Access to the space

The blue door to the hackspace.

This page is about getting access to the space. For travel information see getting to the space for various transport options. For a map of the Space once you're inside it, see The Space.

As a member, you have 24-hour access to the space. There are a number of doors between Hackspace and the street. Access codes and Gatekeeper RFID cards are required, which you will receive as part of the joining process. It's possible to pick up an RFID card at any time, whilst stocks of blank cards are available; see HMS/Gatekeeper Setup.

You'll find all the access codes around the building on HMS, once you're a member.

The most common entrance is via the turquoise door on the corner of Alfred Street and Ashley Street. Head up one flight of stairs and you'll find a door with a large Hackspace "H".

Main Entrances

Alfred Street spiral stairs

Street access to the first floor workshops, Studio and social spaces. Use the entrance on the south-east corner of Roden House; at the corner of Ashley and Alfred streets where it's hard to miss the bright, turquoise door. For public events door codes will not be needed. Otherwise door codes are available for members on HMS.

The narrow spiral stairs are shared with other tenants. Nottingham hackspace is accessible at the first floor landing via a short corridor "Airlock" with doors at either end. Codes and RFID needed to access are provided to members. Normally access will be arranged or the doors left unlocked for public events. Go through the Airlock to enter the Comfy Area and the rest of the first floor workshops.

The Comfy Area is is the starting point for Membership tours and additional signage will be provided. Your guide will likely be waiting in that area, but if you're the first there then take a seat on the sofas. Or take a look around the Museum of Obsolete Technology.

RFID card access

Gatekeeper. The big H is where you tap your card.

See also: HMS/Gatekeeper Setup

RFID is provided by the membership team for free to new members. A replacement RFID card costs £1, which can be popped into the donations thinggy in the Comfy area. Whether new or replacement, see the process on the HMS/Gatekeeper Setup page.

Once registered, the Gatekeeper LCD displays a welcome message whenever you swipe in. By default, it's "Welcome [your name]", but you should be able to edit it in your HMS profile. Beware, multiple RFID cards too close together in your wallet may cause the reader to misread, in which case the LCD will say "Access denied" instead of your greeting.

Accessibility entrance, lift and wide stairs

The hackspace can also be accessed from the Roden Street entrance. This is the wide, solid door in the middle of the block with a "Winners Gym" sign above it. Normally this is open or ajar and is shared with other tenants of Roden House.

The stairs are on the right as you go in. There is a lift just a little further on the same side. We are on the first floor.

Directions:

1. Head up one flight of stairs and go right. You'll see the lift. Ahead is a single door.
   1. When exiting the lift, turn right to get to the same door.
2. Head through the corridor doors to a junction with another corridor.
3. Turn left, where you'll see our entrance at the end of the long corridor (pictured)
4. There is RFID or a bell on the door to gain access, this will bring you directly into the Metalworking Area.

Lift size notes

These were collected by hand, so have a -1/+1cm margin of error. Double check before expecting to fit something at the extremes.

• The clear door opening is 900mm x 2000mm
• The internal car size is 2085mm tall, 1360mm wide, 1440mm deep

• 
  External door on Roden Street used when following the above directions
• 
  Internal door into the Metalworking Area and rest of the first floor
• 
  People rated lift, accessible from Roden Street

Downstairs

Downstairs can be accessed using the internal route from upstairs, see below.

It can also be access from the Roden Street entrance (which has signs about the gym upstairs). The doors are unlocked and open during the day. Go straight on passed the lift on your right. The go through a couple of sets of doors, the corridor opens out and Hackspace's downstairs entrance is to the left.

An RFID card is required to enter Hackspace 2.5. Swipe the card on the Hackspace H on Gatekeeper.

Internal route between upstairs and downstairs

Remember to take your RFID door access card.

From upstairs go through the back doors of the hackspace, past the Metalworking Area. Follow the corridor along and around to the right, where you will reach this goods lift.

Go to the ground floor use the stairwell (or lift, see below). Turn right at the bottom of the stairs or from lift (opposite way to the Roden Street entrance). Carry on through a couple of sets of doors, the corridor opens out and Hackspace's downstairs entrance is to the left.

Leaving the space

If you are the last person leaving the space, please turn off the lights and make sure doors are not latched and that they close properly behind you. We share the stairwell with the dance school on the floor above, who do leave the street door on the latch during their class hours: 16:00 - 21:00 weeknights, daytimes at weekends. Signage on doors also details their hours.

Also see Locking up.

See also

• Cleaning the hackspace

Resources

• Discussion about challenging Biz Space's non-provision of disable access (Google group)