CAHSS Trophy Project
Commissioned by the Edinburgh College of Art, I was tasked (in a team) to design and fabricate 14 identical trophies for the CAHSS Inspirational Colleague Award.
Diversity
The main body of the 14 trophies was made from 14 irregular panels, celebrating the diversity of the winners, each representing a panel. This coming together of irregular shapes symbolises how the staff members' unique aspects contribute to a cohesive, resolved, and unified form.
Growth
We decided to add a houseplant to the trophies to represent the dynamic adaptability of the staff members - contributing to the constant growth of the CAHSS team.
Collaboration
We chose to make the base from recycled plywood offcuts. The clear layers in the side profile of the base symbolise the teamwork, layers of command, and unrecognised staff members who contributed to the smooth-running of the team.
Inclusive
Each trophy is totally unique. Each main body is rotated differently to another, with the plant extruding out of a different face. The bases will fit together, emphasising the inclusivity of the team.
My Role
My role in creating the trophy was to make the metal pieces. I have strong experience from welding projects in the past, however, this presented a new challenge; the 14 irregular panels joined together peculiar angles. This meant that the precision of each weld had to be perfect - if one panel was slightly off, the whole piece would come together incorrectly.
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To overcome this challenge, I spot welded each panel together as precisely as possible. These spot welds were weak, allowing me to very slightly bend the angle open or closed by hand. This allowed a margin for error. Once held together by spots, I welded along the edges, filling in any gaps.
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The pieces then had to be cleaned up on an angle grinder, giving them a neat, industrial finish.
Photos From the Award Ceremony
My team mates and I were invited to the trophy award ceremony held at McEwan Hall in May 2024. Seeing our work showcased in such a staggering venue was an amazing experience. What made the day most special, was seeing the joy on the recipients faces when they received their trophy. It felt rewarding to see the happiness caused by our design. Another highlight was when a video of our team, talking through the story of the design was played on the large screen. This video is available in the link above.
