Twenty years of enjoyment at the Hangar

The Hangar, a beloved place for students and staff for the past twenty years, is celebrating its anniversary.

Twenty years of enjoyment at the Hangar

For over twenty years, Norbert Spikker has been the dedicated workshop manager and practical instructor, making him the face of the Hangar at the University of Twente. Over the years, he and his team have guided hundreds of bachelor’s and master’s students, instilling a love for hands-on craftsmanship. Initially, only UT students worked in the Hangar, but in time, more international students joined, and for the past four years, students from theVU Amsterdam have been participating as well. "I still find working with young, smart and highly motivated people incredibly rewarding."

"In the Hangar, we teach students just about everything you can do with steel – turning, milling, laser cutting, sheet metal processing and welding. It’s important that they develop basic skills so they can build prototypes for their projects. The level of technical and practical experience varies greatly among students. Some come in with a lot of prior knowledge, while others are complete beginners. That makes their first project quite challenging."

A welcome change

For students who are strong in theory but lack practical experience, creating a solid prototype can be a real challenge. Fortunately, they always help each other out. And it certainly helps that around ninety percent of students really enjoy the hands-on work in the Hangar. It offers a welcome change from sitting behind books or a computer screen. But more importantly, it allows them to apply their theoretical knowledge in a very concrete way.

Surprising insights and solutions

The students’ learning curve is incredibly steep. "I’m always amazed at how much they learn and accomplish in the ten-week project period. We set high expectations, and they almost always deliver – I have a lot of admiration for that. What I also love is how creative they are. When working on their prototypes, they often come up with surprising insights and solutions, including ideas that even I hadn’t thought of in my twenty years of experience. It’s amazing to witness!"

Increasing diversity

The arrival of more international students and those from Amsterdam has added even more diversity in terms of solutions. Each student brings their own unique knowledge, perspective, and experience. "I see this now with the Rocket Student Team from VU Amsterdam – I’m really impressed by them. And yes, sometimes students completely miss the mark. They’ll present an idea that makes me think, 'How on earth did you come up with that?' But that’s okay because they learn from those mistakes too."

Proud moments

One of the highlights of Spikker’s job is the final showcase at the end of each project period. Students present their prototypes to teachers and each other. "I always walk around feeling happy and proud. It marks the end of an intense period where we’ve worked hard together, and I’ve had the chance to get to know some students personally. And that’s worth a lot – some of them keep coming back to the Hangar just for a cup of coffee and a chat."