Past Work - Hospital Project
This started out as a college project - all students were asked to submit ideas for one of four projects.
I picked this one, for Derriford, the main hospital in Plymouth. The brief called for a couple of sculptures and a seat to thank organ donors and inspire others to follow in their footsteps. One of the sculptures is for the main entrance, the other in a courtyard garden. The overall budget was £30K.
I decided to focus on designing the sculpture for the main entrance but base it on a computer model so that it could be scaled down for the courtyard. I hit on the idea of hands - one reaching up for help and one reaching down to offer help - inspired by Michelangelo's famous "God creating Adam" painting in the roof of the Sistine Chapel. In view of the setting, the sculpture needed to be large scale - at least 3m high.
My original submission, which was based on slump-casting a large sheet of glass, was shortlisted and I was asked to add some cost estimates. I discussed my idea with David Proto of Proto Studios who pointed to safety issues. As a result, I maintained the basic idea but implemented it by deep-engraving a laminated glass monolith (and got Proto to quote for making it).
Here's the revised design boards:
Following feedback on the above I came up with a different way of implementing the same concept, by water jet cutting between 80 and 100 pieces of glass, toughening them and then threading them into vertical rods with gaps in between each plate.
I made a 1/5 model of a section of this, using 3mm acrylic sheet cut on a laser cutter. One of the sheets after cutting is shown in the picture below.
I made a 1/5 model of a section of this, using 3mm acrylic sheet cut on a laser cutter. One of the sheets after cutting is shown in the picture below.
I assembled this on 6mm threaded rod:
Here's the new design boards that I presented to the hospital on 12th May:
The boards were nicely laid out - the wonkiness results from my photography!
Staff voted on the designs and I came second. The main reservations concerned whether it could be kept clean easily, and whether my budget was plausible. More voting is taking place so the project isn't totally written off yet!
Staff voted on the designs and I came second. The main reservations concerned whether it could be kept clean easily, and whether my budget was plausible. More voting is taking place so the project isn't totally written off yet!