are doing work that is rigorous, relevant, and deeply aligned with the kind of real-world thinking Austin Prep seeks to cultivate.

“I might do this in a career because I’m going to study aerospace engineering in college, and from there I want to specialize in aerodynamics and fluid mechanics.” – Aidan O’Neill ’26