Ene works with Tami Stewart to apply the first coat of concrete to the rockfish sculpture
After Kevin Cherry welded up the steel armatures for our two fish sculptures, they were hot-dip galvanized and delivered to our studio compound for final shaping and completion. We have hired our friend Tami Stewart, a Berkeley-based sculptor/artist, to help ’skin’ the armatures with expanded metal lath and then apply layers of resin-impregnated, fiber-reinforced concrete, the substrate for a ceramic tile mosaic. Tami has been building natural science exhibits with Academy Studios for over 20 years, and we’re grateful to have her on board at this critical phase.
the anchovy sculpture’s galvanized steel armature, before the metal lath skin is applied
To follow the development of the wowhaus Abundance Project, commissioned by the SF Arts Council to be installed at the Ortega Branch of the San Francisco Public Library, please click here.
Tagged: academy studios, deep craft, public art, scott Constable, tami stewart, wowhaus
sketch of my original concept for a stair tower within a mock, old growth redwood trunk
I still think of the new cabin I’m designing as a treehouse, even though it will be more of a house on stilts nestled in a fairly dense, second growth redwood grove, making no attachment to any tree. My original idea was to camouflage the structure by making the stair tower resemble an old growth trunk, consisting of coopered redwood timbers housing a spiral stair (see above drawing). For practical and economic reasons, we’ve opted instead for an open, timber framed stair tower, more like a fire watch, with more emphasis on the the interior experience of the perched cabin itself.
I’ve enjoyed researching watch towers and houses on stilts, and appreciate my client’s focus and resolve to keep the program as simple as possible. It’s been a wonderful collaboration and we’re close to having a design ready to permit and build. I’m especially thankful to be working with Scott Hunter, Ph. D. P.E., whose design recommendations have added to the minimalist/maximalist ethos of the project. Continue Reading »
Tagged: california coast, deep craft, heidegger, hut, scott Constable, treehouse, vernacular architecture, watch tower
Lake Michigan shoreline along the Kohler-Andrae State Park, south of Sheboygan
The remainder of our week continued to be full of surprises as we mined Sheboygan, Wisconsin, and its environs along the shores of Lake Michigan for activity relevant to our NOMO project. As Ene and I process our research and interactions and begin to shape it into an exhibition/exposition to be staged at Kohler Arts Center this summer, I wanted to share a string of images and some rambling commentary below:
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Tagged: deep craft, james tellen, kohler arts, scott Constable, skateboard, surfing, vernacular, vernacular architecture, zanzi
Cooper O’Connel’s hand painted decks will be featured in our NOMO Exhibition
Ene and I are in Sheboygan, Wisconsin this week on the second leg of our residency with Kohler Arts. We’ve been busy developing our NOMO project, which will be a celebration of non-motorized transportation in the region, with focus on DIY skate, surf and bike culture. NOMO will take place in two parts over the summer- a gallery exhibition and a participatory, outdoor exposition, with community-based events, workshops and demonstrations. We’ve been enjoying curating the exhibition and have tapped into a thriving, ‘maker’ community and surf/skate scene in Sheboygan, which is famous for having one of the best fresh water surf breaks in the world.
Monty Stauffer shapes surfboards and paddle boards for fresh water conditions
To learn more about the wowhaus residency with John Michael Kohler Arts Center, please click here and scroll down.
Tagged: bike culture, deep craft, DIY, innovation, kohler arts, longboard, skateboard, wowhaus