a problem due to a lack of space, a group of 50 design students had to move to another building. Having a dedicated space in an historical building turned the initial setback into an opportunity. Design students usually do not have the luxury of having their own design studio. By observing and interviewing the students over a period of 5 months, it was found that students transformed their space into a place in order to enhance their sensemaking process. A three-stage model referring to ‘make space, make place, and make sense’ is motivated and elaborated upon. It can be concluded that a space, or better to say a place, is an invaluable tool in facilitating meaningful design education. The physical environment seems to affect students’ development as well. At the final presentations teams not only surpassed expectations of their clients and tutors, but also their own expectations. They clearly act more confident in their interaction with the external world (clients, users, participants) as a designer