Liceo Fernando Ariztía Ruiz de Paipote
An Aula Maker STEM for the largest technical-vocational high school in the Atacama region: from a run-down art workshop to a classroom for digital fabrication, robotics and virtual reality.
An Aula Maker STEM for Liceo Fernando Ariztía Ruiz, in Paipote, Copiapó, the largest technical-vocational high school in the Atacama region, with more than 1,500 students. It is part of MakerSTEM, a Fundación Chile project with Assist International and the Caterpillar Foundation, launched in April 2026. Ideo Maker carried out the whole classroom, from the survey and co-design to teacher training.
My role
- Space design and 3D model in Unreal Engine
- Budgets, Gantt chart and logistics
- On-site setup: assembling and installing the furniture
- Teacher training in the classroom's technologies
- Writing the project reports
Ideo Maker team
- Sebastián Higuera
- Patricia Ramírez
- Vicente Cáceres
- Elvis Andrade
- Nelson Mora
- Julio Higuera
- Diego López
The starting point
The assigned room was an old art workshop, badly deteriorated: the floor in poor condition and so much piled-up furniture that it could not be walked through to be measured. In its favor it had floor area, a solid structure, natural light, electrical connections and direct access to a courtyard.
Co-design
The design started with an interview with the leadership team, a maker fair with a student survey and a focus group with teachers. That produced the zoning: modular collaborative work tables in the center, separate zones for each technology, and the courtyard as a testing area for mobile robotics and a waiting area while 3D printing or laser cutting runs.
The setup
The project added infrastructure work, electrical installation, walls, flooring, signage and safety to the installation of furniture and equipment. The space ended up with distinct work zones, orderly circulation and ready to start teacher training. The school itself, together with its students, restored the adjacent courtyard.
The launch
MakerSTEM was launched in April 2026 with regional officials, Fundación Chile, Assist International and the Caterpillar Foundation.
The opening
The classroom, the first Aula MakerSTEM in the region, opened on September 1, 2026 with regional officials, the education community and the business sector. It is more than 100 m² of renovated space, with robotics, prototyping, programming and augmented reality, and it will continue with teaching support and teacher training.
