Foulab : Montreal’s creative space for hardware makers

Foulab is a space for hardware makers, with the idea that any smart individual can imagine and create new innovative electronics.

A few metro stations away from downtown Montreal, Foulab is located in an industrial building, the kind you would expect to see hosting a rave party. Before coming to Foulab, you’ll see a studio for artists:

Fiercely independent, Foulab is not sponsored by any government or corporation. It’s run by its members, in a way similar to coops. Members join in to work on various maker projects, learn electronics or meet other like-minded montrealers:

The space is currently maintained by 12 members but they hope to get to 16 members soon. With various workspaces as well as a lounge area, Foulab welcomes many visitors and friends on its open doors tuesday nights. It also hosts frequently public events:

Here’s Foulab’s logo, an electronics version. You’ll see it proudly shown everywhere in the space:

Foulab has been 100% financially independent for the past 4 years, with hardware hackathons, workshops, and through members contributions. In the long term, they hope to get more machines (such as large 3D printers), similar to what’s seen in other Canadian cities. Alex helps manage the space:

Electronics new and old are stocked, donated by members and friends of Foulab:

There are servers, other exotic computers, and even mechanical teletypewriters! Here’s a 30-year-ish old Apple II computer

What’s interesting in a space like Foulab is the ability to use advanced tools like oscilloscopes or other tools that could be too expensive for an individual to own or rent.

The other issue is also noise and other nuisance that will make your neighbor ask questions what you are doing. Better come to a space where you are free and encourage to work on your project. Here’s a member who’s working on a geo-locating mechanism for his rocketry hobby:

Here’s a soldering station for electronics work:

Foulab has of course dozens of different electronic parts, to repair electronics, build new ones, or just have fun:

They also have heavy-duty tools and machinery:

There are various 3D printers at Foulab, small and large scale. Here’s one that’s being built :

Here’s a musical instrument done at a public maker event. There are wooden keys as well as a paper score where the air would go through:

Here’s an amplifier creatively made with off-the-shelf transistor costing about $3, whereas brands typically use transistors costing 20 times more. Good ingenuity:

The Foulab members like also to work on fun projects, such as this LED display:

The crowd at Foulab is a mix of programmers, techies, travelers, artists and generally free-thinkers and innovators:

On the open doors tuesdays nights, you can talk to members and visitors, or head to one of the workspace and do a soldering job:

The members travel also to various science and maker conferences, and are in a way, part of a global network:

Foulab is also a coworking space – at $75/month, you’ve got a space to work on your project. Here, we’ve got 2 people working on a sysadmin tool:

Get more information on the Foulab website – I recommend going to the space around 8 or 9pm on Tuesdays.

Photos by @heri with Canon EOS-M + 22m pancake