materials + Methods
MATERIALS, FINISHES + FABRICATION TECHNIQUES
material index
01 / Epoxy Resin
05 / LED lighting
02 / Acrylic
06 / printed + vinyl graphics
03 / woods
07 / hardware + mounting systems
04 / metals
08 / botanical + found elements
The right material depends on more than how it looks.
ENVIRONMENT
Where will it live? Interior or exterior, light exposure, moisture, temperature, traffic, and surrounding conditions all affect material choice.
FABRICATION
How a material cuts, bends, prints, paints, bonds, fastens, or finishes affects what we can ask it to do.
DURABILITY
How will it be touched, cleaned, maintained, or exposed to everyday wear?
INSTALLATION + SERVICEABILITY
How the work mounts, comes apart, gets updated, or needs to be accessed over time matters from the beginning.
SCALE + STRUCTURE
Size, weight, thickness, span, and support can change what materials and construction methods make sense.
LONGEVITY + GROWTH
Will the piece change? Donor systems grow, content gets updated, and spaces evolve. The material and construction should account for that.
FINISH + APPEARANCE
Color, transparency, texture, sheen, edge quality, and how the material changes under different lighting conditions.
BUDGET
Material choice is only one part of cost. Fabrication, finishing, hardware, labor, and installation all play a role.
BETTER TOGETHER.
We rarely think about a material on its own. Some of the most interesting results come from how materials interact, contrast, and work together.
wood / Metal / Print
resin / wood / botanical ELEMENTS
METAL / ACRYLIC / LED LIGHTING
method index
01 / CNC Routing
05 / finishing
02 / LASER CUTTING + ENGRAVING
06 / layering
03 / printing
07 / Pouring
04 / paints + stains
08 / Assembly
material meets method.
CNC CUT + PAINTED SUBSTRATE (MOLSON SIGNAGE)
LASER ENGRAVED + FINISHED WOOD (BRADLEY)
CNC CUT AND LAYERED HDPE (ZOO)
STAINED + LASER ENGRAVED ACRYLIC, BACK PAINTED NAMES (HOWARD FULLER)
DIRECT TO SUBSTRATE PRINT ON FINISHED WOOD (ELLEN)
LAYERED PANELS WITH PRINT + HAND PAINTED ELEMENTS WITH LIGHTING (FIRSIDE MURAL)
CNC CUT + FINISHED METAL (PURDUE)
Problem solving with materials
milwaukee county zoo
Adventure Africa Donor Recognition
Materials:
HDPE, Corten Steel, PVC
Methods:
CNC ROUTING + LAYERING + PAINT + HARDWARE + Locator backer
Problem:
Create an exterior installation that could withstand year-round conditions, require minimal maintenance, and support the design intent.
SOLUTION:
HDPE was selected for the durability the exterior environment required. Its properties then informed decisions throughout the project, from color and layering to lettering and assembly. Where HDPE couldn't give us exactly what we needed, we adapted the material, method, or construction.
FABRICATION
The layered HDPE construction relied heavily on CNC machining and mechanical fastening to work with the material's properties.
COLOR
Stock HDPE colors drove much of the palette; painted PVC was introduced where other colors were needed.
LETTERING
When conventional paint-filled engraving wasn't a reliable option, contrasting HDPE was inset into the engraved donor names.
BUILT FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
Corten steel provided the strength needed for the exterior structure. We intentionally rusted the Corten to soften its appearance and create a weathered finish that felt appropriate to the Adventure Africa environment.
ask us about materials
Have a material question, a project challenge, or something you want to explore?