Lawrence--Kansas

Structural Evolution

STRUCTURAL EVOLUTION AT UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS ENGINEERING SCHOOL

A twisting double helix—measuring 35′ long, 8′ wide, and weighing nearly 2,000 pounds—adorns the atrium at The University of Kansas’ (KU) new engineering building in Lawrence, Kansas. The artwork, entitled “Structural Evolution,” is a competition-winning feat of engineering designed by KU student Perry May. It was chosen through a juried selection co-sponsored by KU and Zahner. Zahner engineered, fabricated, and installed the winning artwork, which joins a rich oeuvre of custom fabricated artworks made with Zahner engineering and manufacturing.

When May first presented his model to the jury, the application pool was large and varied. To get as many diverse ideas as possible, The University opened the competition to the entire student body. The University wanted to fill the two-story atrium with an inspiring work of art that would evoke the spirit of the engineering department.

Related Project

DeBruce Center: Rules of Basketball

The building complex was developed around a single piece of basketball history. The original Rules of Basketball, written in 1891 by James Naismith (the inventor of basketball and founder of the KU basketball program) were purchased and donated to the school, and have found their permanent home at DeBruce Center, a new facility adjoining the northeast corner of Allen Fieldhouse at KU.

The selected sculpture was chosen for its complex geometry and conceptual hearkening to growth. May describes his concept:

“[Its] an abstraction of DNA structure, embodying the spirit of growth and innovation within the KU School of Engineering. Its aesthetic became informed by fabrication methods and materials: ‘How do I shape sheet metal, what can a mill do, and how can I use this to create and inform the work?’”

“Structural Evolution” at The University of Kansas.

Engineering the Sculpture

The business model at Zahner is set up to enable collaborative dialogue (See: Design Assist). Allowing the fabrication method to help inform the aesthetic of the piece opened the door for collaboration between Zahner engineers and the artist. This meant that the original design by the artist could be developed and explored

For this project, ¼” aluminum plate was used throughout the sculpture. The plate material accommodates the voids in the cutout areas. Zahner owns and operates a number of machines that can be used for cutting patterns from metal. Each machine possesses its own unique capabilities. Zahner is able to communicate with designers on the strengths and limitations of each process in order to help designers make informed decisions.

A three-axis mill was selected to produce the desired aesthetic for this particular piece. The mill uses rotary cutters to remove metal in designated open areas, leaving a shiny, polished edge. The panels were then rolled to the specified radius and matched up to one another on-site, creating the illusion of a seamless helix rolling in midair.

Designing a Hanging Suspension System

The artwork’s immense weight and complex shape required careful engineering to balance the work correctly. Eight unique panels, each roughly 4′ x 10′ in size, were design-engineered to precisely interlock with one another. The pieces also needed to be suspended individually using two cables, and anchored to the ceiling. This was complex, as the atrium layout included a floating ceiling that could not structurally bear the weight of the artwork.

Zahner’s engineers developed a plan to disguise the cables through the seams in the floating ceiling and attach to structural beams. There were limited spots where the cables could attach. Each panel needed to hang at exactly the correct angle in order to match up to other panels. Zahner solved for static equilibrium, providing a structurally sound suspension method.

The sculpture has a variable radius; one end is larger, and the opposite end tapers while twisting subtly. Each panel had at least two radii, and it transitioned between the two. Utilizing a 3D model of the atrium and the sculpture, Zahner’s engineers determined the locations for the cables. To translate these calculations from their exact location on the digital model to real space, Zahner engineers adapted the concept of computer coordinates to real-life space. A grid was laid out using the physical space; then a laser level was used to translate that grid to the ceiling for the layout of the cables. This accounted for any marginal shift in geometry that may have occurred during the physical construction of the space. Once the locations of the cables were determined, the installation could run smoothly and according to plan.

Film protects the disassembled plate aluminum from minor scratches and fingerprints

Zahner installers hang the panels using the cable system.

ZAHNER AND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

After the fabrication of his work at Zahner, May became an intern at Zahner. One of the reasons Zahner sponsors competitions like this, is to develop relationships with the upcoming generation of creative young professionals. Zahner is committed to hearing fresh new voices and ideas. Being involved in the work by university students offers a unique glimpse into the future of art and design.

Students are part of an environment that is immersed in learning, creation, and reinvention. Whether it’s hosting a competition to fabricate student work, bringing in a tour of Zahner facilities, or presenting to a class, Zahner is committed to the upcoming generation of professionals. Theirs are the voices that will continue to drive innovation and look for new ways to solve problems. Contact us today for more information on how students can get involved at Zahner.

St. Lawrence

December 30, 2016/in Art & Sculpture Worship Center Lawrence--Kansas SFS Architecture Gold S 1986 /by cmorris

St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center

St. Lawrence Catholic Campus is a church and campus serving students and the greater community of Lawrence, Kansas. Zahner provided the brass inlay for the stained glass, as well as the brass baptismal altar. Working with SFS Architecture and Kathy Barnard glass studio, the team developed a timeless worship and fellowship facility for a college town Catholic community campus.

The design team worked with Kathy Barnard to create a stained glass feature. Zahner was brought into the project to create the custom brass bar elements which curve throughout the stained glass windows. Zahner also fabricated the Baptismal Altar which was designed by Mike Shaughnessy of SFS Architecture.

St. Lawrence Catholic Center worked with SFS Architecture and the University of Kansas to establish design criteria and goals. This included the need to perceptually minimize the building’s scale to integrate with its surroundings. The building’s exterior appearance looks like a typical post-war low-rise residence, blending naturally into the neighborhood.

Related Surface

St. Lawrence

Detail of the inlaid brass used on the stained glass, custom brass altar and candle holders

Details of the custom brass baptismal altar and candle holders

Architectural interior designed by SFS Architecture

Spencer Art Museum

December 27, 2016/in Exterior Architecture, Landscape Architecture Museum Lawrence--Kansas Pei Cobb Freed L. William Zahner Blue-grey, Grey, White S 2015 /by cmorris

University of Kansas Spencer Art Museum Renovation

Custom raw zinc plate planters were designed and fabricated by Zahner for the renovation of the Spencer Museum as part of the new landscape for the building. New donor plaques were also engraved for the Museum.

In 2010, the Spencer Museum partnered with architectural firm Pei Cobb Freed & Partners to develop a master renovation and expansion plan for its spaces. In April 2015, the Museum closed to the public for renovation. This 16-month project addressed the first part of the master plan and marked the first major renovation since the building’s opening.

Zahner was brought into the project by the Museum to provide landscape design. The company developed a design for the planters, and fabricated and delivered the zinc plate system. The zinc plates develop a white oxide layer, and will continue to weather and patina into a subtle grey-green over the years.

DeBruce Center: Rules of Basketball

November 3, 2016/in Exterior Architecture, Interior Architecture Education, Museum, Parking Structure Lawrence--Kansas Gould Evans Associates Silver, White L 2016 /by cmorris

DeBruce Center and the KU Rules of Basketball

DeBruce Center is a Gould Evans-designed building featuring Zahner engineered metal systems throughout its interior and exterior. Zahner completed multiple scopes on the project, including the exterior and interior panels of bridge that connects to Allen Fieldhouse, guardrails, and the perforated scrim walls which enclose its adjoining parking structure.

The existing Allen Fieldhouse building at KU is now connected by a bridge to the Debruce Center. This connects the new exhibit and visitor center to historical Allen Fieldhouse, where the KU basketball team regularly plays their local games. This connection helps to physically explain the history of KU’s sports program. James Naismith (the ‘father’ of basketball) and Forrest “Phog” Allen (the ‘father’ of basketball coaching) each had an integral role in building this legacy. By physically connecting the two spaces, the designers at Gould Evans have built a literal link between the past and future of basketball at KU.

The bridge, which connects the DeBruce Center and Parking Garage to the Allen Fieldhouse.

Creating the Exterior Bridge at DeBruce Center

The Zahner team was tasked with creating large cut-out aluminum panels bearing the original rules for the game of basketball. The interior panels also contain a direct screenprint of text on aluminum, which maps out the visage of Naismith and Phog Allen.

The aluminum panels for the exterior bridge were milled from 3/8” aluminum, at a panel size of 6’ x 18’. Panels of this scale provide a unique challenge. Zahner both coordinated with the structural team to ensure that the plate attachment system was properly detailed out in order to take on such heavy loads (the panels weigh around 500 pounds each).

Zahner milled the complete text from the Rules of Basketball, cutting stenciled text into each of the panels. The panels are backlit at night by LED lights that were installed by the lighting designer. During the day, the Angel Hair finish applied to the panels disperses sunlight and softens the natural reflectivity of the aluminum.

The Allen Fieldhouse (left) is connected to the DeBruce Center via an aluminum clad pedestrian bridge.

Milling and Etching Interior Metal Wall Panels to Tell a Story.

The interior bridge continues the exterior bridge’s aesthetic of text milled out from Angel Hair aluminum, and also adds an additional silkscreened visual element. Rather than the rules of basketball, the milled aluminum panels on the east wall contain quotes from both Naismith and Phog Allen. Because these panels are interior and don’t have windloads to contend with, the designers were able to go with a thinner sheet, at 3/16” x 5’ x 10’ each.

The adjacent west wall contains direct screenprinted text on aluminum. This text utilizes a similar visual trope to ZIRA in that it uses letterforms to map out the image of Naismith and Phog Allen, drawing yet another visual parallel between these founding fathers and the legacy of basketball at KU.

Interior Aluminum Plate Guardrails and Staircase Ramps

Zahner also completed a series of interior guardrails from 5/8” aluminum, in an Angel Hair finish to match the surrounding walls. These were made from solid plates connected only at the floor level, stairs, and ramp.

To achieve a uniform planar surface with minimal fasteners, custom connections were developed by Zahner engineers to create the massive guardrails which wind up and down the interior of DeBruce Center.

Using ImageWall to generate Perforated Imagery on Metal

The final piece of Zahner’s scope on DeBruce Center was a custom ZIRA perforated image of wheat, comprising around 7,250 square feet of space. At 243 total 3’ x 10’ 16ga panels, this was our largest scope item and required coordination with multiple trades, such as existing site and new steel. The engineers and fabricators at Zahner provided a system for drop and lock attachment that allowed for a smooth installation.

The perforations cross between panels, allowing imagery to continue seamlessly across the wall, without the distraction of edges. This was achieved by examining the pattern’s parametric relationship of visual elements to the larger surface. The resulting image emulates a field of wheat, hearkening back to symbols of Kansas, and the history of KU.

Capitol Federal Hall

September 16, 2016/in Exterior Architecture Education Lawrence--Kansas Gastinger Walker Harden, Gensler Brown L 2016 /by cmorris

Capitol Federal Hall Building at the University of Kansas

Capitol Federal Hall is a new building on the University of Kansas (KU) campus designed by Gensler, with custom architecture features made by Zahner. The building boasts four stories and an extra 166,500 square feet of space for students. It is the largest privately funded building on KU’s campus.

The building features various exterior and interior metalwork, design-engineered and manufactured by Zahner. The project was completed in 2015. Zahner worked with architects Gensler and Gastinger Walker, under the construction management of JE Dunn.

Zahner manufactured a variety of the project’s interior metalwork, including the awards wall, interior wall panels and the perforated metal for its feature staircase. This includes all of the stringer adornment, soffits, fascia, balusters and guardrails. Exterior metalwork includes the metal balconies, wall panels, and exterior outcroppings. Both the interior and exterior are clad in Solanum Steel, a rustic patina developed on weathering steel.

Related Surface

Capitol Federal Hall

Interior Perforated Guardrail System

Capitol Federal Hall uses Solanum Steel for the exterior cladding, as well as perforating some of the guardrail panels. Zahner treated all interior panels with a matte sealant that maintained the surface quality of the steel, while preventing the patina from rubbing off onto people’s hands or clothing. Perforations were completed on the raw steel, then weathered afterwards to prevent any damage during the perforating process. Adding the finish post-fabrication also ensured that the inside of the holes maintained the same finish as the front of the panels.

Because the panels could be viewed on both sides, it was necessary to treat both the front and back with the Solanum finish. To accommodate for this, as well as the voids left from the holes, a thicker plate material was used.

Related System

Guardrail

Custom guardrail systems are a critical component of providing a design which is both safe and friendly for unique architectural environments. Zahner works with designers to provide bespoke handrail and guardrail systems for their projects.