Student:
Christopher Gallegos (MArch I, Spring 2020)
Course:
Core I, Bonner Studio
Project:
This was the first model made in the Core program and mostly ended up being a failure because the concrete perimeter broke when removed from the form-work with not enough time to fix before the final crit. However, you can still get useful photographs from failures if shot right and still show an intent
The interior circulation was made from laser-cutting chipboard, assembling with sobo glue and spray painting after. There are imperfections in the craft that could have been resolved in a few ways: (1) using spray fixative / cement instead of sobo glue to avoid warping because of the high water content in the glue, (2) joining them together in 3 parts, sanding each piece, and then gluing into a final assembled piece (3) applying a gesso spray first, then green spray paint, allowing one to sand the gesso first, and avoid any seams in the final piece.
The concrete facade broke when I removed it from the plywood formwork for a few probable reasons: (1) the mix fts water content was too high and too much plaster of paris was added to make the final pour whiter in color, (2) the form-work was too strong and wouldn ftt break away easy enough (foam or a silicone mold would have been better with vaseline or packing tape liner), (3) there needs to be a metal inrebar in element to strengthen the composition (metal mesh or light gauge wire would have probably worked), (4) the thickness of the final pour was perhaps a little too thin; using a 3/4 in thickness may have helped with the structural integrity. Lessons learned: Practice pours prior to doing the final piece, plan out steps intended to undertake model ahead of time, and add about a week buffer time before starting work.
Other Projects with the Same Project Tags:
Model Types: assemblage, concept, process
Lab Areas: laser cutter, project room, wood shop
Material Processes: casting, laser cutting, pouring, sanding
Primary Materials: chipboard, concrete, plaster of paris, plywood
Assembling Materials: cement, zap-a-gap glue accelerator, sobo glue
Finishing Materials: spray paint
Model Scale: 1/4″=1′-0″
Mention the author(s) on the FabLab Forum using the following usernames: @cgallegos