About MakeRoom

 


What Is MakeRoom?

MakeRoom Wellington is a hands-on STEM learning programme that inspires young people and adults to design, build, and create with real tools and real technology.

We began in 2017 when Nigel was simply looking for a place where his two kids could “do some building with friends” on the weekend. Those first classes ran from our basement workshop, with a few soldering irons, some recycled electronics, and a big focus on creativity and problem-solving. From those humble beginnings, MakeRoom has grown into a thriving community of makers, with multiple class locations across Wellington and new programmes now expanding into other regions of New Zealand.

A big part of what we do is giving people the confidence to pick up a screwdriver and have a go. We believe strongly in the right to repair, and we love showing students that technology isn’t something mysterious — it’s something they can open up, understand, and improve. For many of our STEM Club kids, MakeRoom has become their happy place: a safe, welcoming environment where they can explore, experiment, and feel proud of what they create.

Today, our STEM Club after-school classes let students dive into electronics, coding, robotics, and engineering. Our Holiday Programmes offer exciting one-day build workshops with take-home projects. And for adults, our Adult Classes provide a relaxed, beginner-friendly way to learn practical making skills.

At its heart, MakeRoom is about curiosity, confidence, and creativity — giving people of all ages the space to build something amazing.

 

Our People

Nigel Scott (he/him) - Founder [Evil Overlord]

 Nigel Scott is the Head Maker behind MakeRoom.  He has a wide range of experience across both technical and creative disciplines.  His first degree was in computer science after which he studied Technical Theatre Production at Toi Whakaari: The New Zealand Drama School.  His relationship with the Drama School has continued throughout his career and he has taught workshops in sound design as part of their technical programme for over 20 years.  In 2006 he received their first ever award for graduate excellence.  

Nigel has also been heavily employed in the Wellington film industry.  He was a music editor for “The Lord Of The Rings” trilogy as well as “King Kong”, “District 9”, “The Lovely Bones” and the “Hobbit” trilogy.  All of this work was completed at  Park Road Post Production where he worked from 2006 until 2018.  He has been nominated 4 times for the Hollywood based “Motion Picture Sound Editor” award for Music Editing in a Feature Film. 

In addition to his teaching work at the NZ Drama School, Nigel has taught a variety of subjects to many different age groups for over 25 years, both around New Zealand and overseas.  His work at Park Road Post has also seen him running specialist workshops at the New Zealand School of Music. His interest in STEM and making has come about through having two young boys that love working with their hands using tools from the digital age.

 

“When I was 9 my family spent a year in Denmark.  I went to a Danish school and experienced a completely different style of learning to what I was used to in NZ.  Out the back of a school was a community centre called Club West - they had various spaces devoted to different activities - Sewing, Engineering, Cooking and Electronics.  I spent hours in that Electronics room making whatever I could get my hands on.  Down the road was the local used appliances recycling centre - which I promptly renamed the 'salvage yard'.  Most weekends I’d bike over there and pick through the new offerings collecting circuit boards, motors, wire - anything I thought might be useful for my constructions.  At the end of the year we had to pack up and head back to NZ.  I had to filter my sizeable collection down to a handful of precious items - it was one of the hardest things I ever had to do as a child.”