At communal workspace MakeBHM, boundaries the only thing not welcomed

Bruce and Scottie Lanier started MakeBHM as a way to break down barriers such as access to power tools for woodworking, ceramics or welding, monetary barriers or a lack of space. In April, they moved from a 4,000-square-foot space that mainly housed classes and workshops to their new space in Avondale.

The approximately 21,000-square-foot complex includes a range of options, from traditional leases and office space to retail space to open-air workspace on the floor. 

There is also a ceramics workshop, woodworking shop and welding shop filled with tools needed for those media in addition to classes to help people hone their skills.

Artists and craftsmen can rent a 9-by-9-foot square to work in. That space might sound small, but on the shop floor of MakeBHM, it’s plenty, said Bruce Lanier.

“A lot of people think they need more space than they actually do. ... If you don’t put walls around it, you have air space, you get freedom of movement,” he said. “You have air actually moving, and you’ve also got access to this break room; you have access to bathrooms.”

Even though the shop floor is divided into rentable 9-by-9 squares, there are no walls built around those areas and no dividers between workspaces. MakeBHM’s focus is on breaking down boundaries — both constructed and theoretical — to create an ideal workspace for creative minds.

“What makes this space work in general is this idea of a shared experience,” Bruce Lanier said. “And this sort of collective experience of either being in a room together or being in a class.”

When someone enters MakeBHM, whether it is to take a class or work on ideas in the upstairs coworking space, the Laniers said they hope people will learn from each other’s processes and skill sets.

“Some people are going to be energized, even if they’re going to work in an office, by being able to walk through a creative space where stuff’s happening or [to] look down on it,” Scottie Lanier said.

MakeBHM has tenants in its office spaces indoors and is working to complete two retail spaces on the periphery of the building and a co-working space upstairs. There are also plans to create a space in the front of the shop floor that can be used for events and pop-up shops.

Spaces are still available for rent on the shop floor, but as MakeBHM grows, Bruce Lanier said they are careful to maintain a balance in the building.

“We want people here in the space, and then we’re also looking for complementary uses,” he said. “So we’ve got a calligrapher and invitation designer; we’ve got a really nice ceramics operation here, so now we’re looking for [other] things instead of doubling down. … Now we’re trying to find things that pair into that, so that you end up with a dynamic and supportive community.”

MakeBHM is also for-profit, which Scottie and Bruce Lanier said helps keep them aware of the community’s needs. As a nonprofit, they would have applied for a grant, purchased what they saw as necessary, and then opened shop. This way, they can see what the community responds to based on their finances.

“Not making money is a really good metric [for need],” Bruce Lanier said.“It’s a work in progress, and it always will be.”

For more information about MakeBHM, go to makebhm.com or email info@makebhm.com.