Unusual architectural ornamentation fabrication

[Bunabayashi]

Hi gang,

I'm curious if anyone here might be able to point me towards a source for an unusual fabrication job: I'm in the midst of a master plan for a private school in my community, and one of the desired elements are custom made bookend 'medallions' if you will, except quite grand in scale, to adorn the gable end of their newly constructed gymnasium. I haven't been up on the roof yet to measure the facade on which they will be mounted, however their height could easily be 15-20' and almost as wide.

Owing to the existing building elements, scale, and mounting challenges they will almost certainly have to be some sort of cast resin or other light material.

Dave

[Gedunker]

Here's a link from traditional building. Probably not exactly what you're looking for, but could be a good starting place. http://www.traditional-building.com/f103.htm

[DPP]

Forgive me for asking, but why would you not make them out of a "real" material rather than an ersatz one? If you're going to build this to last, why wouldn't you want the highest quality?

Instead of this sort of medallion, if it was me, I'd leave the wall blank, and wait for the opportunity for the students to create a durable work of art to go there at some point in the future.

[Bunabayashi]

Forgive me for asking, but why would you not make them out of a "real" material rather than an ersatz one? If you're going to build this to last, why wouldn't you want the highest quality?

Instead of this sort of medallion, if it was me, I'd leave the wall blank, and wait for the opportunity for the students to create a durable work of art to go there at some point in the future.

Cast or carved resin can be extremely attractive and made to match a wide variety of materials and textures, and at the distances we're discussing would be virtually indistinguishable from authentic materials, be those lead, copper, plaster, terracotta, etc. The emblems or medallions (actually a modification of the school's seal) would be approximately 30 linear feet and 20 vertical feet away from the nearest casual observer. At the scale we're discussing, there are advantages to lighter weight materials in many other categories including the casting or carving process as well as affixing them to the building's facade. As for your possible solution, the area, architectural style, and overall design theme for the space would preclude a child's input.

[boilerplater]

I've seen a cast resin window surround that was made to duplicate a historic one in bronze. It was indistinguishable unless you touched it. This was on an old bank building in Center City, Philadelphia, right on the street, so it has to stand up to some abuse.
How crisp does the detail have to be? There are some lightweight forms of concrete that might work, or (gasp) foam with dryvit. That would make it easier to change when they decide they don't want a look that is so, um...bookish.

[Bunabayashi]

I may have found someone in my own backyard:

OEC Engineering

[torags]

Hi gang,

I'm curious if anyone here might be able to point me towards a source for an unusual fabrication job: I'm in the midst of a master plan for a private school in my community, and one of the desired elements are custom made bookend 'medallions' if you will, except quite grand in scale, to adorn the gable end of their newly constructed gymnasium. I haven't been up on the roof yet to measure the facade on which they will be mounted, however their height could easily be 15-20' and almost as wide.

Owing to the existing building elements, scale, and mounting challenges they will almost certainly have to be some sort of cast resin or other light material.

Dave

Perhaps a sculptors resource that laser cuts foam armatures. You can supply a coin, they fabricate a 3d digital file that that can be expanded to almost any size. The 3d file is expanded to desired size, then loaded into a laser cutter that cuts the larger pieces of foam. The sculptor then puts a surface on the foam, it can be permanent or clay for bronze casting.

Cupids Arrow statue in San Francisco was done this way (except for the arrow).