Client: Washington States Arts Commission

Overview

The Health Sciences Building at Central Washington University fosters a sense of community and serves as a gathering point for faculty, students, and staff alike. In addition, both the campus and the city of Ellensburg are in close proximity to the surrounding natural environment, a relationship that has defined the aesthetics and personality of the area.

I envisioned hundreds of insect forms selected from species commonly used in fly patterns used by the many local fisherman suspended in the three-story entrance lobby. They are intended to recognize the new facility’s role in bringing together the department as well as its function as a campus crossing point. Composed in three groupings mounted at different levels and appear as if emerging from the nearby Yakima River, the swirling compositions reference the swarming, schooling, and flocking found in nature and play off the area’s vernacular by connecting local culture to the physical environment.

Illuminated, they mimic the natural phenomenon of insects being attracted to light, a traditional symbol of knowledge and education.

Goals

Consolidating the functions of the department into one central location, the new Health Sciences Building was designed to be a hub for student activity. In discussions with a focus group of community members, it became apparent how this idea of gathering permeated the site, not only at the facility level but also as it functions within the overall campus and in turn how the campus itself functions within the greater community.

In considering these dynamics, I became fascinated with the local fishing culture, and particularly the fishing flies used by local anglers. These handmade or selected assemblies reflect the personalities of their owners and in this way provide a unique connection to the community. Functioning as a visual vocabulary, they form a language linking the natural and manmade environments and provide a synthetic interpretation of the world around us.

Process

The fishing flies are made of laser cut 201” stainless steel 301 shim stock. Each individual form is bent in a different position and a #4 stainless steel stud will be welded to its back. They are each coated with a custom color of acrylic polyurethane. A custom clip fabricated from 201” stainless steel 301 shim stock is used to mechanically fasten each fly to a 1/16” stainless steel 304 spring temper solid rod and tightened into place with a stainless-steel nut. Each rod in turn is welded to the inner plate of a custom fitted LED fixture. There are three complete assemblies weighing approximately 250 lbs. each. Each completed assembly is attached to a stainless-steel plate built into the existing ceiling and connected to the building electrical system.