GE has opened a new collaborative work and makerspace in Stamford, the company announced this week.
CoCREATE, an appliance factory, community makerspace and design center located at 47 John St., opened to the public this week. GE first broke ground on the 67,000-square-foot facility in fall 2021. Last year, the company began manufacturing small appliances at the site.
The facility, which company officials called “first-of-its-kind,” merges elements of modern manufacturing and community collaboration and engagement.
Among its features:
- CoCREATE houses the second FirstBuild makerspace in the country. FirstBuild was first established in Louisville, Ky., to accelerate GE Appliances’ pace of innovation through social product development with a global community of makers online and in its publicly available makerspace.
- It provides access to hand tools, 3D printers, lasers and other equipment. It also offers community hours and educational programming.
- Visitors can also see inside the CoCREATE microfactory, where they can watch the craftsmanship that goes into building small appliances from GE Appliances’ lineup, including the Monogram Hearth Oven and GE Profile Smart Mixer.
- CoCREATE offers an on-site community coffee shop, as well as a design and experience center, where community members can test new products, and provide product feedback.
- The center’s Monogram Test Kitchen is equipped with Monogram brand appliances and a fully functional kitchen that will host chef demonstrations, cooking lessons, and other community events.
- A showroom offers inspiration for home and kitchen design.
- The facility also features a retail area where visitors can explore and purchase products.
