Analysis

What the space can hold

We modeled the garage and adjoining rooms in 3D to test how a working robotics program fits. Dimensions come from that model and should be confirmed on site.

The spaces

Garage bay60 × 48 ft

3/4-scale practice field, driver stations, metal prep under the existing mezzanine, sheet breakdown and cut stations.

Fabrication cage21 × 19 ft

CO2 laser, CNC press brake, two desktop CNC routers, and MetalFab behind a laser curtain with a rated vision panel and ducted exhaust.

Room 6: build and assembly19 × 30 ft

Assembly table, workbenches, electronics bench with fume extraction, enclosed 3D printer bay, deburr booth, and battery charging.

Room 3: classroom24 × 18 ft

Six work tables, a six-seat CAD bench, teaching wall with whiteboards and an 86-inch display.

Storage today versus a lab

Topic	Storage only	Robotics lab (Option B)
Student use	None	Daily after-school build, practice, and instruction space
Existing mezzanine and pallet racking	In use for storage	Kept in place; storage can be consolidated onto them
Practice field	Team practices off site or not at all	3/4-scale field on site with clear egress lanes
Safety controls	General storage conditions	Separated hazard zones, E-stops, eyewash, extinguishers, exhaust
Reversibility	—	Most equipment is freestanding or mobile

Why Option B

We studied two layouts. Option A turned the field east–west and filled the garage with pit benches and long-stock racks. Option B uses a 3/4-scale field running north–south. It leaves the existing mezzanine and pallet racking in place and puts metal prep beneath the mezzanine, beside the cage. That keeps the district's storage structures, shortens the walk between fabrication and the field, and leaves open aisles on both sides of the field.

Plan view of the Option B layout showing the field, cage, Room 6, and Room 3 — Option B plan view. Labels mark the field, cage, staging, and classroom.

Safety designed in

Laser and metal fabrication isolated in a fenced cage with a rolling slide gate, laser curtain, and laser-rated vision panel
Ducted exhaust from the cage to a roof fan; fume extraction at the electronics bench and MetalFab
Emergency stops and a shop disconnect at the garage, plus eyewash, first aid, and a drench shower
ABC extinguishers throughout and a Class D extinguisher beside the aluminum chip drum
Chip and spark screens at metal prep and the deburr booth; dust collection with a cyclone for wood
Hinged gates on three sides of the field and a marked cross-field egress lane
Battery charging on a spill tray, away from fabrication
PPE cabinet and safety stations at every entry