Build Site Size

[MysterE]

Quick question,

What would your recommendation on a warehouse size for a build site large enough to house a field, build area, and the like be?

[topgun]

We have found that 8,000 square feet seems to be good. Full size field, plus room for the various subteams to work with relative quiet (from the noise generated by the mills, hammers, etc), room for material storage.

Of course, robot teams will expand to fill the available space.

Twice in the last three years we have been in a local mall with a lot of available space. Free the first year, $2500 this year. But it really makes the team productive, not having to put away everything after every build session.

We had several teams show up to use our practice field when they could, which benefited everyone.

[Mr V]

Well a field is 27 x 54 and you'll need some room at each end for teams to stand behind the driver's station so you need a length of 70'~75' and at least 35' wide for just the field. For space to build you'll probably want at least an area 1/2 that size. So for at the minimum you'd want 4,000 sq ft if it was arranged properly. 5-6,000 sq ft would be better.

[ChuckDickerson]

Originally Posted by topgun

Twice in the last three years we have been in a local mall with a lot of available space. Free the first year, $2500 this year.

Just curious, how long did that $2,500 get you the space? We have a local mall that is about dead and we have considered approaching them for some space but haven't needed to yet. What does that $2,500 get you? Just space during build season or all year? Does it cover utilities? Insurance? Do you have 24 hour access to the space? I really have no idea how much retail mall space costs like per square foot per month nor how much electricity costs, insurance requirements, etc. but I am very curious.

[Mk.32]

Originally Posted by ChuckDickerson

Just curious, how long did that $2,500 get you the space? We have a local mall that is about dead and we have considered approaching them for some space but haven't needed to yet. What does that $2,500 get you? Just space during build season or all year? Does it cover utilities? Insurance? Do you have 24 hour access to the space? I really have no idea how much retail mall space costs like per square foot per month nor how much electricity costs, insurance requirements, etc. but I am very curious.

Well I am not sure about mall spacing but pricing really depends on area. Here in San Diego warehouse space runs from $1 (good price) to $2 (expensive) a sq feet a month in the current market (generalized). And does usually does not include utilities such as power/internet (sometimes water though, nor insurance, I work out of a few shops that are warehouse based.

So I would assume the $2500 pricing is quite a deal made just for the team.

[Mrcope9]

Originally Posted by MysterE

Quick question,

What would your recommendation on a warehouse size for a build site large enough to house a field, build area, and the like be?

Where in Baton Rouge are ya'll looking to rent space? We had enough space for a full field this year, but were not allowed to put in a permanent one. Our build space is the size of two classrooms. I'm sure some of the other teams around town would put down some money and we could all share a field.
For you guys, I assume a space that size would be plenty. Best of luck

[DonRotolo]

It is possible to have too much space?

If you have about 25-30 square feet per team member that is 'spacious' for building*, but doesn't include practice space, and not every team member attends all the time. 'Cramped' would be 10-12 sq ft, assuming all members attend all the time.

There are teams that make do with far less, and considerably more.

That's my recommendation.


*By this I mean fabrication and assembly. Programming, design, awards & non-technical and other "clean" work is not included here, since space for this is easier to come by.

[sanddrag]

The "per team member" unit is interesting. We're at about 75 square feet per team member, not counting two storage containers and it isn't anywhere near enough, considering all the equipment we have. Keep in mind, machinery takes up a lot of space.

After doing this 13 years, we occupy about 3200 square feet of space. And that does not include any Vex activities, any video production, poster printing, or practice space at all. It also does not include any permanent lecture area that can seat more than 12 people, or any computer lab area with more than 12 seats. That's all lab and storage space, and that includes only two large project workbenches.

For a very comprehensive all inclusive well established program, it would be nice to have more on the order of 10,000 square feet. In a mall, that sort of space could cost in excess of $10,000 per month.

[Abhishek R]

For the past few years, we've been operating out of a strip mall center of about 1,200 square feet. Inside we fit our machinery, worktables, programming/PR tables, and some carpet in the later part of the season to test the robot. This year, when we needed to test shots and the like, we set up in the parking lot. On the weekends, the orchestra director at our high school generously lets us use the room for drive practice and other testing. It required some good scheduling, but it's been working alright for us so far.

[AdamHeard]

30 Sq feet per member.... including the space for machines! It's cramped.

[DonRotolo]

Fair disclosure: Our team has 85 students.

We have part of the school's old auto shop, about 900 SqFt, and the technology classroom, about 1000 SqFt, leaving about 22 SqFt per student total. But the clean work folks (about 25 students) have another classroom they use, so we have 31 SqFt per student for 'dirty' work and storage. And we're not really crowded.

Not every student shows up every meeting. When they do, we are standing room only in the 500 SqFt 'meeting area'. Also, this includes NO practice area at all, and not many large machines

I can see how a small team might be out of room at that rate.

[Whippet]

As a small team with hardly more than 15 members at any meeting and usually less, it is possible for us to fit our entire workshop (Mechanical, electrical, programming) into a ~700 square foot classroom with plenty of room to spare. Whenever we need driver practice, we just borrow a carpeted classroom from our very supportive teacher mentors.

We've never had trouble with this setup, but with our plans to acquire some machine tools this year, it may become more cramped.