Flotsam & Jetsam

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Design: SHoP Architects

Engineering: Thornton Tomasetti CORE Studio

Fabrication: Branch Technology, Oak Ridge National Labs (ORNL), Range Projects

Client: Design Miami, Miami, FL

Date: November, 2016

Roles: Software & Hardware Development, Materials, Fabrication, New Staff Training (Robotics, Extrusion, Polymers)

UPDATE 4/25/19: Flo and Jet are on a world tour! They are currently installed in Nairobi, Kenya for the United Nations Environmental Assembly.

SHoP Architects received Design Miami’s 2016 Visionary award, along with an invitation to create an installation for the entryway to the exhibition.

According to the designers, “Our installation, Flotsam & Jetsam, exists at the intersection of Miami's celebrated spirit of play, represented by a relocated landscape that mimics the beach, but also the city's emergent function as a center for creative visioning and technological discovery.”

SHoP approached Branch during design development, intrigued by the design opportunities afforded by large-scale additive manufacturing.

In only four months, Branch increased its staff by 3x and its production capacity by 9x to realize the project.

Oak Ridge National Labs was also contracted to produce a collection of benches and an enclosed bar for the installation, using its its own BAAM technology as well as a biodegradable PLA-Bamboo composite material.

The installation was also engineered by Thornton Tomasetti’s CORE Studio to meet Miami-Dade’s famously exacting wind load requirements. Since installation, the structure has survived numerous powerful storms, including hurricanes Matthew and Irma.

Flotsam and Jetsam were re-located following the exhibition to Jungle Plaza in Miami’s Design District, where they continue to intrigue visitors to the district’s weekly farmers market.

Photo Credits: Spirit of Space, Robin Hill, Branch Technology

More:

https://www.architectmagazine.com/project-gallery/flotsam-jetsam_o

https://www.branch.technology/projects-1/2017/6/9/shop

http://www.shoparc.com/projects/design-miami-flotsam-jetsam/