A Design Challenge

We are putting some finishing touches on a fun mobile that posed a bit of a design challenge. The fellow who commissioned it wanted a mobile to hang in the main room of this Jacksonville, Florida home. The space the mobile will fill is wide, but not very tall. Normally when we're making a wide, short mobile, we default to horizontal shapes (like this and this), but our client requested we incorporate vertical shapes and create something with a lot of visual interest and complexity.

The only way to meet the size and shape constraints was to create a mobile that used many smaller elements. After several brainstorming sessions, we developed a mobile that consists of several individual mobiles that work together to create a larger overall form. The entire mobile spans 13 feet and hangs 3 feet tall. Each individual mobile will have its own look, feel, and color, and overall piece will move freely.

Here are sketches of the mobile at various points of movement. We can't wait to see the final product!


Paulding Hospital Mobile Photos

Here are some prettier photos of the mobile we installed last week in the new WellStar Paulding Hospital. We're so happy with how it looks in that beautiful sunny lobby!

WellStar Paulding Hospital Mobile

Yesterday, Matt and Ben traveled to Atlanta to install this mobile in the brand-new Paulding Hospital. (The trip was rescheduled last minute to avoid the nasty weather that hit Atlanta last week!)

At 9:04 this morning, a text came through with the message, "We are done," along with this image:

Even accounting for the three-hour time difference, it's safe to say that was a quick and smooth installation!

Pterodactyl Mobile

My goodness, we have some fun projects in the queue right now! Here's a graphic rendering of a mobile that we've started working on for the Museum at Prariefire in Overland Park, Kansas. It will include two pterodactyls, one with a 20-foot wingspan, and a second with an 8-foot wingspan. The entire thing will be motorized for continual movement. The mobile will be part of the museum's "World's Largest Dinosaurs" exhibit, so our crew of children might want to join us for this installation!


Molecule Mobile En Route

Here's how a 15-foot molecule looks like right before a cross-country trip! Bon voyage! Matt and Ben will meet up with the molecule in Philadelphia later this month to add finishing touches and complete the installation.


Oooooklahoma!

We've been commissioned to create a set of mobiles for a new elementary school in Oklahoma City. The folks at the school requested mobiles inspired by the lyrics of that catchy showtune:

"Ooook-lahoma, where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain,

And the waving' wheat, can sure smell sweet, when the wind comes right behind the rain!"

We had a ton of fun creating these wind- and rain-inspired designs...and now that song is always stuck in our heads.


Happy Holidays!

Wishing you and your loved ones the happiest of holidays!


Molecule Mobile

Seven years ago, we were commissioned to create some 15-foot-wide hanging sculptures for a pharmaceutical company based on chemical compounds the company had developed. Right now, Matt is up to his eyeballs in molecular materials, creating a third molecule-shaped mobile for them! We'll install the newest addition next month.

Cincinnati Photographs

A full year ago, we completed a ceiling feature for a Cincinnati-based municipal building. We are thrilled that we just got our hands on some professional images of the piece. Enjoy!


Thanksgiving Table

We hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving! The Ekko gang, plus their kiddos, friends, and family members enjoyed a Thanksgiving feast together at this table. Ben and Matt designed and built the table after hours, and Ben finished it up in the nick of time, at 1:30 a.m. Thanksgiving morning. During feast preparations, Ben's daughter took residence under the masterpiece, and it held up nicely under several platefuls of turkey, stuffing, Brussels sprouts, and so much pie.