Sand Sluice

// Who Solo project

// What An ADA-accessible water element adjacent to a large sand dune pit

// When Completed May 2018

// Where “Sand Dunes” exhibit at the Children’s Museum of Denver

// Why To better utilize a pre-existing water source and inspire guests to explore the interaction between sand and water

// How The greatest challenge this project posed was the sheer difficulty of the fabrication. After having created a rendering of the design, it was approved by management and I started by making a fully detailed 3D model. The fabrication required metalworking, fine woodworking, electronics hookup, and installing moving parts. I started by making an aluminum 80/20 frame (T-slot structural framing system) for the entire structure. The frame had to account for the thickness of the cedar wood cladding as well as the space that the electromechanical components would take up. I chose cedar based on its natural resistance to rot and decay in an outdoor environment and wherever possible I used rabbet joints to build the wooden cladding for extra strength. And finally for the installation, the mounting feet were used to adjust the incline of the pan by a couple of degrees so the water would drain into the sand.