Vertical Space
This installation was my final for 4.021: Introduction to Design. The prompt was to create a sculpture that filled a large volume of space, and challenged me to work on a scale I hadn’t attempted before.
These prototypes were created with laser-cut acrylic and connected by a custom top connector. Each piece was hand-strung with around 10 yards of nylon string.
Prototyping in this matter taught me a lot about keeping tension throughout the entire structure, the optimal pattern for connecting each notch, and the ideal ratios and resulting angles between height and beam length.
My partner and I created our final model out of 12 foot pieces of 2” x 6” lumber. We hand cut 40 notches into each of the three pieces with a jigsaw. Each notch was carefully sanded, before the lumber was painted and joined at the top with heavy duty hinges. We then transported our wood half a mile from the woodshop to our installation site with one moving cart, two ratchet straps, and the help of four friends.
Upon standing the piece up, we recruited 4 friends and carefully strung ¾” diameter nylon rope between the slots, maintaining tension through its entirety. Our piece was temporarily installed outside of Hayden Memorial Library at MIT.
