New (old) Home

Our new house in East Williamsburg, BK (which I have been
consumed with renovating for the last several months), as seen
from historical photos taken by the city for tax assessment
purposes. 

I always said I wanted a box shaped house...

FIGMENT minigolf pavilion

I just completed the design and installation of the FIGMENT minigolf pavilion on Governor's Island in New York Harbor. The minigolf course is an important revenue stream for the FIGMENT arts festival and the pavilion is a clear center and organizer of the huge traffic flow through the area. The pavilion was designed to provide shade for the volunteers staffing the course and make it easy to dispense putters, balls and scorecards. The steel frame and CNC cut plywood parts were made by Digifabshop of Hudson, NY.  It's roof was designed using a stressed skin, 'semi-monocoque' plywood structure often used in aircraft construction, and the entire structure was inspired by a 50's 'googie' aesthetic emphasizing traffic flow and signage as important parts of the design. It offers clear queuing, and the counter-top ball ramp is also an arrow pointing directly at the first minigolf hole.

Many thanks to Damon Hamm and all of the volunteers who helped grind, paint and assemble it.

More photos can be seen in this flickr gallery.

CNC cut pewter casting experiments

Moldmaking and casting progress, routing 
MDF with the CNC and melting pewter with
a propane torch 

Governor's island themed medallions, based on
illustrations drawn by Alex Roediger of
Dust Art Collective. 

Medallions for the FIGMENT fundraiser

wax positives of finger hooks
 

 final pewter finger hooks casting

pewter tile based on an illustration from 
one of the Exquisite Weapon panels

Condo Interior Designs

Some quick renderings of the designs from our Ill-fated India St. house. I designed this renovation of the upper floor apt for our use. Lots of built-in shelving and lighting in the form of a CNC cut plywood grid, folding extension table and integrated upper kitchen cabinets and range hood. Since we lost this house, it won't be happening, some of the ideas might get recycled into our new place though. 

Our Wedding Chuppa

We had a retro-futuristic wedding, with a sci-fi chuppa. Update: 
Just posted on offbeatbride.

Wooden Flower, based on a cherry blossom

Exquisite Weapon

About the Piece:

The Exquisite Weapon is an interactive installation that evokes Governor's island's historical and transformative nature. The piece is in the shape of an unexploded bomb, with maple seed fins and other biomorphic elements. The weapon illustrates a temporary interruption in the destructive nature of creation. Its skin is composed of two-sided cartoon-like illustrations which evoke the dual nature of the island, its military significance and future ecological harmony. The occupiable cage-like interior of the piece allows the user to rearrange the skin's narrative into their own preferred juxtaposition of the horror of war and an eden-like beatitude. The weapon's tail displays a rotating teleidoscope that allows one to experience the view of a seed falling to earth or the path of a bomb bent on destruction.