Location : Driggs , Idaho – Teton Mountain Range

Project Concept : There is a dialectic pairing between People and Natural Boulders. What types of spaces are created when Boulders are concentrated within a landscape? What type of community is created when People come together? The project title ‘Gather’ celebrates these relationships. The project develops a new, yet familiar, space in the heart of a mountain town to support community identity and stand out as a sculptural beacon when not in use.

Project Description : The installation of three permanent sculpture pieces in downtown Driggs, Idaho.

Values : Community Character , Natural Bio-degradable Material.

Key Team : Sculptor Natalie Clark , Mike Kopp Welding .

Project Support : Blue Cross of Idaho supported Gather, as means of promoting community and mental health.

Project Recognition :

– Design With Care , Article by Jackson News & Guide.

– New Sculpture Unveiled, Article by Teton Valley News.

– Project Selected Feature on Architizer.

– Featured on Public Art Archive.

– Cork Panel is 100% Bidegradable and Carbon Negative, offsetting project carbon footprint. Cork trees are not cut, but stripped bark and re-harvested seasonally.

– Cork Panel is composed of a natural binder, requires no sealer, and has zero maintenance over the course of the project’s life cycle. It’s also durable, capable of withstanding extreme temperature ranges.

– Cork has acoustic and insulation properties. The insulation panel (R-5.3) used prevents the steel panel from overheating, allowing a safe and comfortable shelter area.

Project Model : Physical models are a critical part of the design process to understand space and form more intuitively. Holding a model allows you to see proportions, depth, and relationships between elements from multiple angles. Unlike quick and messy physical models, I use final study models at the end of the design process to fine tune aesthetics, that aren’t obvious in drawings or 3D computer software. Finally, refined models serve as a bridge between concept and construction.

Fabrication : Construction drawings and physical models were provided to Mike Kopp for steel fabrication. Sculptor Natalie Clark and I would meet to understand progress. The cork panels where installed by Natalie Clark and I, prior to the sculptures being delivered to the final site location.