Muncie--Indiana

reBarn by Project One

reBarn is a multi-use sculptural form designed by Project One with the students and faculty at Ball State. Permanently installed at Westside Park in Muncie, Indiana, the installation was made using reclaimed donated barn wood and Zahner-manufactured aluminum panels and hardware. The City of Muncie commissioned the artwork in partnership with Professor Kevin Klinger’s design studio at Ball State University and the Institute for Digital Fabrication.

As part of the designer’s intent, Zahner developed a series of etched patterns into the aluminum plate. In all, five water-jet aluminum plates were cut for the outer shell and over 350 aluminum joints were cut which align the sculptures form underneath the surface.

The reBarn project is installed at Westside Park as part of the public recreation trail running along the White River.

reBarn a collaborative project by Project One / Institute of Digital Fabrication / Ball State University.

Detail of the etched aluminum patterning on reBarn sculpture.

Related System

Etched and Engraved Metal Systems

Etched and engraved metal processes provide a canvas of possibility for expression on plate and panel surfaces. Learn more about laser engraving and CNC engraving, as well as how laser etched and chemical etched metal systems are possible with Zahner fabrication and engineering.

Project One visited A. Zahner Company’s headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri, to discuss the materials, tolerances, and processes that would be advanced in the project. Zahner assisted in the design of the connections between the wood and metal elements in reBarn.

The hardware made by Zahner controlled the form’s shape during the onsite construction and ensured a nearly seamless connection between wood and aluminum. Zahner’s unique ability to construct complex metal geometries and conceal a structure’s fabrication techniques from viewers helped Project One realize its design concept.

Tony Birchler at Zahner discusses digital fabrication with the design team.

The design team meets at Zahner in Kansas City to develop the concept.

reBarn provides a climbable multi-use sculptural form with seating and a sense of place.

Custom aluminum connections are fastened to concrete footings.

The wood and metal sculpture provides a solemn and yet playful experience.

In addition to providing a unique form, the design also was referential to its surrounding context. The design of reBarn references topographical of the adjacent river levees. Its playful form encourages a sense of place and identity for the visitors to the park.

Ball State University Student Artworks

Ball State University students created a series of custom artworks which were each manufactured by Zahner in Kansas City. Professor Kevin Klinger’s immersive design studio at Ball State University in Indiana gives students first-hand experience in translating digital designs into permanent installations. The students worked directly with A. Zahner Company, learning about the collaborative process used by architecture firms working with custom manufacturers.

Related Project

reBarn

As part of the designer's intent, Zahner developed a series of etched patterns into the aluminum plate. In all, five water-jet aluminum plates were cut for the outer shell and over 350 aluminum joints were cut which align the sculptures form underneath the surface.

The students used generative processes to design perforation and folding patterns, which were applied to a sculptural ribbons of weathering steel and stainless steel. The sculptures were installed in two locations: one at the Minnetrista Cultural Center in Muncie, Indiana; and the other at the Indianapolis Art Center campus. In addition to these two projects, which are pictured below, a third project was completed with the students at Ball State: the reBarn project made in wood and aluminum.

Ball State artwork at the Minnetrista Cultural Center in Muncie, Indiana.

Minnetrista Cultural Center in Muncie, Indiana

Design students were able to observe the weathering steel patina develop into the protective layer of oxidation, preventing the steel from further corrosion. The second installation, at the Indianapolis Art Center, used black interference stainless steel in addition to the weather steel forms: