Graduate studio creates storage solutions for The Tool Library

This fall, graduate students in the UB Architecture Material Culture Research Studio took on a unique challenge: designing user-friendly storage systems for The Tool Library, a local nonprofit that supports the community through affordable access to an extensive collection of tools.

Dedicated to empowering the community through shared access to tools, resources and knowledge, The Tool Library supports homeowners and community organizations in their efforts to repair, maintain and improve Buffalo’s built environment. The library features more than 4,800 tools and serves more than 1,400 active members across Western New York.

Aligning with the School of Architecture and Planning’s “learn-through-making” ethos, the 14 students in the studio paired up to develop designs that not only house the tools but visually communicate their use and invite interaction. The project parameters — developed by Steph Cramer, clinical assistant professor of architecture and director of the school’s Fabrication Workshop — required that each solution be scalable, with the ability to expand either vertically or horizontally.  

To kick off the project, students met with UB alumni and Tool Library administrators Darren Cotton (MUP ’12), executive director, and Maddie Collins (BA ’16), director of operations, to tour the space and better understand the organization’s needs before they began designing the custom solutions. They then brought their ideas to life in the Fabrication Workshop, a fully equipped, experimental teaching and research lab on the South Campus with tools for woodworking, metalworking, assembly and digital fabrication.

The result was seven innovative storage solutions tailored for a range of tools, including rakes, shovels, clamps, sledgehammers and weed whackers — each designed to be functional, informative and user-friendly to support the ever-growing community of Buffalo builders.

One team tackled the challenge of organizing The Tool Library’s collection of clamps. Their wooden unit featured a robin-egg-blue display sample for each type of clamp demonstrating its proper use, thus helping users quickly identify the right tool for their job. Adjustable shelving accommodates various clamp sizes and storage needs while allowing for future expansion.  

“We did a lot of research into the history of the different types of clamps and how they all function,” the students said. “The hardest part was making sure we had all eight clamps displayed. Putting the whole thing together was kind of a big puzzle.”

Another group focused on shovels. Their solution stacks the shovels horizontally on notched shelves, with a row of upright “display shovels” set in a dirt-filled box. This not only makes them easy to grab but also encourages users to clean them before returning. The design promotes equal use by cycling shovels through the system.

The biggest lesson for students was designing for human function — such as how far an arm can reach or the necessary height between different levels — through a full-scale build. “There are things you don’t typically notice when you’re working with smaller model scales,” they noted. “You can really work out the kinks when you do it in full scale.”

The project was made possible with support from the UB Civic Engagement Research Fund.