tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22908698953552744452011-07-30T12:10:57.958-07:00The Bowls Project.noreply@blogger.comBlogger241100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290869895355274445.post-62798735978112962972010-07-31T10:55:00.000-07:002010-08-07T20:13:55.941-07:00What's next this summer?Dear Friends, July was amazing for the Bowls Project with many awesome friends coming to share music, ritual and workshops. And we have many more coming up this month! Charming Hostess invites you to The Bowls Project at YBCA where you can share a secret and listen to the secrets of others during gallery hours. Or, participate in music on Thursdays, ritual on Fridays and hands-on the bowlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858129519139263541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290869895355274445.post-39798217471403413112010-07-03T21:29:00.000-07:002010-07-03T22:18:20.874-07:00The Bowls Project by Charming Hostess Opens July 6 at YBCADear Friends of Charming Hostess,Dome day draws near! The Bowls Project at YBCA opens this Tuesday July 6th! Our immersive installation based on sex and magic in Babylonian Jewish amulets, The Bowls Project takes place within a masterwork of ancient-meets-modern design: a double vaulted masonry dome designed by architect Michael Ramage. The Bowls Project dome is a place to share a secret and hearthe bowlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858129519139263541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290869895355274445.post-10389263260809973852010-07-02T18:58:00.000-07:002010-07-02T18:59:11.445-07:00Domes complete, and seismically testedthe bowlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858129519139263541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290869895355274445.post-43056884900135654102010-07-02T18:55:00.000-07:002010-07-02T18:55:27.341-07:00Almost Done, Thursday at 4 pmthe bowlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858129519139263541noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290869895355274445.post-23925386920653092822010-06-30T23:31:00.000-07:002010-06-30T23:33:18.033-07:00Getting Close...the bowlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858129519139263541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290869895355274445.post-12482883531811006492010-06-29T22:58:00.000-07:002010-06-29T22:59:00.386-07:00Almost there!the bowlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858129519139263541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290869895355274445.post-91032886314267896792010-06-27T22:41:00.000-07:002010-06-27T22:41:24.243-07:00Small dome complete!Well, inside at least! Jason and Michael put in a long Sunday to finishe the first layer of the small dome, and get the second dome ready for complete rings. Soon we can remove the interior intersection guidework! Starting to take shape Michael works on the final courses Dome done!Jason and dome both finished at the end of the day!the bowlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858129519139263541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290869895355274445.post-20467678041122932012010-06-27T22:28:00.000-07:002010-06-27T22:32:49.943-07:00Great progress on Friday and SaturdayFriday and Saturday saw more great participation from BAC Local 3. Pete put it well when he commented how it was a pleasure to volunteer where your profession is actually needed. We're so grateful to have these skilled craftsmen with us.Dave J. laying the "herringbone" belt around the base of the small domeThe inside of the large dome begins to define the spaceTim lays tile in the second the bowlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858129519139263541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290869895355274445.post-68735776441105344012010-06-24T22:39:00.000-07:002010-06-24T22:43:11.263-07:00ProgressBeginning of the day ThursdayEnd of the dayAnother view of The Bowls at the end of the day ThursdayThe final course comes to lightthe bowlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858129519139263541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290869895355274445.post-53187410154601160042010-06-24T22:35:00.000-07:002010-06-24T22:37:06.647-07:00Union CraftworkYesterday and today were days of incredible progress. Thanks to the men of BAC Local 3 the domes are well on their way. We even started the 3rd and final layer today, which will be the visible side of the shell. The level of skill and professionalism these men show is amazing, and their dedication to building the bowls is a real testament to them. The Bowls at the beginning of the day Thursdaythe bowlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858129519139263541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290869895355274445.post-76508641167281291672010-06-22T21:39:00.000-07:002010-06-22T21:45:14.519-07:00Masonry on site!Monday the members of the Brickworkers and Allied Craftworkers Local 3 arrived and began working their masonry magic. Dave, Tom, Dan, Randy and Tim have quickly learned the tile-vaulting techniques and are fast becoming experts in the field of vault building.Tom (left) and Dan laying the first course of Xella AAC tilesThe state of play at the end of the first dayTom uses a staple gun to fix the the bowlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858129519139263541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290869895355274445.post-61819455970097717272010-06-20T21:24:00.000-07:002010-06-20T21:25:17.775-07:00Ready for Masonry!Friday, Saturday and Sunday have been very big days of progress as we get ready for the masonry construction to start on Monday. It's been a few days of hard labor and now some visible forms for the domes20,000 lbs of masonry mortar for construction, all carried up to the sculpture court by hand.Pallets of aerated autoclaved concrete tiles ready for dome buildingThe guidework begins to take the bowlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858129519139263541noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290869895355274445.post-72617613660461871362010-06-18T10:00:00.000-07:002010-06-18T10:07:17.271-07:00When The Bowls are completeToday the 30,000 lbs of masonry, mortar and guidework arrive for the dome construction. When we are all done (in 10 days or so) the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts will have a summer performance space of two intersecting domes on a seismic isolation plinth.Sketch renders of the bowls in place.the bowlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858129519139263541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290869895355274445.post-61695599500770568192010-06-17T23:58:00.000-07:002010-06-17T23:58:49.894-07:00The Plinth almost Finished!Today saw some rapid progress from partially framed plinth in the morning to fully decked plinth by the afternoon. I even got to lay out the dome on the deck to check its size and positioning. All the guidework and prep happens tomorrow and over the weekend, with masons showing up on Monday.The Framed Deck Unistruct steel will support the access stair at the cornerDone!the bowlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858129519139263541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290869895355274445.post-15550531083372838982010-06-16T21:42:00.000-07:002010-06-16T21:56:24.824-07:00Isolation plinth on siteMark and Michael contemplating the isolatorsEngineering conference in center fieldThe entire weight of the platform and domes on top is transmitted through 30 of these ball bearings that lie in the isolator cones and provide the movement in the event of an earthquake.
Testing the full plinth.the bowlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858129519139263541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290869895355274445.post-39067617609642627352010-06-16T21:35:00.000-07:002010-06-16T21:46:55.267-07:00Xella AAC Arrives at American SteelAerated Autoclaved Concrete (AAC or aircrete) arrived today courtesy of Xella USA, the manufacturer. Our semi of material arrived after an all-weekend drive from the plant in Georgia -- some of the AAC was still warm from being made only 2 weeks ago!Unloading the AAC inside American Steel6 pallets take up most of our rented space...and weigh about 20,000 lbsJewlia cutting the blocks into the the bowlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858129519139263541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290869895355274445.post-15867694149658881792010-06-14T22:09:00.000-07:002010-06-14T22:16:09.982-07:00A Big day for Big SteelToday 9500 lbs of steel arrived on site, all of which had to be carried by hand up to the sculpture court. The heaviest piece is a bit more than 650 lbs, and vather awkward. We managed, thanks to a great crew of volunteers and the team from Matarozzi Pelsinger Builders. By the end of the day 3/4 of the plinth was assembled in place and level. The first steel arrives onsite at 9 am. The first the bowlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858129519139263541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290869895355274445.post-14821699149779966312010-06-13T17:52:00.000-07:002010-06-13T17:56:39.841-07:00Prefabrication at American SteelSatruday saw a crew of Julia, Ann Marie, Jason and Michael finishing as much of the prefab for the dome construction as possible. Jason and Michael laid out and cut the dome ring beams (circular plywood pieces that hold in the base of the domes) while Jewlia and Ann Marie cut geotextile into manageable strips for the structural reinforcing. No one has ever done this in a complete building the bowlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858129519139263541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290869895355274445.post-11704158446454010382010-06-13T17:37:00.000-07:002010-06-13T17:44:33.109-07:00On Site at YBCA!Materials began to arrive on site at YBCA on Friday at 9 am. Everything has to be carried by hand up to the sculpture court, so watch this space to see how we get the steel up there Monday. Once we set up the construction site and brought up the materials, the next step involved checking the levels of the court, and laying the plywood pads for the seismic isolation bases. Each pad is 32" the bowlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858129519139263541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290869895355274445.post-15460503165599355212010-06-10T22:16:00.000-07:002010-06-13T17:44:58.931-07:00 Wooden guidework taking shape at our staging area in the American Steel warehouse in Oakland Jewlia shows off the shape that defines half the opening between the two domes. These things will be big!One half of the smaller domethe bowlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858129519139263541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290869895355274445.post-3416514588765259302010-06-10T22:07:00.000-07:002010-06-10T22:14:14.147-07:00Seismic Isolation Units get their coat of paint A stack of isolation footings More parts of the assembly waiting for finishingMichael in the crane we use for moving big, heavy things.Today work continues on the steel isolation fabrication and the wooded guidework for the the dome geometry began to take shape. Jewlia and Jason put in long hours grinding the steel and attaching the neoprene the bowlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858129519139263541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290869895355274445.post-40069486287523257422010-06-08T23:09:00.000-07:002010-06-08T23:12:52.436-07:00Damping the seismic isolatorWith liners on the cones to damp the movement of the ball bearings, the systems is much less lively and settles quickly.
the bowlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858129519139263541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290869895355274445.post-18838041220831836862010-06-08T22:32:00.000-07:002010-06-13T17:45:51.358-07:00Seismic Isolation PlinthThis week we began the assembly and testing of the seismic isolation plinth for The Bowls Project installation.The isolation is done via a Ball-n-Cone isolator (patented by our supporter WorkSafe Technologies) welded to a steel frame. The system allows for 18" of travel in the event of an earthquake.
Plinth activated with no dampingthe bowlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858129519139263541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2290869895355274445.post-64685568059502948582010-06-04T10:22:00.000-07:002010-06-04T10:23:31.373-07:00WelcomeWelcome to the Bowls Project blog.the bowlshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03858129519139263541noreply@blogger.com0