Obstructures

Installation designed and fabricated with University of Tennessee College of Architecture and Design ARCH425 “Brut Tech” students.

PROBLEM

Take up as much space as possible to create an entry and generally alarming spectacle for the annual University of Tennessee College of Architecture and design Ball. The budget will be $750.00. The client has asked for a structure that takes up as much space as possible to break down the scale of the massive room. Program and use for the installation is to be determined by the designers.

PROCESS

The material for this project is OSB. A unit consisting of 66 4’ × 8’ sheets as well as surplus metal studs and homasote from previous projects will be used. We have two weeks to design and fabricate and less than eight hours to install on site.

SOLUTION

Provide a sequence of three spaces. The first is the soft space bounded by industrial shrink-wrap spanning from metal conduit cast into CMU block bases resulting in a flowing backlit room. This space leads to the coat check, which is made up of a system of interlocking OSB panels.

After checking one’s coat, the visitor proceeds on a path flanked by an array of OSB panels. This procession is 36’ long and terminates on a projection screen displaying a moving image of the attendees entering the soft space via live camera. After this the system culminates by disintegrating into the same modular interlocking panel system used for the coat check. This final intervention becomes a space-eating obstacle that defines the edge of the dance floor.

RE-USE

Like all projects in the BRUT-TECH 425 course a plan for re-use or recycle must be considered. For this temporary spectacle the entire system was designed to be re-born as new and useful objects. The panels are halved and the structural kickers are flipped to create 2’ × 8’ tables, and the modular interlocking system is re-configured for shelving and seating.

It’s role as “centerpiece” was directly compromised for its plans for future use. It could have been way more shocking if we could simply throw it away like a party favor when the event ended. Pesky ethics..