RISD Co-Works
RISD Co-Works is an institutional maker space and research lab operated by the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, RI, providing prototyping equipment and fabrication tools free of charge to approximately 4,000 RISD students, faculty, and community members across design disciplines.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersProvidence, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What RISD Co-Works does
RISD Co-Works is a maker space and research laboratory operated as an institutional unit of the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), a private art and design college. The facility is located at 212 Union Street in the Fletcher Building in Providence, Rhode Island, and serves the approximately 4,000 students, faculty, and broader community members of RISD across undergraduate and graduate design disciplines. Its functional role is to provide access to prototyping equipment, fabrication tools, and collaborative making space that would otherwise be inaccessible or unaffordable for individual users.
The core offering is a single physical lab facility rather than a technology product. Based on the input, the facility provides community resources and tools for making, prototyping, model building, and creative experimentation; operating hours span up to 11pm on weekdays to accommodate student schedules. There is no indication of proprietary software, digital platform, or app product; the technology footprint is centered on physical fabrication equipment and tools within the lab. A Community Resources section on the lab's site links to recommended external service providers, suggesting a coordination role beyond the lab's own equipment inventory.
RISD Co-Works does not operate as a commercial entity. It is funded through RISD's institutional budget and offered free of charge to the RISD community, with no disclosed pricing model, revenue, or external monetization. The facility is currently closed for Summer 2026, with administrative oversight handled through RISD ITS (Information Technology Services), and is planned to reopen in Fall 2026 under a new name, 'The Maker Space @ Fletcher.' As an institutional resource rather than an investable commercial venture, traditional revenue, growth, and competitive metrics do not apply in the conventional sense.
RISD Co-Works firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- RISD Co-Works
- Legal name
- RISD Co-Works Research Lab
- Website
- https://coworks.risd.edu
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Closed
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- RISD Co-Works is an institutional maker space and research lab operated by the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, RI, providing prototyping equipment and fabrication tools free of charge to approximately 4,000 RISD students, faculty, and community members across design disciplines.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
RISD Co-Works industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Maker Space & Fabrication Services
- NAICS
- Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Makerspace, Innovation Lab & Fab Lab Operations (Tools, Safety, Programming) (EDAEAGAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Applied Research & Innovation Universities (EDAHAEAE)
Keywords
Where RISD Co-Works is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Providence
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
RISD Co-Works business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
RISD Co-Works product offering
Product offeringCore offering
RISD Co-Works Research Lab is a physical maker space and research facility operated by the Rhode Island School of Design at 212 Union Street in the Fletcher Building, Providence, RI. It provides RISD students, faculty, and community members with access to prototyping equipment, fabrication tools, and a collaborative workspace for design projects, model making, and creative experimentation. The facility is currently closed for Summer 2026 with plans to reopen as The Maker Space @ Fletcher in Fall 2026.
Product overview
RISD Co-Works Research Lab is a single-purpose maker space and research facility operated by the Rhode Island School of Design. The offering is a unified physical lab space that provides community resources and access to tools for makers and researchers. The lab is currently closed for Summer 2026, with a planned reopening as The Maker Space @ Fletcher in Fall 2026.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- RISD Co-Works Research Lab
Companies that use RISD Co-Works
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
RISD Co-Works technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
RISD Co-Works partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves2 records
Expansion highlights1 record
RISD Co-Works competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Shapeways: Digital manufacturing service that lets designers upload and 3D print parts on demand. Comparable as an alternative path to physical fabrication that competes with or complements in-house maker space capacity for design students.
- MIT Media Lab: Interdisciplinary research lab at MIT that combines design, technology, and making. Comparable as a hybrid research/maker facility embedded within a leading university, although its research orientation and scale far exceed RISD Co-Works.
Direct peers
- Fab Foundation: Non-profit operator of the global Fab Lab network of digital fabrication makerspaces. Most directly comparable to RISD Co-Works in mission (community access to fabrication tools), operating model (non-profit, grant/institutional funded), and user base (students, researchers, community members).
Others
- Autodesk: Provider of CAD and digital fabrication software (Fusion 360, AutoCAD) widely used in maker spaces. Relevant as an enabling technology provider whose tools are standard in RISD Co-Works-style facilities; not a direct operator of maker spaces.
- Formlabs: Manufacturer of professional desktop 3D printers commonly deployed in design school and maker space environments. Comparable as a key equipment supplier shaping what facilities like RISD Co-Works can offer in prototyping and fabrication.
Broad incumbents
- ArtCenter College of Design: Premier art and design college operating dedicated fabrication and prototyping facilities for design students. Closest institutional analog to RISD in terms of design-discipline breadth and the centrality of physical making to the curriculum.
- Parsons School of Design: Direct peer institution to RISD: leading art and design school with comparable maker/fabrication facilities supporting undergraduate and graduate design students. Useful as a benchmark for facility scope, staffing, and programming in elite design education.
- Make Community: Operator of Maker Faire, Make: Magazine, and a broad maker community platform. Comparable as a hub for the wider maker movement that university makerspaces like RISD Co-Works serve and depend on for culture, content, and visibility.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
RISD Co-Works social profiles
Digital presenceRISD Co-Works financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
RISD Co-Works leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
RISD Co-Works funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
RISD Co-Works M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about RISD Co-Works
What does RISD Co-Works do?
RISD Co-Works Research Lab is a physical maker space and research facility operated by the Rhode Island School of Design at 212 Union Street in the Fletcher Building, Providence, RI. It provides RISD students, faculty, and community members with access to prototyping equipment, fabrication tools, and a collaborative workspace for design projects, model making, and creative experimentation. The facility is currently closed for Summer 2026 with plans to reopen as The Maker Space @ Fletcher in Fall 2026.
Is RISD Co-Works a public or private company?
RISD Co-Works is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently closed.
When was RISD Co-Works founded?
RISD Co-Works was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is RISD Co-Works based?
RISD Co-Works is headquartered in Providence, United States, in the North America region.
Who are RISD Co-Works's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Shapeways and MIT Media Lab. Fab Foundation is listed as a direct peer. Others are Autodesk and Formlabs. Broad incumbents are ArtCenter College of Design, Parsons School of Design and Make Community.
Does RISD Co-Works have an API?
No public API is recorded for RISD Co-Works.
What industry is RISD Co-Works in?
RISD Co-Works's product category is Maker Space & Fabrication Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAEAGAI, Makerspace, Innovation Lab & Fab Lab Operations (Tools, Safety, Programming), with a secondary code of EDAHAEAE, Applied Research & Innovation Universities. Its NAICS code is 5417.