Urban community center for the new Town Branch Park in Lexington, Kentucky
Project Type
Academic
Group
University of Kentucky
Instructor
Jason Scroggins
Date
2018
Project Roles
Concept Designer
Graphic Designer
Fabricator
Software
Glow Figure
Urban community center for the new Town Branch Park in Lexington, KY
Project Type
Academic
Date
2018
Group
University of Kentucky
Instructor
Jason Scroggins
Project Roles
Concept Designer
Graphic Designer
Fabricator
Software
Glow Figure
Date
2018
Project Roles
Concept Designer
Graphic Designer
Fabricator
Software
A hanging installation that turns light and form into a shared experience.
The Brief
The Beaux Arts Foundation sought an ephemeral, multi-sensory installation for its annual community event; one that could operate at the scale of spectacle without the support of spectacle-scale resources. With a modest budget and an emphasis on interactivity, the commission called for a project that would generate collective engagement through material economy and spatial provocation.
The Solution + My Role at a Glance
Glow Figure is a suspended installation made from over 3,000 nylon strings, forming the outline of two domes using only light and space. Instead of building solid forms, the project uses glowing string ends to suggest shape, creating a sense of presence through absence.
As Concept Designer and Fabricator, I developed the spatial logic and led the construction process. The design focused on how people would experience the void between strings; carefully planning each layer to prevent tangles, encourage movement, and let light shift the perception of the form throughout the day.
The final piece invites interaction, not by walking into a structure, but by moving around and through it, letting light, air, and motion complete the architecture.
How a warehouse ceiling, simple materials, and a few thousand strings turned into a spatial experiment.
How a warehouse ceiling, simple materials, and a few thousand strings turned into a spatial experiment.
01
Concept
Instead of building mass, the project frames space using just light and line. By studying the silhouettes of domes, arches, and vaults, the team developed a catalog of profiles that could be combined to suggest form without physically enclosing it. The design had to be immersive but lightweight, expressive but minimal, capable of creating presence without permanence.
This conceptual approach was driven by both the project's spatial goals and its limited budget, pushing the design toward an efficient system where geometry, light, and motion would do the heavy lifting.
Instead of building mass, the project frames space using just light and line. By studying the silhouettes of domes, arches, and vaults, the team developed a catalog of profiles that could be combined to suggest form without physically enclosing it. The design had to be immersive but lightweight, expressive but minimal, capable of creating presence without permanence.
This conceptual approach was driven by both the project's spatial goals and its limited budget, pushing the design toward an efficient system where geometry, light, and motion would do the heavy lifting.
02
Space
Space
The installation was designed to fit within strict limitations of the event warehouse; specifically, clearances around overhead mechanical systems and the footprint allowed by the layout. The final structure measured 20'3" by 10'3", defined by a modular grid of eight square frames (2 across, 4 long) built from standard 2x4s.
The decision to use square frames wasn’t just practical, it made string placement faster and more consistent, creating a clean visual rhythm. Each string was anchored by hand, forming a hanging field that appeared solid from one angle and transparent from another.
Rather than ask visitors to step inside, the piece invites them to move around and through it. Light activates the tips, air shifts the strings, and the void between frames takes on shape, never fully there, but always present.
The installation was designed to fit within strict limitations of the event warehouse; specifically, clearances around overhead mechanical systems and the footprint allowed by the layout. The final structure measured 20'3" by 10'3", defined by a modular grid of eight square frames (2 across, 4 long) built from standard 2x4s.
The decision to use square frames wasn’t just practical, it made string placement faster and more consistent, creating a clean visual rhythm. Each string was anchored by hand, forming a hanging field that appeared solid from one angle and transparent from another.
Rather than ask visitors to step inside, the piece invites them to move around and through it. Light activates the tips, air shifts the strings, and the void between frames takes on shape, never fully there, but always present.
Fabrication
Fabrication
Realized work
Realized work
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REACH OUT
All work © East Digital Design 2018-25. All rights reserved East Digital Design LLC, Registered in Tennessee, United States
REACH OUT
All work © East Digital Design 2018-25. All rights reserved East Digital Design LLC, Registered in Tennessee, United States
REACH OUT
All work © East Digital Design 2018-25. All rights reserved East Digital Design LLC, Registered in Tennessee, United States
REACH OUT
All work © East Digital Design 2018-25. All rights reserved East Digital Design LLC, Registered in Tennessee, United States
