Hackspace Move

We will soon move to a new space in 447 Hackney Road. This will be happening during March and April 2013.

There's lots do do. Moving will be an enormous task, and will take at least an entire weekend (and probably several weeks worth of time in preparation). Here are some resources that help us coordinate this.

Location

See 447 Hackney Road.

How to Help

At the moment we are mostly interested in skilled workers (carpentry, electrics, plumbing; but also drivers with vehicles), don't need many unskilled volunteers.

This will change as we approach the weekend of 13/14 April, which is a likely date for the actual move.

Getting Involved

If you're a member: check the Things to be aware of section below.

If you've not kept up to date with our daily progress: have a look at the Planning updates section below.

If you have useful skills and want to help out with the move:

• join the Infrastructure mailing list: http://groups.google.com/group/london-hack-space-infrastructure
• join the infrastructure IRC channel on freenode.net, #london-hack-space-infrastructure
• Register to help here so we can plan well

Open Tasks

If you have a bit of time and want to help out with the move: here's a list of random things where we need someone to take over.

• We need someone to monitor Freecycle (speak to Jasper for details); there's a /FreecycleList with requests
• We need an ashtray for the yard
• ...

Making Important Decisions

Make sure to keep in touch with others, things move quickly, and many people are thinking about overlapping problems. When you're coordinating an activity make sure to involve other people in larger decisions.

Specifically this could mean:

• Start discussing the task at hand with others, do research, find the right specialists.
• Write down a proposal.
• Show it to others, amend it. (Any Etherpad/PiratePad service is good for this.)
• For decisions that affect other teams, or the larger community: propose it on the infrastructure mailing list, or the main list (as appropriate)

As a result it stops being your idea, and will be shaped by others. But it will often be much better.

Planning

Expected schedule

We need to be out of Cremer St before 30th April. To leave time for restorations and cleanup the actual move will happen on the weekend of 13/14 April.

Key Projects

(We should merge these pages.)

• Key projects
• Timeline

Notes

(Not all of these pages are maintained. Should sort these and merge as appropriate.)

• Logistics - actually moving objects & infrastructure from A to B
• The new space layout (under discussion)
• Build-out of new space
• Sizes and shapes of some existing equipment
• Restoration requirements for our current space
• List of stuff to try to find as cheap as possible

Planning updates

• 25 March planning update
• 16 March 2013: infrastructure coordination meeting

Things to be aware of

Prepare your member box

If you have a member box:

• Make sure that it can be closed with the lid fitting properly
• Make sure it's clearly labeled with your name and membership reference number. You can find your reference number at london.hackspace.org.uk/members/ after you have logged into the website.
• Remove any loose items from on, around or under your box - we won't have an easy way of moving them and it's likely that they will get lost or damaged. You should take responsibility for moving these yourself.
• Due to the move we are no longer accepting new boxes in the existing space. If there is a spare space on the member shelves please leave it empty. You'll be able to add new boxes at the new space after the move.

Prepare your loaned equipment

• Make sure it is labelled properly so it doesn't get lost
• If it is delicate or hard to move: prepare it for the move yourself, or even take it home for the duration of the move

Planning your deliveries

Since we will be mostly out of the existing space before 30 April, please take care when ordering items to be delivered to the current space. If there is any chance that they will take more than a few weeks to arrive then don't have them sent to the space! We won't have access to the old building after we fully moved out.

Frequently Asked Questions

See also New Space Search 2012#Frequently_Asked_Questions for a discussion of why a move is possible (and necessary) in 2013.

When will the new space be open to members?

Doorbot is already set up, but restricted to a few key people who help out with the move. General member access will be set up around the time of the actual move, sometime in mid/late April.

See also: #Expected Schedule.

What modifications does our lease allow?

"Structural changes" need to be signed off by the landlord. This includes the erection of new walls, drilling large holes in existing walls (e.g. for ventilation), etc.

Non-structural changes are fine; this includes painting walls, markings, mounting of equipment and other small changes.

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