LAB Miami Expands Into a Larger Wynwood Building

Daniel Lafuente

In the short amount of time LAB Miami's been around, it's drawn quite a bit of attention -- and not just because it's housed in one of the trippiest buildings in Wynwood.

"Signed our lease in April and officially opened our doors in June of 2012," said Daniel Lafuente, cofounder of LAB.

LAB, which opened in June 2012, bills itself as "a community of entrepreneurs, artists, freelancers, startups, and change-makers who share space and ideas." It's is a place where one feels welcome immediately upon walking inside. So it's not surprising that within a month of opening its doors, LAB had already reached its membership capacity of co-workers in the building's 700 square foot space. But now, says cofounder Daniel Lafuente, the creative community's ideas and like-minded individuals need room to grow, so LAB has relocated and plans to welcome more LABRats (their endearing term for members) than ever before.

Daniel Lafuente

The new building, located at 400 NW 26th St., will have a larger event space for about 50 to 60 people in addition to classrooms that fit 20 students at a time.

"We've increased our membership capacity from 20 to 135," Lafuente said.

Though we'll miss the former location's eccentric exterior, the new one will display a giant neon sign that reads "LAB," while its interior will have three murals by artists Dillon Froelich and Fabian De la Flor. It's a stand-alone building with a parking lot and outdoor area, which will allow guests to enjoy the space fully. LABRats will settle into the new location the first week of February and event programming will soon follow.

Daniel Lafuente

The workspace is entirely refurbished with tables designed by Emmett Moore, whose work was recently exhibited at Locust Projects. Moore is also part of LAB's big family dynamic, having known Lafuente and the gang since high school. As soon as they heard he was back in Miami, they reached out almost immediately to work closely together on solutions for LAB's private offices and open work environment.