7-monuments

Turning Shugarman's architectural vision turned into reality
The mandate of the Society's Design Committee was to create an expression of "The public recognition of individuals of exceptional civic contribution." The selected concept for the "Field of Fame" is shown in the images beside. These diagrams show the stylized "stalks of wheat". The Alberta crest, going from wheat to foothills, then form mountains to sky, is also visually referenced, in abstract, in the stalks. Once the final design was selected, the Design Committee stated that "the next phase of design will require greater detail, clarification and resolution of many technical issues..." That's where Advanta came in!

The original concept document credits several individuals with input, and we would like to pass on that special mention here as well: Gordon Hoffman, J.J. Hoffman, Barry Moore, Mide Olasode, Michael Shugarman, and Lori Steen. Also, the ongoing support of Pat Christie has been essential.

 

thumb IMG 5196 516FieldofFamePhotosSmall

Making a concept palpable
The vision was in place. Now it needed to be made real. The first tasks was to conceive a way to make such a thin object sufficiently robust to withstand wind loading and daily stresses, yet leave some movement so it could gently sway in a breeze, much like a stalk of wheat.

Structural and fabrication concepts were explored as computer concept models. When designing on a computer screen, it is difficult to judge the actual size of an object. Because everything lives in the same 21" window of computer desktop space, when on sees the actual object often small things end up feeling smaller and big things seem bigger.

Because of the large scale of the prosed monument, we needed to get to a full-size mock-up to validate the concept before going too far down any road. Nothing is better to evaluate reality that a full-size, physical model.

 

Real scale models the cheap
Know we knew the size was right, but what about surface finishes and materials? Will everything feel right? Will the end product measure up to the vision? Advanta fabricated a 1/5th scale model with the right stainless materials and finish. A quality photorealistic image can communicate a lot – and we use them frequently to help with product visioning. However, sometimes touching and feeling makes for believing and confidence. The scale model allowed the Society to see a "real" monument before the full-size versions were made. The models were used in composite images to validate the design in context. These images have been excellent fund raising tools that are still in use today.

thumb AB-site-004 922ab-006

Can you tell it's small?
To help the society, and us, ascertain the best size for the finished monuments, we built one out of foam core. Costing much less than a fabricated stainless steel monument, and quicker to build, we were able to place the full-size monument in potential locations. The model was so light, one person could move it around. Carrying around a 14 foot tall sculpture made quite a sight! It was a great evaluation tool as it turned out, to get the scale just right, we reduced the height of the final version by about one foot. Getting to real-scale quickly can save a lot of time and hassle later.

 

 DSCN5398 900HighDSCN5456 900HighDSCN5354 900High

The environment a product lives in makes a difference
The initial two sites for the Fields of Fame were dramatically different. The first was at a new building called Jamieson Place. The monuments were situated indoors, away from the elements. The second, at the new Calgary Court Centre Park, was outside and involved a whole series of new challenges while keeping the designs as visually identical as possible.

Interior Version
Away from high wind loads, rain and snow, the first version of the Stalk could be built with less exotic materials, less reinforcement, and for a lower cost. The variables are more predictable, and the monuments would be tucked away as part of a beautiful public space in the building called "The Winter Garden". Even with this more gentle environment, fit and finish still mattered, and as the first install, all the details would be noticed. During the development of all our projects, we find valuable input from clients, fabricators, and other collaborators. The architects at Gibbs Gage, the creators of Jamieson Place, encouraged us to eliminate some of the structure at the back. The end result is a more elegant and simple structure. We find all our work gets better when we listen.

Exterior Version
Ripe wheat fields gently moving in the wind were part of the inspiration for the monuments. A gentle wind makes a field of wheat dance like waves on an ocean. The outdoor version of the stalks would face wind loads that we could allow to move the stalk a little, but we also had to ensure the monuments could withstand ordinary stresses, the frequent chinook winds – and likely from time to time, stronger winds than that. Typically designers reach for an applicable standard to design against. Since there are no standards for monuments made to look like stylized wheat, we had to come with a reasonable alternative! Other structures that are tall, slender and live in urban environments are street light poles. We did the homework and found a standard that was a reasonable fit.

 

Finite Element Analysis
Using the 3D CAD to develop the design, we engaged an engineering resource to conduct a computer simulation called an FEA, or Finite Element Analysis. FEA is a little like a virtual crystal ball that allows us to simulate stresses on a design and then make modifications to optimize performance. This allowed an engineering resource to ensure the stalks could meet the same wind loads outlined in the standards for light poles, making them ready for the great outdoors.

thumb A2974001Ai-depthumb A2974001Ai-VM3



Light Box the revolution

Sealed Ultrathin Custom Signage Lightboxes
The illuminated graphics on the project were a significant design challenge. The tip is all glass and glows with light. The central graphic shows the picture and information of each particular person being commemorated. In theory creating a light box is easy. The difficulty on this project was that the entire monument was not much thicker than an inch. Within this inch we needed to place all the requisite structure and still find a way to evenly light the graphic panels. Evenness in the backlighting in a traditional light box is accomplished by means of a large cavity behind the glass. In this case it just wasn't possible. Through testing LEDs from several manufacturers and going through a large number of iterative validations we developed a custom solution where thinness meets brightness.

Extra durable Glass Light Box
Scratches, breakage, and even spray paint can be an issue with outdoor monuments. We searched the globe to find a vandal-resistant, high-strength glass that could hold vivid, beautiful colors over time. To find this level of quality and strength took some effort. Advanta coordinated all testing and production to ensure everything was just right. The final glass and light box components are assembled in-house at Advanta.

thumb IMG 8240 922thumb IMG 8249 922thumb IMG 8549 922thumb IMG 2114 922thumb IMG 2140 922thumb IMG 8195 922

Give us the Mandate; Get the Goods!
Advanta provided a production design, and coordinated production from multiple vendors. For the opening celebration of each field, we ensured the monuments were completed on time, and on budget. From defining every nut, weld and screw to ensuring all the units were packed and shipped to site; Advanta has handled every detail of each installation.

Our concentration on design and production has permitted the Alberta Champion Society to focus on building the next fields, fund raising, and community involvement. We are very pleased to be working with them on the fourth Field of Fame which is to be unveiled in Calgary in 2014.

thumb IMG 3193 922thumb IMG 7208 922thumb IMG 2035 922