WESLEY ULRICH
Built Works 2022-2024
After Attending architecture school at Montana state university I moved to Los Angeles to work at Morphosis Architects. At Morphosis I worked in the fabrication shop in a range of roles from Intern to lead fabricator. After leaving Los Angeles I am living In my hometown, Flagstaff, Arizona. Currently my work is focused on using my knowledge of fabrication and design to create sculptures with a pragmatic sensibility.
ABOUT PROCESS
DESIGN
The design process begins with a moment of conception, a spark of creativity. Designing is a never ending cycle of trying to physically capture an idea that is both visceral and fantastic. Design does not end as a conceptual speculation. The potency of an original idea is always visible in any kind of physical realization.
Digital Modeling
Digital modeling is an essential tool in the process of creating something physical from an idea. Rather than a tool for adding detail to a design, modeling is a used tool to dissect and analyze ideas. Through tools like generative design, material dynamics and parametric characteristics can be tested as an aid for design.
Fabrication
Experience in carpentry, metal fabrication, CNC machining and 3d printing opens doors for what can be created. Fabrication is essentially the part of the process where an idea is presented to an audience. A process in itself that can open or close the impact of an idea, or capitalize on the opportunities an idea presents.
MUSEUM EXHIBITION MODELS SCULPTURES AND FURNITURE
SCULPTURES AND FURNITURE
FURNITURE
POINT NEUTRAL LAMP
This project was a solution to an awkward corner in the dining room of a clients house. The Idea conceived was to create a sculptural lighting piece to illuminate art and occupy the corner. Two point lights on goose neck fixtures light up the wall on either side, and one hanging flood light provides ambient illumination.
CANICLAMP
The CANICLAMP was developed as a R&D of a formal design and build strategy. This design uses an equilateral triangle as a base for scaling, rotation, intersection, and reflection. The light is used to illuminate the negative space, rather than the form itself. By doing this, CANICLAMP is an expression of the complexity that arises from simple relationships.
QUADLAMP
The form of the QUADLAMP is derived by manipulating a simple 4x4 grid. Through extrusion, deformation, scaling, and deformation. Each unit of the lamp has a slight variation, yet relies on the other three units for balance. The QUADLAMP is a proof of concept model, and is meant to be scaled up, and added to by groups of four.
SLICE
This project was part of a material sample package for a high end residence. The goal was to display more than the finish in how the materials would interact with the architectural form.
STRETCH TABLE
This table is a simple exploration of the table top with the legs and the ground plane below. The legs are all connected yet interact with the table top in three different ways. These different interactions create a direction in the otherwise direction-less plane of the table top.
MUSEUM EXHIBITION MODELS
MUSEUM EXHIBITION MODELS
These projects were created during my time working for the fabrication division at Morphosis Architects. During this time, Morphosis was commissioned to create seven large scale models in commemoration of an urban design competition that the firm had won. These models were to honor the designs of the seven firms who had created the designs for one of the most controversial projects in the world at the time. The goal of the shop was to create museum quality sculptures that captured the parti of the urban designs. The resulting sculptures were the largest scale projects that have been produced in the Morphosis shop.
MORPHOSIS
This model was created using aluminum, steel, and walnut, with the end product weighing over 5,000 pounds. My responsibility during this was overseeing the fabrication process. I served as an intermediary between project managers, the carpenters, and other fabricators working on the project.
In order to break the project up and speed up the process the geometry was broken into “chunks” each chunk had to be detailed down to the joinery, milled, assembled, then installed onto the main structure.
CHAP
During this project I served the role of a project manager. It was my responsibility to establish a vision for the finished sculpture. This meant delegating responsibilities to the team, creating a detailed 3d model, and deciding materials. The main goal was to integrate more lighting and materiality into the design.
