Although the dome-like structure in cafe Aside of Heart’s front lawn seemed to be on the path to completion, project leader Brian Korsedal was informed on Sunday night by the cafe that the structure needed to be torn down.
“You know as much as I know,” said Korsedal, the CEO and founder of Arcology Now, the team that put together the structure’s framework. “(Aside of Heart) won’t tell me why.”
Korsedal said his team and Aside of Heart had an agreement going into the project that if the cafe wanted the structure town down, the team would comply. However, when Korsedal was informed on Sunday, he was in disbelief that his team’s creation needed to be taken down.
“We wanted to give this beauty to Phoenix,” he said. “We wanted it so badly, the we did it for less than free. We’ve been paying to be able to build this. We came up with all the money to buy the tools and materials and all that. Now we have to tear it down.”
Aside of Heart has not answered calls from The Downtown Devil Tuesday morning, but Korsedal said he believed the structure might have confused people, leading the business to question their decision to have it in their lawn.
The framework was built by a team led by Korsedal. According to the Arcology Now Kickstarter page, the company creates what it calls “digitally fabricated housing.” In a video on the page, Korsedal said the concept consists of low cost, abstract versions of architecture.
The skeleton of the structure, designed by Australian 3D artist Janelle Wilson, was built on Oct. 4 during the First Fridays art walk. People came to Aside of Heart’s front lawn to either take part in the building process or simply observe the builders.
Korsedal said his team teaches people how to construct the framework in about 10 minutes. Instructions are located on stickers on the metal bars that make up the structure. The event simply required people to bring their own tools.
“I love (this project), it’s really bringing the community together,” said Joe Cunningham, a 3D designer working with Korsedal. “That’s how it has to be done, with a lot of people. I’ve been doing 3D printing for a while now, but I’ve never done anything at this scale before.”
Korsedal said he and members of his team are close with the owners of Aside of Heart, and the project gave the two businesses the opportunity to work together.
The event’s name, “Build Art Not Bombs,” holds a political message as well. Korsedal said he believes the United States spends too much time bombing other countries and too much money on the military.
“Give me the budget of the U.S. Military, and we could build houses for everyone,” he said.
The process of creating these structures begins with picking the shape, Korsedal said. The team then converts the desired look into a steel framework in which all of the parts coincide, making the building process similar to Erector Sets, the metal toy construction set created in the early 1900s.
Kordesal said the process is almost like that of using a 3D printer, only on a larger scale. However, rather than produce single solid objects, the group works with exoskeletons and does all the manufacturing and manual assembly.
The team had been adding to the framework since the Oct. 4 initial construction, utilizing recycled material to build a more solid outer layer.
According to Korsedal, builders are basing much of the structure on Earthships, buildings made from natural and recycled materials that collect solar energy without the involvement of mechanical devices.
Jesse Klea, a volunteer for both Aside of Heart and Arcology Now, said the structure is an example of an environmentally smart design structure.
“It’s just a good ecology structure,” she said. “It brings awareness to more sustainable solutions.”
An adobe bottle wall was being constructed around the structure, allowing for it to be naturally lit, Korsedal said.
“We want to ask the public: With this technology, what would you build?” Kordesal said.
Contact the reporter at Rebecca.Brisley@asu.edu
Update: Nov. 5, 2013
A previous version of this article stated that the structure was still in the process of completion. The article has been updated to reflect recent developments for the structure.
