Tucked away on the first floor of Mary Couts Burnett Library is the Fabrication Lab, also known as the “Fab Lab,” where students’ ideas are brought to life.

The Fab Lab allows students to reserve various types of specialized equipment, from 3D printers to embroidery machines. Whether for a class project or a personal idea, students can learn to make almost anything.

The 3D printers are some of the most popular machines — perfect for models, prototypes and even tiny art sculptures. It can create objects from lions with textured manes to dainty snowflakes, all beginning as digital STL files. 

“I used the 3D printer in the Fab Lab for a class project, and it was super easy,” Katie Putnam, a senior strategic communications major, said. “I just came in with my design and [the student workers] helped me convert the file.”

In the room next to the 3D printers is the laser cutter, which can carve intricate designs into wood, glass and even leather materials. 

In the past, students have used the laser cutter to carve detailed, historical scenes from the book “17th-century Mixson-Colquitt Gradual” into wood pieces.

Beyond lasers, the Fab Lab also offers embroidery machines and vinyl printers, adding a creative twist–letting students design patches and create posters that mix art and tech. 

Students do not need prior experience to use the Fab Lab. After a short orientation and guidance from a student worker, anyone can cut, print or sew their ideas into reality. Whether it is a marketing prototype, art installation or just a fun idea, the Fab Lab has students covered.

“The Fab Lab is really unique, and it’s a great opportunity for students,” KiKi Fong, a Fab Lab student worker, said. “We’ve had anatomy students make the anatomical heart, and it was really cool.”

The Fab Lab is more than a workspace–it is a bridge between imagination and reality. By giving students hands-on access to advanced tools, TCU is helping shape the next generation of makers, designers and entrepreneurs.