Tours of Bay Area Makerspaces
During the day of Wednesday, August 6th, ISAM2025 is offering optional, limited capacity tours to San Francisco Bay Area maker and design centers of excellence.
California College of the Arts Studios Tour
Date: Wednesday, August 6th, 11am-noon
Location: 145 Hooper Street in San Francisco’s Design District.
Registration: $10; Register via ExOrdo
The California College of the Arts opened its new Simpson Family Building in fall 2024, consolidating all three-dimensional studios including Sculpture, Jewelry & Metal Arts, Ceramics, and Architecture’s Digital Craft Lab into a state-of-the-art facility. This landmark expansion project successfully unified CCA’s previously split San Francisco and Oakland campuses into a single location. The building represents a major milestone in the college’s strategic vision to enhance interdisciplinary collaboration and provide students with comprehensive access to digital fabrication and traditional craft resources.
Exploratorium Exhibit Shop Tour
Date: Wednesday, August 6th, 12:30-1:30 PM
Location: 105 The Embarcadero San Francisco, CA 94111
Registration: $10; Register via ExOrdo
Take an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the world-renowned Exploratorium and its Exhibit Shop, where the museum’s iconic interactive exhibits are designed, prototyped, and fabricated. Meet some of the talented team of exhibit engineers and developers, and get an up-close look at the tools, techniques, and creative processes that bring hands-on science experiences to life. Also hear from the Exploratorium’s Teacher Institute team on how they teach hands-on and inquiry-based teaching methods to middle and high school teachers.
Autodesk’s Pier 9 Tour
Date: Wednesday, August 6th, 2:00-3:00 pm
Location: 105 The Embarcadero San Francisco, CA 94111
Registration: $10; Register via ExOrdo
The Autodesk Technology Center in San Francisco, located on the Emcarcadero at Pier 9, is a hub for the exploration of the future of manufacturing. This center brings together forward-thinking startups, academic researchers, and thought leaders from industry to create a shared vision for the future of design and make. Network teams are supported with a range of advanced manufacturing equipment, robotics, and general shop facilities to explore the research and development of ideas pushing the boundaries of traditional manufacturing.