Caymans International School Canopies

University of Iowa

Our install team has just returned from site after building these Light Shelves at the new University of Iowa Hygienics Laboratory. We built 22 shades, creating a play of light and providing some shade and cool relief from the sunlight passing through tall windows.

In order to produce a consistent geometry in each shade, we introduced a fixed length rope boundary concealed in the edge binding. During our prototype phase we discovered that the grommet point did not allow the rope to move as freely as we would want and we overcame this with the help of our 3-D printer! We designed and "printed" a unique custom fitting to be placed between the grommet sections that allows the rope to rotate easily around the point and find it's final location once installed. This prototype phase of the project allowed us to look closely and to re-think fabric construction and installation methods, giving the final product a solidly designed aesthetic.

Congo Women Exhibit

We are extremely honored to have had the chance to take part in the recent photographic exhibit  Congo/Women.  We were hired to work with Art Works Projects (http://www.artworksprojects.org) and Ellen Stone Belic Institute for the study of Women and Gender Columbia College Chicago (http://colum.edu/institutewomengender) to produce the brilliant and stunning large images and supporting internal frame structure. The images were printed by another Maine business, Portland Color. The exhibition features powerful photographs by award-winning photojournalists: Lynsey Addario,

Marcus Bleasdale, Ron Haviv and James Nachtwey that convey the strength and courage of Congolese

women.  The show is now on tour here in the US as well as in the EU and UK. 

 Earlier this fall we collaborated with the team at the National Center for Atmoshperic Research to design them a large projection booth for educational exhibits and events. 

Below is a link created by Jeff Alipit and Ryan McVeigh showing construction of the booth from a unique perspective: 

http://ncar-vets.blogspot.com/2009/09/supercomputing-conference-booth_30.html

New from the Caymans

After completion of the upper and lower retractable canopies at Camana Bay, Duvall Design has had the opportunity to create a wide range of custom shade solutions for our clients in the Cayman Islands.

 The light weight of the polytex fabric used to manufacture these wings puts less demand for load bearing on the primary structure and gives an overall lighter effect. The long catenary curves are reinforced by sewn webbing. Polytex fabric is strong but lightweight, UV stable and provides many colorful options in shade solutions.

Contemporary

I've been thinking about what it means to be contemporary, and I feel strongly that contemporary means "present moment", but also unique, original, and personal. Perhaps "personal" is closest to what I'm looking for to capture my thinking. My desire is to share ideas, and engage in making things. Realistically; this requires a lot of trust, focus, and common desire. The "personal" aspect distinguishes present from past and future projection. Personal has more power because it has the risk of invention.

The reason we occasionally use the word, "contemporaries" is an expression of movement, and acknowledgement of a common path. We exist is the same stream of ideas, and also of implementation. What a joy to discover a contemporary, and how delightful to actually work together!

Interesting that our contemporaries are worldwide, yet we tend to bump into each other often. This is the fleeting flow of words, and images. 

October

At high tide the swamp fills with water when the moon is full. When the water receeds, the grass follows the swirling path of the water. The grass loks windswept but really is water-swept instead. Because the process takes place over hours, it is difficult to observe as it is a very slow process. Yet the process is repeated every eleven hours as all the water from this side of the earth flows to the other side of the earth.