Exploring Technology-Enabled Maker-Spaces to Empower Communities University of the Arts London in United Kingdom

This PhD project at the University of the Arts London explores the transformative potential of technology-enabled maker-spaces to empower communities. The research focuses on how data-driven co-working and fabrication spaces can engage independent makers, designers, and craftspeople to address local needs. By leveraging Generative AI and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, the project aims to build on the concept of vibe-coding and vibe-making, fostering sustainable, decentralised manufacturing hubs that offer alternatives to centralised mass production.

These agile fabrication hubs integrate local knowledge and direct experience with smart technologies, enabling independent makers to benefit from digital manufacturing while preserving the unique value of human-centred, craft-based production. The project encourages collaboration with local communities to understand, represent, and manifest place, supporting skills development in underserved areas and helping creators remain competitive in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.

Key research themes include blending traditional craftsmanship with digital fabrication, integrating CNC milling, 3D printing, and Generative AI-assisted design, providing shared access to advanced tools, facilitating knowledge-sharing, and promoting localised alternatives to mass manufacturing. The project also aims to strengthen community networks, foster co-creation, and build resilient local economies.

The successful applicant will have the opportunity to shape the project according to their disciplinary, methodological, or creative interests, with a strong emphasis on practice-based enquiry and participatory methods. Potential research activities include developing tools for understanding community perspectives, evaluating machine tool usage, conducting stakeholder interviews, mapping production systems, and organising workshops and user studies. The research approach will be defined in collaboration with the candidate, allowing for exploration of frameworks that enable makers to adapt to smart factory-driven economies, meaningful integration with specific locales, and sustainable production practices.

The project is partnered with BLOQS, a digital fabrication service located in North London, offering a real-world testbed for community-building, sustainability, and hyper-local manufacturing. BLOQS provides access to a dynamic ecosystem of designers, makers, and industry professionals, supporting practical research through site visits, workshops, and prototyping. The partnership is situated within the Meridian Water regeneration project, which aims to grow the local economy through creative production methods.

Supervision is provided by Dr. Michael Kann (Senior Lecturer in Design), Dr. Rosie Horbuckle (Reader in Design and co-founder of the Complex Collaborations Design Research Hub), and Prof. Maria Chatzichristodoulou (Professor of Performance and Digital Transformation, Dean of Research and Knowledge Exchange). The project is ideal for candidates interested in digital fabrication, community engagement, sustainable manufacturing, and participatory design research.

Applicants are invited to submit proposals for practice-based enquiry, with the research approach and focus defined in collaboration with the supervisors. The findings are expected to inform academic discourse and real-world applications in policy, practice, and design research, contributing to the development of resilient, community-driven, digitally enabled production ecosystems.

For further information and to apply, visit the project page and follow the application guidance provided by the University of the Arts London.