Build: 3D Typography Class

Material

After I had decided on the structure I needed to consider material.

What material can hold another?
How can I manipulate the material to create space within?
What resources do I have at my disposal?

I knew that at least the external structure would need to be hard and retain it's shape so I chose acrylic both for it's strength and transparent quality. This material would also allow for the visual representation of "space." Next, I decided to chose wood for the internal space. It would hold it's shape as well but add another level of texture.

What resources do I have at my disposal?

Wood shop
Fabrication lab: Laser cutter

First attempt:
For my first letterform I chose the letter "B" in the typeface Helvetica Neue Lt Std 75 Bold

architecture

I used UIC’s Fab Lab laser cutters to create precise shapes and letterforms. I began with acrylic sheets, cutting 6 solid circles and 5 hollow ones. Then I broke a letterform into 5 parts and cut those pieces from wood. To assemble, I layered a solid acrylic circle, then a hollow one, placed a wooden piece inside, and covered it with another solid circle—repeating until all pieces were enclosed.

The Space within becomes the
reality of the building

Frank Lloyd Wright

Build is a piece I created in a studio-based 3D typography class. I was meant to find a quote and create a 3D typographic piece based on that quote. I chose a quote by Frank Lloyd Wright: ‘The Space within becomes the reality of the building’. Focusing on the phrase ‘space within’
I decided on an external and internal structure that would lay the ground work for the letterform.

Type Face & Word
Next, I decided on the typeface of Berthold Akzidenz Grotesk

I also chose the word "within" to serve as the basis for letterforms. I broke down each letter in the word and created the wooden pieces.