Metalab
20 N Sampson St
Houston, TX US
77003
Profile Type: industry_resource
We help artists to make their visions into reality, relying on an acute control and awareness of cost, schedule, and an engineering acumen that starts by proposing solutions to the myriad challenges that come with artistic creation. Most often we work directly for an artist, though occasionally we work for a museum or commissioning agency. For public art projects, we provide 2 different service packages, Design Optimization and Project Management. Our Design Optimization services are provided before fabrication has begun. These services include complete architectural and engineering documentation, development of critical path timeline and cost control documents, and identification / sourcing of any specialized components, fabricators, manufacturers, etc. We also assist in communicating complex coordination issues with commisioning agencies, building ownership, and their construction teams to provide useful leverage for the artist's project. During and after fabrication we provide Project Management services with a high level of control over all subcontractors and suppliers under the artist, from beginning of construction through completion. We also act as an artist's liaison to all other professional parties, such as architects, engineers, contractor, building owners, building code officials, etc. This allows our clients to stay focused on the artwork, and their next project. We take pride in protecting the artist's conceptual clarity and intention of the work, as well as their fee - which is set aside in the cost control document at the beginning and never touched. We've managed nearly 100 projects to successful completion around the country, with budgets ranging from $20K to over $1M. Our office has a broad range of collective experience in industrial design / product development, construction management, machining, metal fabrication, 3D printing, computer controlled (CNC) fabrication in a wide range of materials, and advanced 3D modeling / parametric design.