WashU will close its Tech Den, a space offering 3D printing and technology consultation services, on June 30. WashU’s IT department cited a variety of factors, including efforts to “rightsize the organization,” as the reason behind the planned closure.  

The Tech Den is located in a building slightly off-campus at the intersection of Skinker and Forsyth, diagonal to Sam Fox’s Steinberg Hall. 

“The goal [with the closure] is to better align staffing, funding, and effort with scalable core services that support the University’s teaching, research and administrative missions,” reads a FAQ page about the closure posted on the Tech Den’s website. 

The FAQ also states that Student Technology Services (STS) will remain unaffected by the change, but that the technology consultation and 3D printing services will be terminated at the end of June. STS offers students help desk services, device support and access to essential academic technology resources.          

According to its website, since the inception of the 3D printing space in 2021, the Tech Den has fulfilled over 2,000 project requests and printed over 20,000 parts. 

The tech consultation services branch of the Tech Den, termed DevSTAC, are provided by a team of undergraduate and graduate students specializing in skills like web and mobile app development and data analytics. Students employed by DevSTAC have completed over 40 projects for clients, including a website on 3D data preservation and an app to help doctors at WashU’s medical school treat stroke patients.      

The Tech Den’s 3D printing services are free for students and low-cost for faculty and staff members. Its printing services are also available to all students, unlike the makerspace workshops located in Sam Fox and McKelvey buildings, whose use is primarily limited to students of those respective schools. 

Omar AlRefae, Senior Director of Enterprise Systems and Solutions for WashU IT, wrote that WashU is considering several options to replace the 3D printing services offered by the Tech Den.

“Some school‑based makerspaces on campus offer limited access beyond their own populations, typically with required training and subject to capacity,” AlRefae wrote in an email. “We are also exploring options for continuing or re‑establishing 3D printing resources outside of WashU IT, where it may be more sustainably supported.” 

An individual familiar with the Tech Den and the WashU makerspace ecosystem, who requested anonymity out of fear of professional repercussions, said they believe the school is losing a valuable resource. 

“Since we are a nonprofit, the ideology there is that we are not profit-generating, and that was the one thing that was cited to me in conversations with multiple people about the Tech Den closing, was that it doesn’t generate profit,” they said. “[The closure is] going to impact basic information and knowledge, but it’s also going to impact creativity and innovation.” 

The anonymous individual also expressed disappointment and concern about the futures of the three full-time employees of the Tech Den who will be laid off, as well as the student employees who will lose their positions. They believe that beyond an income, employment at the Tech Den offered students the opportunity to develop relevant expertise for their future careers.   

“It’s career-building student employment. … It’s an actual tangible skill set that’s going to develop their marketability. It’s one of those non-numerical ROI things, where the impact is far beyond the level of work they’re providing,” they said.  

AlRefae wrote that the decision to close the Tech Den was not made based upon a single factor, but instead so WashU IT can “best position its resources to support the University’s strategic priorities.” 

For more information on WashU IT’s strategic plans, AlRefae referred Student Life to its website outlining the goals of its current strategic plan termed “ImpacT.”     

AlRefae also wrote that the school is “actively supporting” employees affected by the closure.

Tech Den student employee and junior Peter Nau worked as a 3D printing technician for over two years and said the Tech Den had provided a valuable service to students.  

“I really enjoyed my time working at the Tech Den,” Nau wrote in an email to Student Life. “I learned so much while working there, and it really filled a void left by the other WashU 3D printing services. I hope WashU is able to find a way to replace the work and services that the Tech Den was able to offer to students and faculty.”

Editor’s Note: This article was updated on April 7th, 2026, to reflect that the Facilities Planning & Management Office will not be moving into the Tech Den’s former office space.