joseph t. leone
SCRANTON, PA
DRIFT
SPRING / FALL 2019
BUILDING DRIFT (Time Lapse)
DRIFT CHICAGO
ABOUT
"DRIFT" is a built installation and the outcome of a collaborative Design/Build project by the student of Marywood University School of Architecture. The 43' foot long "tunnel" is located on the "Art Field" outside the Center for Architectural Studies on Marywood University's campus. The goal of the project was to reclaim an underutilized space, and create something that could be enjoyed by the community who frequent the surrounding areas.
SITE SELECTION
The process began with thirty-six site proposals throughout Lackawanna County, PA. The team members collectively narrowed down potential sites to two locations; both on Marywood' Art Field.. These locations were considered to be under used, neglected, and longing for revitalization. My proposal, located at the top of a nearly century old stone staircase which no longer led to anything was ultimately chosen.
DESIGN PROCESS
Working together to select overall parameters for an installation, a brief outline of a structure started to take shape. After many iterations parametric models, and physical mock ups, a final iteration was created with every stakeholder considered. Once decided upon, full scale test mock-ups were built to test connections, material choices, and how the structure would hold up to weather. With some lucky Pennsylvania weather conditions (snow, heavy rain, brutal cold and humid heat within a two week span), the "Lab" was put to the ultimate tests. It was ultimately destroyed during a storm event that produced tornadoes in the surrounding area. These events allowed us to select stronger, higher-quality materials.
BUILDING PROCESS
Drift was fabricated and assembled over the course of 3.5 days, with teams working in shifts from 8AM - 12AM or later. It was prefabricated in 8 sections inside of the School of Architecture building, and brought to the site when it was time for installation
Teams were responsible for cutting, prepping for paint, painting, prefabricating, and installing the components on site. The final on-site assembly included tying all the ribs together with threaded rod, and attaching the sections to the ground with custom rebar "staples," as concrete footings could not be used. Lights were added to create interesting shadows at night.
FINISHED PROJECT
Drift was well received by the community, and continually has dozens of visitors each day. Originally a two-month installation, the University has decided to make it's stay permanent, and Drift has been standing strong for nearly 1.5 years. It has been used in several photo shoots, wedding photos, and several organizations on campus have expressed interest in claiming it for their own spaces. The University has placed a time capsule at the entrance to Drift, not to be opened until 2115, cementing a use for the "Stone Staircase" far into the future. In addition, people have moved picnic tables and benches from elsewhere to now be close to Drift, further proving it's success.
DRFIT CHICAGO: SOFA Expo
Drift was included in the 2019 SOFA Expo at the Navy Pier in Chicago. A second Drift was fabricated to bring to Chicago, and to not disrupt the original installation on campus. A now smaller team re-fabricated the components, and worked out a new structural system using 3D Printed fasteners to cut down assembly time to a few hours instead of a few days.
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Besides fabrication and quality control inspections, I was mainly responsible for logistics for this portion of the project. I fabricated a custom rolling pallet to hold all of the pieces of the installation, as well as a custom built and branded road case "toolbox" to hold tools, smaller parts, promotional materials, and serve as a work surface and display surface on the exhibition floor.
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(See the additional gallery for Drift Chicago Photos and a time lapse video).