The “Cove” wall is a class project introduced to students to gain experience in creating wood structures capable of supporting drywall, then directing that new knowledge to create a “cove” wall for the EMA program of the UofA. A “cove” wall consists of each plane (X, Y, Z) of a corner in a room connecting to reassemble the inside of a bowl. Each edge touching the floor and adjacent walls converts from hard edges to soft edges resembling a quarter of a circle. I created my own proposal for what the “cove” wall should look like, helped create wood supports for drywall, and mounted drywall on the supports after cutting them to the correct measurements. This resulted in the structure of the “cove” wall being secure and withstand the weight of over a three-hundred pounds of drywall, and allowed for the class to move on to the next project and leave the “cove” wall in a good spot to return to in a later time.

            This type of project allowed me to expand on creating structurally sound supports and foundations for bigger projects in the future. After this experience, I feel comfortable creating projects that are bigger than me and plan to use this new knowledge in the remaining time I have in college. This type of project also provided me with the first step to learning about the construction of homes and businesses, which has always been in the back of my mind as one of my back-ups plans for a career. Utilizing my experience in CNC machines and experience in construction methods regarding wood, this project was able to move along quickly as we were able to cut the same pieces over and over with a CNC router. This gave us more time to take care of other materials measurements, with the comfort of knowing each piece cut from the CNC router will be equal in dimensions every time. Some challenges I encountered along the way in this project were handling and maneuvering the larger pieces needed such as drywall and 2x4s that were eight feet in height. With assistance from a few in the team, we were able to hold up and secure the drywall and 2x4s with ease over a long duration of time. Another challenge we faced when constructing this wall was securing the new drywall for the “cove” wall to the existing wall of the room. This involved locating metal studs in the existing wall of the room, and ensuring the new drywall would stay secured to the existing drywall without the possibility of it coming loose or falling off. The part I am most proud of is the utilization of CNC machines and power tools to construct an extension of an existing room, that the students and faculty of the building will be able to use for the years to follow. Not only did I gain more experience in the process, but left a piece of the experience for future students to utilize.

            With the knowledge and experience I gained through this project, I would like to create future projects that alter existing rooms or buildings by adding to existing structures such as my future home or future employment. This would include manipulation of drywall, or other materials, to cover a constructed structure to support the weight of whatever it is being covered in. This project affected my time management. The details and precise measurements needed to create this project made me realize that there are a lot of details that can be avoided in the end if they are correctly planned for in the planning process of a project. There will always be something else I can do to make it “perfect,” but stopping at a good place instead of wanting perfection will save me more time to work on other components of future projects. I would like to learn more about creating stronger bonds in foundational support for larger projects. This could include a wide array of materials such as pouring concrete, utilizing metal in supports or foundations, and including more than one type of material to create a strong foundation capable of handling the weight of over a ton.

            The significance of these images emphasize teamwork between a group of 11 – including myself – creating a Cove wall for the use of Experimental Media Art students, documentation of artwork for Sculpture Building students and faculty, and learning the fundamentals of creating walls in a pre-existing room. Through the collaboration of the professor and students, we were able to secure every piece of wood support and drywall to their permanent positions, leaving only mudding and sanding, then painting. This foundation process took course over four class periods that are two hours and forty-five minutes in length, resulting in roughly a total of 8 hours of construction total.