Waterlight Installation

Designer Jonathan C. Nelson

WaterLIGHT is a lighting installation proposal for the Village of Waterford, WI. The Village approached Prof. Mo Zell of University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee for downtown design solutions, and I joined the team in 2016 with the explicit role of designing, testing, and prototyping lighting fixtures. Initial prototypes began in Grasshopper, and were rapidly 3D printed to test transparency, porosity, structural integrity, and lighting effects.

Having met with a structural engineer and fabricator, I began a second iteration of designs with fabrication in mind.   The following structures are designed parametrically through Grasshopper, and constructed with a blend of laser cut wood, acrylic, sticks, and metal wires.

Implementation. Should we and the Village secure grants to fund the proposal, we hope to build the project in the near future. The installation will draw visitors towards the Fox River, which is a vital natural resource to the community. It will reinforce the Village's identity as an art hub closely connected with nature.

Full Scale Mockup. Sign Effectz Inc., a Milwaukee-based fabricator, produced several full-scale prototypes using aluminum rods and water-jet cut aluminum plates. We tested different luminaries in the structure to achieve the desired effects.

WaterLIGHT is a lighting installation proposal for the Village of Waterford, WI. The Village approached Prof. Mo Zell of University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee for downtown design solutions, and I joined the team in 2016 with the explicit role of designing, testing, and prototyping lighting fixtures. Initial prototypes began in Grasshopper, and were rapidly 3D printed to test transparency, porosity, structural integrity, and lighting effects.

Having met with a structural engineer and fabricator, I began a second iteration of designs with fabrication in mind.   The following structures are designed parametrically through Grasshopper, and constructed with a blend of laser cut wood, acrylic, sticks, and metal wires.

Implementation. Should we and the Village secure grants to fund the proposal, we hope to build the project in the near future. The installation will draw visitors towards the Fox River, which is a vital natural resource to the community. It will reinforce the Village's identity as an art hub closely connected with nature.

Full Scale Mockup. Sign Effectz Inc., a Milwaukee-based fabricator, produced several full-scale prototypes using aluminum rods and water-jet cut aluminum plates. We tested different luminaries in the structure to achieve the desired effects.

WaterLIGHT is a lighting installation proposal for the Village of Waterford, WI. The Village approached Prof. Mo Zell of University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee for downtown design solutions, and I joined the team in 2016 with the explicit role of designing, testing, and prototyping lighting fixtures. Initial prototypes began in Grasshopper, and were rapidly 3D printed to test transparency, porosity, structural integrity, and lighting effects.

Having met with a structural engineer and fabricator, I began a second iteration of designs with fabrication in mind.   The following structures are designed parametrically through Grasshopper, and constructed with a blend of laser cut wood, acrylic, sticks, and metal wires.

Implementation. Should we and the Village secure grants to fund the proposal, we hope to build the project in the near future. The installation will draw visitors towards the Fox River, which is a vital natural resource to the community. It will reinforce the Village's identity as an art hub closely connected with nature.

Full Scale Mockup. Sign Effectz Inc., a Milwaukee-based fabricator, produced several full-scale prototypes using aluminum rods and water-jet cut aluminum plates. We tested different luminaries in the structure to achieve the desired effects.

WaterLIGHT is a lighting installation proposal for the Village of Waterford, WI. The Village approached Prof. Mo Zell of University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee for downtown design solutions, and I joined the team in 2016 with the explicit role of designing, testing, and prototyping lighting fixtures. Initial prototypes began in Grasshopper, and were rapidly 3D printed to test transparency, porosity, structural integrity, and lighting effects.

Having met with a structural engineer and fabricator, I began a second iteration of designs with fabrication in mind.   The following structures are designed parametrically through Grasshopper, and constructed with a blend of laser cut wood, acrylic, sticks, and metal wires.

Implementation. Should we and the Village secure grants to fund the proposal, we hope to build the project in the near future. The installation will draw visitors towards the Fox River, which is a vital natural resource to the community. It will reinforce the Village's identity as an art hub closely connected with nature.

Full Scale Mockup. Sign Effectz Inc., a Milwaukee-based fabricator, produced several full-scale prototypes using aluminum rods and water-jet cut aluminum plates. We tested different luminaries in the structure to achieve the desired effects.