Hot Rod House - Tom Kundig (Architect)
Chicken Point - Olsen Sundberg Kundig Allen (Architects)
27.4.10
Turner Exhibits
Ever wondered what you'd do instead of going to an architectural firm where you drafted a majority of the time? Well check out a firm that specializes in drawing, crafting, and machining all the cool brainstorms you wanted to put into your projects! Turner Exhibits is that firm. The slayers of dull and drab do-make cool and awesome things happen for designers and architects, notably the firms Anderson-Wise & Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen. The clever use of materials and custom 'kinetic-architecture' makes me jealous and leaves me drooling!
Hot Rod House - Tom Kundig (Architect)
Chicken Point - Olsen Sundberg Kundig Allen (Architects)
Hot Rod House - Tom Kundig (Architect)
Chicken Point - Olsen Sundberg Kundig Allen (Architects)
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not to spoil the fun, but...
ReplyDeletei think these projects are generally commissioned by the architect from an artist that specializes in the physics of the mechanism. i know that OSKA has an artist that they commission to engineer these contraptions.
this is something i am interested in pursuing, get a commission to design a one-off piece of a house. with my current group of collaborators, we are looking to support my shop space by getting these kinds of commissions and specials elements in houses.
i think a strong argument can be made for allowing specialists to design the unique elements in the house in collaboration with the architect. having been around a few wood shops here in the bay area, i know that there are individuals who are extremely capable of designing and fabricating elements within/around the architectural objects we so delicately design. it just takes the right collaboration and aesthetics to create an awesome product.
I believe in the above examples Turner Exhibits was the commissioned design specialist involved in collaborating on the architects behalf to assist in the design and fabrication of the projects. Are you suggesting its a triangulated design strategy ie:a mechanism specialist (designer) + Turner Exhibits (fabricator) + architect (collaborator)?
ReplyDeleteregardless Turner has produced some sweet work and it would definitely afford new potential for design and exploration at a smaller scale. A few of these a year would awesome! I'll have to check out OSKA - are they bay area designers?
I am not sure exactly what I am suggggggesting with the Turners Exhibits projects. [notice the typo turned into conversational flare?] OSKA, on the other hand, has a designer/fabricator they commission for these pieces. I believe it is still triangular but involving the client: client + architect + mechanism fabricator = $$$. i guess that doesn't seem too radical after phrased in that way.
ReplyDeleteOSKA is from Seattle. When I went up there for a school field trip, we got to see their office which had an awesome hydraulically-lifted skylight. Let me begin by saying their office is an awesome warehouse remodel. Imagine: old growth wooden beams, exposed brick, cork floors, steel staircase... Ahh, the splendors of architectural imagination!
Anyways, this cool piece is made with copper piping, one pipe feeds two actuators running up to the skylight. Raising it requires opening a traditional spigot, lowering it is a 'deflating' process. I believe the whole system is run on a gravity fed cistern from the rooftop. Don't quote me on any of that, but I think it's all correct.
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ReplyDeletestupid me. i didn't click on the Turner Exhibits link, but that is the designer OSKA hires to make these contraptions.
ReplyDeletewashington shoe building [on TE website] is the OSKA office, to see what I formerly described.
Turner Exhibits serves architects and exhibit designers by providing design and custom fabrication of kinetic architecture systems and permanent exhibits and displays. The work we've done in collaboration with Olson Kundig Architects (formerly Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen) typically begins by the architect declaring a concept and purpose, and through a highly collaborative process of establishing design criteria and testing potential design solutions, we arrive at a design solution. Turner Exhibits' process frequently includes developing multiple schematic solutions, model-making, and prototyping. In most cases, we fabricate and install what we design. If you're interested in learning more about us, or about our process, contact me at:
ReplyDeletestevegr@turnerexhibits.com
Steve Groves
President, Turner Exhibits, Inc.
I recently ran into Tom Kundig giving a lecture in San Antonio, he said that the mechanism and engineering at Chicken Point added about $100,000 to the projects total cost.
ReplyDeleteNow I'm all for these amazing gadgets, they play a major role in the design concept, but...
That price is outrageous, I can't believe that these gadgets aren't designed and crafted for a more reasonable fee. I could believe 25K - 40K, but one hundred grand!!!
Tom, don't worry I still love you.