Last June, Northwestern opened The Garage facility on North Campus as part of the University’s “We Will” campaign, a $3.75 billion fundraising effort announced in March 2014. The “incubator of ideas” offers 11,000 square feet of flexible space for students across all disciplines to congregate, collaborate, and create under one roof. As President Morton Schapiro said, “Northwestern is about entrepreneurs. We have a lot of programs, but what we never had before was the space. Now we have this absolutely magnificent space.” Designed by world-renowned architecture firm Gensler, The Garage is actually located within the existing Henry Crown Sports Pavilion garage. The central location was chosen to link the Kellogg School of Management, McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science, School of Communication, as well as multiple research institutes. The space, which is available 24/7, acknowledges the start-up culture it nurtures; the design even preserves existing stripes between parking spaces. Students have access to privacy booths, global networking/video conference rooms, individual and group work stations, and a kitchen. The Garage also incorporates a wide variety of technological hardware, such as computers with design software, mobile screens, and a 3D printer. In addition to everyday use by students, The Garage hosts academic and professional programs, along with student groups such as NUvention, NUseeds, and Design for America.

As an engineering student, I can attest that meeting outside of the classroom is an extremely important aspect of excelling within the classroom. Many of my classes, most notably Design Thinking & Communication and Capstone Design, require students to meet with groups outside of the classroom. With the creation of The Garage, there are more spaces for students to engineer their design prototypes. In addition to more study space, I really enjoy the fact that all students, no matter their major, have access to the workshops, seminars, and social events The Garage offers. In essence, the collaborative space allows students to truly experience being a part of “One Northwestern.” It is equally more impressive that students can meet with venture coaches and alumni mentors, who commit to fielding questions via online or phone calls to serve as role models for future entrepreneurs. This idea emphasizes the fact that experts in industry come from a vast network of Northwestern University alumni located around the globe. 

–Daniel San Gabino