cusp
In 2019, q|co design—a furniture design and manufacturing company co-founded by Jason McCloskey and myself—is invited to submit an entry to Design in Bloom.
Design in Bloom is an annual fundraising event hosted by Modern in Denver that showcases floral sculptures crafted by local architects and designers to celebrate the beginning of spring.
ROLE
Product Design • Manufacturing • Installation • Floral Design
COMPANY
q|co design
CLIENT / SPONSOR
Porcelanosa
TEAM
Made in collaboration with Jason McCloskey, co-founder of q|co design
MATERIALS
Walnut • Krion by Porcelanosa • Brass • MDF
COMPLETED
May 2019
AWARDS
Cusp won first place in the Popular Choice Award for Design in Bloom 2019
Design
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The design will be displayed on a three-foot round cocktail table and must be durable enough to withstand interactions with event guests.
The design should incorporate materials from Porcelanosa, our sponsor and a leading manufacturer of wall and flooring materials.
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Rather than sketching ideas, we opt to begin with the evocative, using words instead of images to capture the sensory experience of spring. I write a poem that becomes the genesis of the design and serves as a touchstone throughout the manufacturing process.
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To create the piece, we pair a brick-built walnut base with a heat-molded Krion top. Krion is a solid-surface material manufactured by Porcelanosa that can be cut, bent, chemically seamed, and fully recycled.
Both the base and the mold for the Krion top are cut on the CNC using Rhino 3D files drawn by my project collaborator, Jason McCloskey.
Poem
Tension
Rigid materials are shaped into curvilinear forms, creating a tension between movement and stillness.
Balance
The cantilevered design rests on a single point and expands upward in both volume and lightness.
Movement
Cusp rotates on an artificial base, thus varying the relationship between object and observer.
Texture
White Krion blankets a walnut base to resemble the textures of loamy soil dotted with snow, sunlight, and new life.
Experience
The large front opening invites viewers to momentarily escape their surroundings and instead commune with nature.
Event guests take turns immersing themselves in the smells, colors, and textures of spring. It is this interaction—being part of rather than adjacent to—that captures the wonder of the season and earns Cusp the Popular Choice Award for Design in Bloom 2019.
Designers Jason McCloskey and Trystin Sova of q|co design with Eliana Chioetto of Porcelanosa (right)