Corgan opens a new makerspace in Dallas
Five years ago, the architecture and design firm Corgan expanded its Dallas office to include a space for making and showing models. That space evolved to become an integral part of the firm’s services, to the point last month when Corgan expanded The Shop, as this space is called, to a new 3,000-sf location in Dallas’ historic West End, three blocks from the firm’s office.
The Shop features tools that include laser cutters, 3D printers, and woodworking equipment to create scaled models, life-sized mockups, and full-scale installations.
“The beauty of models is that they are useful throughout the entire construction process, from the initial proposal schematic design, design development, all the way to client approval,” says Dylan Wells, director of Corgan’s model and fabrication facility. “When clients see a 3D model, they love it. It becomes a conversation starter.”
Corgan’s shop operates as a dynamic part of its design studios, supporting a firmwide culture of creation that emphasizes collaboration and innovation. The Shop is an easily accessible creative hub for Corgan’s architects, designers and clients.
“I feel digital saturation is a bit of a disservice to designers, making them feel far removed from elements within the physical space,” says Wells. “Supporting the phenomenal designers in our studios and developing the sense that they are ‘makers’ is the biggest value-added [of The Shop] for me.”
Saying ‘yes’ to designers
Wells—who has been building his team for several years— believes that the expanded space will be seen by clients and designers alike as “the go-to resource and one-stop shop for anything fabrication-related that comes through the door,” be it 3D printing, laser cutting, robotics, CNC routing and milling, painting, professional finishes, or any woodworking task. “Our goal is to say ‘yes’ to our design teams.”
This expansion of The Shop is part of Corgan’s broader strategy to enhance its creative capabilities while anticipating industry shifts and client needs. The building that had been The Shop’s previous home—501 Elm Street—is being converted from offices to residential units.
