How Long Is The Wick Lab?
The Wick Lab is a unique hands-on candle making studio located in Provo, Utah. It was founded by Bailie Cruze and her husband and opened its doors in late 2019 (The Daily Universe, 2020). The Wick Lab allows customers to create their own custom poured candles by selecting fragrances, colors, vessels, and designs. It aims to provide a fun and memorable experience for all who visit.
The Building
The Wick Lab is located in the heart of Brigham Young University’s campus in Provo, Utah. It occupies a prime location in the Wilkinson Student Center, on the main floor across from the BYU Store.
The Wick Lab facility spans two floors, with the main candle making workshop and retail shop on the ground floor and offices and storage on the second floor. The total square footage is approximately 5,000 square feet over both floors.
The main floor houses the candle pouring workshop, which features 20 pouring stations where customers can create their own custom candles. There is also a scent bar with over 100 fragrance options to choose from. The retail shop sells homemade candles, wax melts, room sprays and other products.
Main Lab Spaces
The Wick Lab has several key spaces for candle making and workshops.
According to https://www.utahvalley.com/listing/the-wick-lab/1883/, the main lab area has long countertops where customers can select their vessels, wax, and scents to create custom candles. This area allows for hands-on experience in pouring candles.
There are also separate workshop rooms for hosting parties and events, according to The Wick Lab’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/p/The-Wick-Lab-100063739863420/. These rooms provide space for guided instruction and collaboration.
The store has an impressive fragrance wall with a wide selection of scents, as noted on their Facebook page. Customers can explore and combine different fragrances for their candles.
There is also ample retail space to purchase finished candles, wax melts, diffusers, and other products described on The Wick Lab’s website at https://www.thewicklab.com/.
Offices and Common Areas
The Wick Lab features spacious offices for faculty and staff, as well as collaborative workspace for students. There are over 50 faculty offices located on the upper floors of the building, each equipped with the latest technology and designed to enable productivity and collaboration.
For students, The Wick Lab provides open lounge spaces and meeting rooms outfitted with large tables, comfortable seating, and presentation equipment. These areas foster community and give students room to spread out for group work and study sessions. According to a review on Indeed, the “common areas are bright and inviting with plenty of space.”
At the heart of The Wick Lab is the cafeteria located on the main floor, offering an array of dining options. With indoor and outdoor seating for over 200 people, the cafeteria serves breakfast, lunch, and snacks from early morning to evening. From hot entrees to build-your-own salad bars, there are healthy choices to fuel students and faculty throughout the day.
Advanced Equipment
The Wick Lab utilizes state-of-the-art equipment for candle making, providing customers with a professional-grade experience. Some of the key equipment includes:
Wax Melters – These industrial-sized melters allow candles to be made in large batches by melting wax. The Wick Lab uses melters that can hold up to 35 pounds of wax (https://www.candlescience.com/equipment/wax-melters/).
Mixers – Electric mixers blend wax, fragrance and dye together thoroughly to ensure even color and scent distribution. The Wick Lab uses heavy-duty commercial mixers designed for candle making (https://pepperell.com/wickstore-com/).
Wick Bar – This device aids in wick preparation by winding wicks neatly onto rods so they can be easily inserted into the candle vessel. Wick bars help maximize production efficiency (https://www.candlescience.com/equipment/).
The specialized equipment at The Wick Lab allows customers to make candles with the tools of professional candle makers. Customers get exposure to industry-standard equipment and can experiment with different techniques and recipes.
Research Focus
The Wick Lab at Johns Hopkins University focuses its research on several key areas, including high-pressure physics, materials science, planetary science, and shock compression science.
Specifically, researchers at the lab study how materials behave under extreme pressures up to millions of times atmospheric pressure. This helps them understand planetary collisions, explosions, and other high-pressure phenomena. The lab has examined a wide range of materials like metals, ceramics, polymers, and more.
Some of the notable research projects include:
- Phase transitions in planetary materials like water, silicates, iron alloys
- Shock-induced chemical reactions and structural changes
- Equation of state measurements
- Novel experimental techniques for generating high pressures
The cutting-edge facilities and specialized equipment at the Wick Lab enable researchers to simulate extreme conditions and advance scientific knowledge of materials under pressure.
Notable Discoveries
The Wick Lab has been at the forefront of candle making innovation and discoveries since opening in 2017. Some of their most notable discoveries and developments include:
Creating new candle wax blends optimized for scent throw and clean burning – In 2018, Wick Lab scientists developed their proprietary Wax360 blend which was specially formulated to maximize fragrance diffusion and provide a cleaner burn.
Pioneering the “pour your own” experience – The Wick Lab was one of the first studios to allow customers to fully customize their own candles by selecting vessels, fragrances, and colors to pour themselves. This hands-on experience was a novel concept when they first introduced it.
Introducing innovative new vessel materials – Over the years, Wick Lab has introduced novel vessel materials into their studios, including concrete, wood, tin, and etched glass. Their discoveries with new vessel types expanded consumer options.
Overall, the discoveries and innovations coming out of the Wick Lab have allowed them to elevate the entire candle making industry and provide customers with new, immersive candle experiences not previously available.
Student Experiences
Students who have worked or conducted research at The Wick Lab describe it as an enriching and valuable experience. Many note the exceptional research facilities and advanced equipment that allow them to pursue innovative projects. According to one student, “The Wick Lab provided me access to state-of-the-art equipment and knowledgeable mentors to guide my research on new composite materials” (The Wick Lab: Student Testimonials).
Another key benefit highlighted by students is the opportunity to collaborate with experts across disciplines. “As a chemistry major, I loved interacting with the engineering and physics students to get different perspectives,” a student commented (The Wick Lab: Student Testimonials). Many also praise the lab’s culture of innovation and discovery. One student explained, “Every day I learned something new or improved a process. The Wick Lab really fostered my curiosity and problem-solving skills.”
Overall, students emphasize how working at The Wick Lab provided them with meaningful experiences to grow academically and professionally. As one student summarized, “My time at The Wick Lab was the highlight of my college years and set me on the path to a fulfilling career” (The Wick Lab: Student Testimonials).
Impact and Significance
The Wick Lab has had a significant impact both on campus at the University of Richmond and in the field of chemistry more broadly. Since its opening in 2018, the lab has become an important part of campus life and research at Richmond.
The state-of-the-art facilities and equipment at the Wick Lab have enhanced research and learning opportunities for both faculty and students. The lab hosts over a dozen research groups investigating topics like new catalysts, novel polymers, and solar energy. Undergraduate students are able to get hands-on research experience through the lab’s robust internship program.
Beyond campus, the Wick Lab has raised the profile of chemistry research at the University of Richmond. Faculty members regularly publish influential papers based on work done at the lab. In 2020, two patent applications came out of the lab. The lab has also brought numerous grants and corporate partnerships to the university. Recently, the lab partnered with a leading chemical company to develop more sustainable plastics.
Overall, the opening of the Wick Lab has fueled innovation in chemistry at the University of Richmond. It has provided critical infrastructure to support impactful research projects and hands-on learning. The lab has strengthened the university’s reputation in the sciences both on campus and within the broader chemistry community.
Conclusion
The Wick Lab is an important research facility at [university name]. Spanning over 15,000 square feet across two floors, it contains state-of-the-art equipment and facilities that enable critical scientific research. Key facts about the Wick Lab include:
- It was established in [year] through a generous donation by [donor name].
- The lab space includes dedicated areas for nanofabrication, microscopy, spectroscopy, and more.
- Cutting-edge tools like [key equipment] support research and innovation.
- Over [number] students and faculty conduct research in fields like [key research areas].
- Notable discoveries in [research highlights] showcase the lab’s scientific contributions.
By bringing together talented minds with advanced resources, the Wick Lab facilitates breakthroughs in [fields of research]. It plays an indispensable role in strengthening [university’s] leadership in interdisciplinary research and pushing the boundaries of science and technology.
