Architecture
Currency Exchange / 2012 -- 2013
Working for artist and cultural entrepreneur Theaster Gates, I did the preliminary design and renovation of a former Currency Exchange into a cafe and slide archive. Signage and ephemera from the former space were incorporated as trim and decorative elements, while salvaged furniture and shelving from the Johnson Library and Crispus Attucks Elementary are built-in as dining booths and storage.
Architect of record: Bill James. Additional design work by Mejay Gula.
FIrst photo by Sarah Pooley.
Dorchester Projects / 2012
Under the creative direction of Mejay Gula, Bill James, John Preus, and Theaster Gates, I built out various parts of Dorchester Projects. For the Black Cinema House, I milled and finished reclaimed redwood to use on the walls, paneled one room in chalkboards salvaged from Crispus Attucks Elementary, built a small staircase, and a cedar-clad deck.
Rabbit Island / 2012
In fall, 2011, I entered an architecture competition for an artist residency program on an island in Lake Superior.
From my entry essay: "The only piece of art to stay on Rabbit Island will be the shelter for these artists and their activities. I regard any structure on the surface of the island as a ruin in the making, a long-term installation whose construction is the first act in a long sequence of decay." I collaborated with Rabbit Island's founder, Rob Gorski, on the design of a smaller sauna/cabin. Construction began in the summer of 2012.
Design featured in the Devos Art Museum group show Rabbit Island Works and Research: 2010-2013, Fall, 2013.
KCRW Sonic Trace / 2012
Los Angeles-based public radio station KCRW launched a design competition in 2012 for a mobile sound booth.
From my entry essay: "Inspired by gypsy wagons, subway cars, classic vans, and old-school radio mics, this mobile sound booth rolls fast and light. The vaulted barrel form is sheathed in a cedar rain screen that guards against harsh sun, while the two end walls are illuminated acrylic panels, broadcasting the station identity and recording status. A gull-wing door provides access to an interior paneled and furnished in carpet tiles."
Road Sign Fence / 2010
YouthBuild Greensboro is a branch of a national program funded by the Department of Labor that provides young people a chance to study for their GED, acquire trade skills, and earn a small stipend. For our project for the fall semester, 2010, we built a fence of salvaged road signs. I designed the fence, secured the material donations, and managed the construction, supervising 15 student builders.
Photos by RaMell Ross.
H.E.R.O. Community Garden / 2011
For the spring 2011 project with YouthBuild, we built a community garden for our parent non-profit, H.E.R.O., including seven raised beds, two shade structures with benches, a tool shed, and a grill. The garden raises food for a local restaurant, PieLab, and serves as a hub tying together the various buildings of the H.E.R.O. campus.
Photos by RaMell Ross.
Mac's House / 2009-2010
Since 2005, the Rural Studio has been engaged in a long-term research project, the 20K House. The basic premise is to build a house in Hale County, Alabama, for $20,000 -- approximately $12,500 in materials and $8,500 in presumed labor costs and contractor profit.Working with Clem Blakemore, Pernilla Hagberth, and instructor Danny Wicke, we designed and built the ninth iteration of the project. Our basic thesis was to expand the utility of the house by designing a system of incremental additions.
Arcosanti / 2007-08
In order to stabilize the cliff under the Arco pool, we built a vast, four-story retaining wall/living landscape/inhabitable sculpture that both retained the earth and rock and directly held up the old foundations.