dedication

MONDAY, OCTOBER 03, 2011, 10:00A
The firefighters have moved in, and it’s time to celebrate the completion of Issaquah’s Fire Station 72 - one of the most energy-efficient fire stations in the world!

Please join us at 10 a.m. Oct. 3 for a grand opening event, which will include tours, a performance by the Eastside Pipes and Drums and brief presentations.

Fire Station 72 is designed to become the highest-rated LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) “platinum” fire station in the United States. The station features everything from energy-producing solar panels to toilets that use rainwater.

A separate open house for the public is also scheduled from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Oct. 8. Firefighters will be serving hot dogs and giving tours of the new facility.

For more information, go to www.ci.issaquah.wa.us/firestation72.

installation

installation of the artwork occured over two days.  day-one, we finalized assembly of the artwork and placed the support brackets and conduit.  the brackets are secured with epoxy screen bolts that needed to dry over night.

grant (von/eckman) tapes out the placement of artwork on the building exterior.

brackets in place with conduit running down the center of the artwork.

on day-two, we placed the artwork and hooked up the LEDs to the solar-powered conduit.  some strips were tagged for removal prior to installation so that we could reach the brackets and electrical connection points.

grant, ben, and mikel from von/eckman completed the installation. 

process shots from the studio at 3-form light art photos by ahna holder

artwork assembly begins

artwork for the maple st. fire station is beginning to take shape.  here are some shots of work-in-progress:

 

first, we tested the stand-offs with a piece of sample material to make sure there were enough washers and bushings to get a solid connection.  all good.

 

next, i laid out the whole piece, to finalize the color composition.  the frame is made of aluminum, powder-coated to match the fire station exterior.  it is 18' long and 6' wide or so.

 

the ribbons are made of koda xt.  this 3-form product is 40% recycled material and the only architectural polycarbonate material available to use towards LEED MR 4.1 for recycled content.

the artwork will be lit from behind with solar-powered l.e.d strips.

the first few strips are lofted into place.       

 

THE MODEL

Here are a few shots of the model.  The strips will be made of an eco-resin material by 3-FORM.  the artwork will be lit from behind with LEDs and mounted to the exterior of the building. 

The eco-resin ribbons will be attached to an aluminum frame with stand-offs to provide "waviness"

The overall dimensions of the finished artwork are 19'H x 6.5'W

FIRST EFFORTS

At first, I thought the artwork should be a continuous form, undulating off the building, but the prototype felt too rigid.  Here are some of my first efforts, before switching to the "ribbon" design, as suggested by the incredibly talented Ryan Smith at 3-FORM.