sky rail
from the architect Neal Schwartz “We worked with Andre Caradec of S/U/M to develop the guardrail installation of our Sky | House renovation. Beginning with the agenda to direct and control the perception of the viewer as they ascend and descend through the space (as well as the client’s fascination with traditional patterned and woven forms), we proposed a highly crafted piece, animated through movement and view.”
Important to the process was to give the client the ability to interface with the development of the overall effect of the installation. The development of the pattern was an iterative design process. We collaborated with Andrew Kudless to help develop a computer script that would enable us to quickly move through a series of analogue and digital prototypes to hone the overall effect sought by the client. Smoothing algorithms where applied to the final version to reach the clients desired effect.
“The resulting form is digitally milled from solid stock and installed with a series of concealed supports at the points of least perforation.”
drift wall
Developed for the Oakland, CA based retail store, “drift”, the shop proprietor sought a wall partition that could weave retail display on one side, and changing room/ seating area on the flip side, collapsing the retail experience into a single system. The wall is made of recycled plywood.
SOMA residences
Working with the Emerald fund development company and David Baker (architect of record for the building), S/U/M was asked to provide full design/build services to renovate the existing lobby area of the SOMA residential building. The goals of the renovation: diversify the needs for enhanced reception and hospitality services offered to the residents of the building, while respecting the heavy foot traffic of the lobby during construction by using prefab technology.
Industry partner:
Mackie Builder- Matthew Pigman
X divider
The X divider is meant to integrate into a room opening. Using natural tension created by the progressive torque of the surfaces, the X wall gently “pinches” opposing sides of an opening, locking it in. The X divider is shipped perfectly flat and is assembled in minutes through its puzzle like joints. A free standing version is also available.
MoMA/PS1
Graftworks LLC contacted S/U/M to help develop an efficient and easy to assemble plywood structural system that would produce an array of different configurations while keeping waste and part count to a minimum.
The proposal represents one of five finalists of the sixth annual MoMA/P.S.1 Young Architects Program. MoMA/P.S.1’s brief, to create an artificial landscape- the Urban Beach, prompted a proposal which attempts to collapse two ideas of creating an exotic water environment with an architectural expression that is both authentic and has a clear and economic construction logic.
“A competition that invites emerging architects to propose a building project for the courtyard of P.S.1 in Long Island City, Queens. The objective of the Young Architects Program is to identify and provide an outlet for emerging young talent in architecture, an ongoing mission of both MoMA and P.S.1. This year, five finalists were selected and instructed to transform P.S.1’s outdoor courtyard with the allotted project budget of $60,000″
san francisco arts commission
For the San Francisco Arts Commission Gallery’s annual benefit and auction, local bay area designer Jordan Geiger of Ga-Ga contacted S/U/M to help produce a temporary event space that would create various types of zones in the gallery and the atrium spaces of San Francisco’s neoclassical War Veterans Memorial building. Defined only by light and lightweight materials, these zones were modulated by digitally milled thin plywood sheets, which in turn filtered projected light around the event for the bar, auctioneer, DJ, and other functions. The entire installation needed to be installed in 2 hours and taken down in 1 hour, so an inventive system of simple zip-ties held the panel system together, and once snipped, the panels can be flat packed and stored for future events.
slip shelf
using a series of modulating vertical supports, the horizontal shelves lock the system together without mechanical connections.
