Builds
THE BEARS
role
Design Lead
catagory
Product
timeframe
10 weeks
Overview
This initiative aimed to transform a broad creative concept into a feasible design that could be constructed and implemented in a children's hospital.
The mother bear and her cub sculptures exist in a space that bridges the gap between an art object and an exhibit piece. The objective was to develop a creation that appeared to be a part of nature while also embodying a futuristic and man-made essence.
tools
• Slicer 360
• SketchUp
• CNC
• Adobe Aero (AR Visuals)
deliverables
• Concept Design
• 3D Modeling
• Presentation Visuals
• Exhibit Mockup
• Final Product
The Process
Concept Development
This started as an open-ended client request to replace a rejected sculpture concept and asked for a bear sculpture instead.
I knew early on our tooling would limit how complex we could get, so the concept had to balance form with what we could realistically fabricate
Digital Modeling
Using Slicer 360 I used a 3D model to find the optimal sections creating 2D cut files
Cleaned up the geometry into cuttable parts and bringing it all together in SketchUp
Engineering Alignment
The engineer initially flagged the design as "unbuildable" due to inconsistent sheet thickness and tight slot tolerances when fitting slots together
We landed on a fly-cutting process to mill sheets down to a consistent thickness and achieving tighter tolerances
Prototyping
I built a 1/8 scale model to test how everything fit together and to make sure the assembly sequence actually worked
It helped catch small alignment issues that weren’t obvious in the digital model
Fabrication Strategy
Iterated on details and construction approach to ensure the final design could be produced with consistency and a high level of finish
End Product
Delivered a design that balanced sculptural intent with production realities, ready for full-scale fabrication
Conclusion
This was one of those projects where I looked forward to working on it everyday. The brief was open-ended, the path wasn’t clear, and the solution had to be figured out along the way… the kind of work I enjoy most. It pushed me outside my comfort zone and to think beyond standard solutions. This reinforced how much better the outcome can be when you give ideas the space to evolve through iteration and collaboration.
TUBE FIXTURE
role
Design Lead
catagory
Product
year
2022
Overview
What started as a design competition entry became the centerpiece of one of Denver's most significant commercial renovations. My topography-inspired concept won the client over early, but turning this loose idea into a chandelier for the lobby of Republic Plaza (downtown Denver's tallest high-rise) required scrapping the original design midway through, solving a structural problem during a full-scale on-site prototype, and landing on a modular system that could be installed cleanly in an occupied building with no margin for disruption.
tools
• Illustrator
• Photoshop
• SketchUp
deliverables
• Concept Design
• 3D Modeling
• Prototype
• Final Product
The Process
Concept Development
The client came to us with a loose idea around topography, so I sketched a concept using suspended tubes at varying heights to mimic a mountain landscape
It started as a more expressive idea, but I knew early on we’d have to balance that with how it would actually get built and installed
First Iteration
My initial design used individually suspended tubes, but it relied on a pretty complex cable system that didn’t sit well with the client
Midway through, the direction shifted toward a more uniform, illuminated fixture, which meant rethinking the concept from the ground up
Redesign
I worked with engineering to land on a metal grid frame that could support all the tubes in a cleaner, more controlled way
This gave us a modular system and made installation a lot more straightforward
Prototyping
We built and installed a full-scale section on site to test how everything actually came together, especially the lighting and suspension
That’s where we caught an issue with the tubes pulling inward at the bottom from gravity
Final Execution
Once that detail was resolved, the full fixture went together cleanly and installed without issues
The project shipped on time and matched the visual consistency the client was after
Conclusion
The finished fixture now hangs over the main escalators in Republic Plaza's repositioned lobby, programmable to display virtually any color, message, or seasonal effect for the building's tenants. The renovation went on to receive an Award of Merit, completed on time despite post-pandemic supply chain delays and mid-project scope additions. Getting the chandelier right was a small part of a much larger effort, but it was ours to own. The lesson was straightforward: a concept that wins a competition still has to survive contact with reality, and the gap between the two is where the real work happens.
MISSION HOSPITAL
role
Design Lead
catagory
Product
year
2021
Overview
This project didn't start with a brief. It started with a phone call. A hospital's commissioned artist cancelled weeks before their grand opening, leaving a finished atrium, ceiling anchors already in place, and nothing to fill them. Eight weeks to conceive, manufacture, and install 99 custom acrylic pieces. The challenge wasn't just making something beautiful — it was making something buildable, fast.
tools
• Illustrator
• Photoshop
• SketchUp
deliverables
• Concept Design
• 3D Modeling
• Prototype
• Final Product
The Process
Concept Development
The atrium was flooded with natural light, so I drew inspiration from how light fragments through falling water into shifting color
I proposed a suspended field of acrylic columns in blue and teal colorways, varying in lengths to create the sense of movement across the space
Material
The 2" square acrylic was chosen to give each piece real visual weight and depth while still allowing light to pass through and shift with the time of day
Midway through, the direction shifted toward a more uniform, illuminated fixture, which meant rethinking the concept from the ground up
Manufacturing Challenge
When we ran the first cuts on the CNC, the kerf came out wrong, edges were chipping, surfaces scarring, and pieces cracking outright at this thickness
We moved to a five-axis router at a slower feed rate to get clean cuts, then heat buffed every single piece by hand to bring edges to a finished quality
Layout and Installation
The existing ceiling strut gave us our grid so I mapped a loose layout distributing all 99 pieces across the field with adjustable cable lengths to dial in the rainfall effect in three dimensions
Articulating grippers allowed fine-tuning on site without going back to the ceiling, which kept the install clean and on schedule
Conclusion
The best constraint on this project was the deadline. With no time to overthink it, the concept came quickly and the decisions stayed decisive. The manufacturing detour through the five-axis router cost time we didn't have, but hand-finishing every piece is what made the final result look considered rather than rushed. Mission Hospital opened on time and the installation has been a permanent fixture in their atrium ever since. Sometimes a last-minute call is the best brief you'll get.
