Hey all!
I just wanted to share the latest project I’ve been working on: the Campus, a completely redesigned Framework 13 to house a gasket mounted mechanical keyboard.
This design keeps most of the fun features found on the Framework 13, for example, compatibility with the expansion card slots, but adds a few new ones, like the built-in rotary encoders to adjust volume and brightness.
Check out the video above if you’re interested in seeing the build process!
Incredible work! It looks and sounds so good, and I bet both the airflow and the speaker sound are better.
Glad you enjoyed! Definitely tons of fun to type on
Excellent! I assume that this project will inspire people who want to use Framework Laptop 13 with a custom keyboard layout, such as an ortholinear split keyboard! 
This is awesome! Do you consider sharing cad models? I believe it will empower next projects
Appreciate it! Unfortunately at this time I don’t plan on sharing the models, since in their current state I think they’re still too unrefined.
Excellent laptop! Crazy how Framework inspires such projects.
Great work! The keyboard is excellent, and the typing sounds great! Also good work on the editing of the video and the music choice! Really worked well all together!
I found the following media articles about this project, Campus.
Edit: Removed the citations and added media articles.
I suppose one of the cool things is the accomplished reverse engineering, including measuring the missing parts in the CAD files provided by Framework.
Awesome build! As someone who is not familiar with building PCBs, I greatly appreciate the USB hub schematics explanation. Looking forward to a part 2 with the USB hub working. This may be a stupid question but how come you didn’t make the low profile keyboard hotswappable? Is it due to space or are there other compromises to having a hotswappable keyboard?
Thanks! I didn’t make it hotswappable for two reasons:
Obviously if I were trying to make a marketable product, I’d offer both options. Good question!
@flurples Why did you decide to do a custom lid/bezel instead of just using and working around the regular one?
I answered this question a few times in the YouTube comments, but because of the integration of the mechanical keyboard, as well as slightly thicker walls in the bottom housing, I had to slightly change the spacing / position of the hinges. I also needed a slightly thicker bezel, to essentially “recess” the display into the lid a little, to give extra clearance to the keycaps when closing the lid. Reusing the framework lid would have been more ideal, but due to the small changes I needed to make, I think it would have been difficult to retain 100% compatibility with it. Good question!
All I needed to know XD.
I was sure there was a reason you chose the hard way.
the ambients sunrise might be a fun sidegrade eventually, but they’ve been delayed for more than a year with little communication recently. my sunsets are a bit loud for my preference but they’re in a sandwich split so maybe that’s just other acoustic influences
Yep! I got some extra PCBs made so in case I ever want to make a different build, there’s always the possibility! In the opposite direction, I could even do a build with choc whites haha. I think it’d be wrong to use that in any cafe / library though.
But in all seriousness, I think the sunrises have awesome potential but unfortunately it doesn’t seem like we’re getting them any time soon…
