VISTA: grassland 14@6.5’ x 2.5’ 225SF glass inlay w concrete c Heather Hancock 2024
This project started a couple of years ago as part of planning for a new construction healthcare facility. The clients wanted a contemporary approach to landscape. Something for a 2 story wall in a light filled atrium. The composition needed to be abstract and color-forward for viewing from a distance and then offer smaller details to engage viewers closer up. The panels will hang behind an architectural staircase giving viewers a chance to move past the work.
Color palettes were drawn directly from landscape imagery with vibrant blues to create sky. Apple, pine and fern greens create grassland. Playful circles create “edge foliage” and bring in additional hues.
Blues and greens are cooler in the distance. Small quantities of olive and lime green warm up the foreground. Iridescent glass was integrated across all panels to make a highly dynamic piece that will shift and shimmer as viewer move past the piece. An iconic black KY horse fence recedes into the distance. The built form creates a curving counterpoint to the graphic organic imagery.
2A c Heather Hancock 2024
2B c Heather Hancock 2024
An early design phase included a couple round of revisions and edits. A hand held sample helped ‘explain’ glass and concrete and light.
The fabrication phase took ~10 weeks start to finish with frames constructed first and then panels completed in pairs over the next 7 weeks.
Panels weigh between 41lbs and 45lbs (2.6 - 2.8 lbs PSF). Ordinarily I would install a metal cleat prior to thinsetting for a secure hanging. In this case, the installers want to connect the 2 pieces for hanging. Bolts were full integrated into the pieces for installers to connect to a backer board to hang vertical paired pieces.
front face 1/8” trim
edge 1 3/16 annodized aluminum
Edges are a clean 1 3/16” anodized aluminum with a 1/8” metal outline on the face of the panel. I omitted the trim between the 2 vertically stacked panels for continuous imagery.
front face 18” trim edge | “ready to hang edged panel”