Fabrication Portfolio

MICHAEL THOMAS

Michael Thomas

Intent

Fabrication Portfolio

Contents

After graduating from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture, I took employment at COSI (Center of Science and Industry) as an Exhibit Fabricator in Columbus, Ohio.

COSI exhibits are designed and fabricated in house. A small team of designers and project managers begin the creation process before handing off the planss and drawings to an even smaller fabrication team for prototype construction.

Most projects completed here are ‘one off’ pieces, which drives the necessity for rapid prototyping and engineering creative solutions to unique problems.

The team is made up of myself, a Lead Fabricator, a Design/Fabricator, a part-time cabinet maker, and an Electronics Engineer. With such a small team,, attention to detail, communication, and accountability are crucial for the proper er completion of each project. Cross disciplinary collaboration has proven essenntial to creating and maintaining high quality exhibits and projects. Unlike other o shops that produce similar products, our small team requires each member to posses a wide range of skills and talents to get the job done. One vital aspect of my position as fabricator is engineering the sub structures and choosing materierials and construction methods best suited for each project, all the while staying g true to the original design intent of the project.

This portfolio is a small sample of my work as a fabricator and showcases the d widespread array of materials, construction methods, and digital modeling and drafting techniques with which I have become well versed.

Pages

Tree House

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Sign n

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Woodpeckers Wo oodpeckers oo

5

Cityview

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Heartbeat He eartbeat Drum

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Sample Sa ample Projects

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3

1. Play Carts Designed in SolidWorks, cut from cabine 2. Blue foam block wall milled using CNC router, substr ply-wood.

3-5. I-pad holder for and augmented reality exhibit. I-pad a milled HDPE holder. This unit was fully developed in SolidW 6-7. Nat-Geo Resource Board rendering and completed pro 8-12. ‘Cosinko’ and wine racks. Constructed from pine and b Logos are cut using CNC router.

13. Honda Exhibit, various materials and construction methods.

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This portfolio contains professional projec projects completed for COSI in Columbus, Ohio. All designs and products are for fo the sole use of COSI and its affiliates

1

Exhibit

The Tree House Exhibit Description

In the “Little Kidspace” the Tree House stands front and center providing a “colorful and engaging atmosphere for little hands and growing minds” to develop. This space is intended to be used by children under the age of 7.

All aspects are thoughtfully designed and constructed with safety and the scale of the children it serves in mind.

Using solid oak gives the tree house a strong yet natural feel. Fine craftsmanship is apparent throughout the project as there are no right angles present; every edge and joint has been detailed. All of the hand rails are joined using the traditional carpentry method of a mortise and tenon, while polycarbonate panels are held within a rabbet, cut into each post and rail. Kiln dried logs are used in the deck facade and steps, giving the illusion that it is constructed on top of a woodpile. Foam-core leaves hang from the ceiling, providing bright splashes of color against the natural tones of the cedar shingles on the cross gable roof.

While larger elements of the tree house possess construction documentation, most details were fabricated from facade renderings with schematic- level dimensioning. Small elements were fabricated from sketched designs - the faux hinges and the chimney. They were transformed from hard wood, mitered together, and then painted to give the impression of oxidized cooper. The engineering of the project, material choices, and construction methods often fell on the shoulders of myself the fabricator, with open recommendations from the design team. With less than two weeks of time to install the project in its exhibit space, many elements of the project were being refined as it was being constructed.

14"

5"

2"

12"

4"

5"

6" 9"

4"

4" 7"

5"

3"

3" 9"

Exhibit

The Treehouse Sign Exhibit Description

Every child understands that a tree house is simply incomplete without a sign. The designer’s vision was given to me in the form of a fun, and colorful PDF, shown below. I was given the instruction to create the sign and include 3D elements to bring it to life. Starting with an oak pallet, three planks were selected that had tastefully been weathered and oxidized. Using a CNC mill, the type face was routed into the planks and the foliage cut from MDF. Rhino was used to model the lady bug, which was then 3D printed and painted with the rest of the sign.

Digital Design

Designers Rendering

Rhino Modeling

Materials

CNC routed oak planks, CNC routed MDF Foliage, 3D printed ladybug representation.

Installed Signage

4

Ladybug Detail

Exhibit

Woodpecker Spring Toy Exhibit Description

Refined simplicity is a common theme at “Little Kidspace”- where every element is designed to feed a child’s curiosity and love for play. Set into the solid oak hand railings of The Tree House, the woodpeckers help engage a young, curious audience. Their simplistic, yet robust construction guarantee they stand up to the abuse of thousands of hours of play, while still capable of being activated by anyone of any age. The woodpeckers were modeled in Rhino then split in half to be accurately milled using a CNC router. Poplar was chosen for its durable grain structure and its ability to be easily milled.

Digital Design

Materials

Poplar Hardwood bodies, Stainless Steel Spring, Steel Gas Pipe, Birch Plywood connector/oscillator.

Precedent

Digital Render

Completed

5

Exhibit

City View Patio Exhibit Description

The City View Patio is a new and tentative outdoor event space adjacent to the Scioto River and designed to serve the community during the summer months. A modest archway and hanging sign welcome guests into the space. Throughout the project cabinet grade plywood and maple were epoxied and painted to promote weather resistance. While Douglas Fir was used elsewhere for its natural resistance to the elements. Maple was bent to provide the cap over the sculpted cabinet grade plywood arch. The archway is considered a temporary installation and serves as the gateway of the experimental event space.

Designers Renders

Materials

CNC Routed plywood, Hard wood arch accent, Printed centra on plywood oval, Douglas fir posts and benches.

Completed

6

Exhibit

Nationwide Children’s Heartbeat Drum Exhibit Description

A wide variety of organizations frequently contact the COSI Design and Fabrication teams for custom built projects and displays. This specific project is permanently on display at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio and was commissioned in honor of Mathew Adams - a former patient. The project is a great example of a cross-disciplinary effort to create an elegant, yet functional exhibit for children and their families, who undergo treatment at the hospital. Working closely with the project electronics engineer, I prototyped and built a pedestal to elevate the drum from the countertop to house all the needed electronic components within. A blood wood veneer was chosen as banding for the plywood legs, creating a clean, accented edge.

Designers construction drawings.

2'-7"

2'-11"

R 1" R 6'-5 5/8"

1'-6"

2'-4"

9"

PROJECT NAME

2"

7 7/8"

15.00°

7 7/8"

DRAWING TITLE

DRAWN BY

Ø 8"

Overview E. Burdock 11/18/15 1"

= 1'

333 WEST BROAD STREET • COLUMBUS , OHIO 43215 TEL: [ 614 ] 228-COSI • WWW .COSI .ORG REVISION

2'-6"

DATE

2'-3"

Heartbeat Drum

DATE

SCALE

R 2'-0" R 10 1/2"

1 1/2"

NOTES

2'-6" 2'-9"

2'-3" DRAWING NO .

HBD1 .00

Materials

Birch Plywood with blood-wood banded edges, Solid blood wood panel to mount the brass sensor hands, Corion counter-top.

Completed

Production Team

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3

4

5

1. Play Carts Designed in SolidWorks, cut from cabinet grade birch ply using CNC routing.

2. Blue foam block wall milled using CNC routing, substructure is a 2x4 framed construction sheathed in plywood.

3-5. iPad holder for and augmented reality exhibit. iPad and a thin backup battery is mounted in a CNC milled HDPE holder. This unit was fully developed in SolidWorks.

6-7. Nat-Geo Resource Board rendering and completed project.

8-12. ‘Cosinko’ and wine racks. Constructed from pine and birch plywood. For annual fund raiser ‘Blast’ logos are cut using CNC routing.

13. Honda Exhibit, various materials and construction methods.

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