Client: Inn at Honey Run

Overview

Around the Bend is a 14' tall steel structure, made from straight pipe segments, clad in 365 glass disks made from recycled bottle glass from the onsite restaurant. Sitting along a trail, in a clearing, the piece is meant to be reminiscent of a single tree on a hill with its transparencies and reflections mimicking the ever changing colors of its surroundings.

Goals

This piece is the first collaboration between three colleagues in the architecture field with a hope to do more commissioned art as a way to become closer to fabrication and the creation of designs that can inspire our clients.

Process

In tackling this opportunity Brian, Jim and myself looked to create a design where we could work with fabricators that we were familiar with but also be extremely hands on in the fabrication and onsite installation. The development of the design was reliant on the ease of onsite construction by our three team members. Materials were chosen based on our various expertise, glass and steel driven by an interest in geometry. 12'-18' straight steel tubes were mechanically fastened on site creating the framework. Glass disk were created from recycled glass melted and recast as disks. These disks were individually drilled by our team and mechanically hung from the framework. To ease fabrication and fit within budget the design was developed without any custom fasteners. The piece was not simply a chance to create something that people would enjoy but also a chance to work together and challenge ourselves with all that comes with on-site installation.