digifabshop A Letter From John For our first three company newsletters I looked to the past, to give everyone a little history about how Digifabshop started, and I'd like to continue with that theme more, but this time I want to look forward and tell you all a little bit about what we see in the future. First off, regardless of what we actually make down the road, who we are and continue to be is crucial. We've assembled an amazing team; we love making, we embrace technology, we're energetic and creative and curious and thoughtful, and, most of all, we thrive on continually learning and personal growth. Digifabshop's diversity is amazing, but these shared qualities are what make our company culture so great, and they're what should continue to guide us as we grow. As far as what we make goes, we'll of course continue our work in the realm of architectural interiors, but we also want to take the lessons we've learned, and the unique skills we've developed, and see how we can apply them to architecture in a broader sense as well. We're highly adept at digital project planning and
design and engineering, we transition those efforts seamlessly to computer controlled machines for production speed and efficiency and accuracy, and then we finish things off with traditional craftsmanship in assembly and fine tuning and finishing. And while most of what we make now is furniture and fixtures and decorative surfaces, we think the Digifabshop methodology can be applied in an innovative way to architectural components and structures too. I'll leave it a bit open ended from there, but, needless the say, the possibilities are endless. And lastly, beyond what we make, we also want mindfulness about sustainability and community to be inherent in everything we do. We wouldn't be able to do what we do without the support of all the people and businesses and organizations around us, and we won't continue to be able to do what we do without a deep understanding of and appreciation for our impact on the earth, so we always want to be aware of this, and be respectful in return.
Digifab In The Know
DISPATCH APRIL
004 2015
In The Works
01 - IN THE PRESS
"Passive House" - refers to a rigorous standard of high efficiency building started in Germany.
Two recent projects, Cava and Chipotle are adjacent to eachother in the renovated Westfield Mall. The Washington Post has nothing but good things to say and neither do we!
www.PHIUS.org/what-is-passive-building
Our recent collaboration with Ecovative and Formlessfinder has received a lot of press, but the write up in Architectural Digest is one of our favorites. For the full articles, see the links under the "News" section in Paylocity. They will be available for the next 30 days.
Beyond his work, Dylan's attendance, punctuality and communication are excellent. He has an obvious desire to continually learn, he's always willing to lend a hand to those who need it, and he's got an amazingly friendly, positive attitude that makes him a joy to be around. We hope that Dylan continues to grow here, and helps Digifabshop grow in return. We look forward to working with him for a long time to come.
Google offers an intuitive 3D modeling program called Google Sketchup that is available for free download. This is a powerful design tool and is very similar to some of the software we use in our own office.
04 - UPCOMING EVENTS LIGNA - Hannover, Germany EASTEC - W. Springfield, MA ICFF - New York, NY
MAY 11TH - 15TH MAY 12TH - 14TH MAY 16TH - 19TH
www.SketchUp.com/Download
This year's TEFAF exhibit in Maastricht, the Netherlands was a big show for us. Not only did we furnish another booth for Jason Jacques, we also worked with a new client: Agnew's Gallery in London, UK.
April 1 was our first official after-hours company design pin-up and it was a huge success. Presentations included John Loercher's chair design, Shawn Cleary's open kitchen cabinetry, Sean Morrisey's acrylic landscape and Neil Allen's website. We are looking forward to continuing these discussions on the first Wednesday of every month!
The two clients had opposing needs. Agnew's displays old master's paintings on vertical surfaces, while Jason Jacques' fine pottery and furniture require a horizontal plane. This informed what we ended up designing with each client and resulted in two very different booths; both successful in different ways.
02 - WASTE STREAM DIVERSION
This was the third consecutive Jason Jacques booth that utilized galvanized steel. Stacking platforms create multiple levels in which the varying pots can be displayed, and the entire 5 meter by 5 meter booth was clad in 16ga galvanized steel sheet with eye hooks as fasteners. Because the displayed work is so eccentric, the uniformity of the galvanized steel helps create a cohesive backdrop for the entire booth. Antique light fixtures were installed in strategic areas to both light the work and create dynamic light patterns in the galvanized steel.
Our first company Visioning Session (held on March 30th) jumpstarted our excitement around sustainability. The waste-stream table (using offcuts from AC plywood) is an old idea that we are excited to bring back into light as we continue exploring these concepts. The first step is analysis: How much are we wasting? How much can be recycled? What sustainable practices are already being implemented company wide?
The design intent of the Agnew's booth was a design problem in itself; How can a "classic" art display setting be tweaked for a contemporary crowd? Many of the Old Master works are typically seen in a classically-styled room where paintings are evenly placed on the upper portion of the wall above a chair rail. Relentless lines of moulding are the dominant architectural element in a setting like this and we saw that as an opportunity. The walls and floor are completely clad in panelized Valchromat and the typical moulding lines have been CNC routed into the lacquered surface, exposing the black Valchromat underneath. As the pattern moves towards the back of the exhibit, the datum lines begin to change. Both the herringbone pattern on the floor and the moulding patterns on the walls distort as they approach the central focal point of the room, creating a disorienting effect for the user standing in the main entrance of the booth.
One Year Anniversaries JOHN LOERCHER JOHN COONS
APRIL 8TH APRIL 14TH
Birthdays JIM POMEROY JOHN TOMPKINS JOHN COONS
APRIL 2ND APRIL 11TH APRIL 14TH
Thanks Dylan. We love having you as part of the team.
DISPATCH 004: APRIL 2015
"Scrum" - refers to a simple meeting framework that is designed specifically for team collaboration in an agile work environment.
TEFAF 2015
We had a great number of nominations for our employee of the month this month, and our winner for April 2015 is Dylan Languell.
EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH
"Roll Tide" - is the rallying cry for the Alabama Crimson Tide athletic teams.
02: "Blue Hill Restaurant's "WASTED" Popup Makes Dumpster Diving Chic"
01 - MONTHLY PIN-UP
03 - BUZZ WORDS
01 : "Mall Food Gets Courtly On The Renovated Terrace At Westfield Montgomery"
Full speed ahead.
Dylan joined Digifabshop on August 18 of last year, and since then he has tackled many facets of our production process. He began by sanding panels and working tables, he quickly moved to being a huge help in the crating team, and then, because of the enthusiasm and eye for detail that he brought to everything he did, when there was an opening to work on speaker panels and door handles, he was the choice. He trained with Aigars, he learned fast, he's gained speed, he's producing top-notch work, and we feel we can really depend on him for repeatability and consistency.
02 - SOFTWARE
DISPATCH 004: APRIL 2015