Client: The Southern Regional Technology and Recreation Complex

Location: Fort Washington, MD, United States

Completion date: 2021

Artwork budget: $157,000

Project Team

Installer

Ron Ganassa

Ganassa Tile & Marble

Fabricator

Sam Strugis

Images in Tile USA

Architects

Luke Giaccio

DLR Group

Overview

Photographic ceramic tiled wall elevation was 34′ x 156′ long. Originally the wall was to be covered with random tile in shades of green and white but the true desire was to create something different and unique that the community can engage with. An original/conventional landscape image was provided to fit the aspect ratio of the wall and optimized with the highest resolution to be scaled up. The image was fabricated over 3500 tiles and reassembled across the entire wall. The facility provides therapy programs that improve the health and wellbeing for the members of the community. The idea behind the image is to reconnect the healing attributes of the outdoors and preserve the symbiotic relationship between humans and nature.

Goals

The windows were key in determining how the design was to be integrated. The image had to compliment the vertical direction as well as connecting the movement of the design in between the windows.

Process

We worked carefully with the architects to make certain the pitch of the "curved" wall was able to accommodate the 12" tiles. I was also cautious of any obstruction that would block the view of the wall from certain angles..... and oh yeah...the wall/ceiling sloped from 34' to 14'. Exact number of tiles and measurements of the wall was crucial for the tile fabricators to provide the exact number of tiles. Tile installers had to follow a labeled grid to place each tile in their exact location.