UNews - ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Facilities

Agility’s Innovation Zone helps solve issue in Science Commons

caroline.zentner — Fri, 21 Feb 2020 16:46:56 +0000

Nick Gabbin, a project manager with ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Facilities, encountered a vexing problem while putting the finishing touches on the Science Commons, specifically in the vivarium, which houses live animals.

The vivarium follows strict decontamination protocols to ensure the space remains clean. The problem arose when viewers or peepholes were installed in the doors. The door viewers have a movable eyepiece that can be rotated to allow the viewer to see different parts of the room.

“Installing the viewers exposed the foam insulation inside the door,” says Gabbin. “We had to get them sealed because the foam would be a collection point for contaminants and would impede sanitation processes required by regulatory organizations.”

He considered using PVC piping or conduit to create a sleeve that would seal off the foam, but neither proved viable. When the manufacturer of the door viewer had no fix either, Gabbin went to the Agility Innovation Zone to devise his own remedy.

With help from Innovation Zone staff, Gabbin learned to use a drafting program, designed a sleeve and then 3D printed them to create a workable solution.

“I came up with five prototypes before I had one that fit perfectly,” says Gabbin. “Then it was a matter of 3D printing more than 60 of them and getting them installed.

“This was the first product to be prototyped, manufactured and used as a real-world product by ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Facilities. We used ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ resources to solve an issue and saved time and money in the process.”

When installed, the plastic sleeve covers the foam insulation, thus keeping it from being exposed to any possible contaminants.

Agility is a donor-funded program that helps students, faculty and community members realize projects. The Innovation Zone in Science Commons provides free access to equipment like 3D printers and technologies like virtual reality. Donors include Dr. Cor Van Raay (LLD ’15), who believes innovation and entrepreneurship are necessary for the new generation and Bruce McKillop, who provides funding for students and community members to explore their ideas with Agility. Support also comes from the Regional Innovation Network of Southern Alberta (RINSA), a collaborative partnership that helps businesses bring new products or processes to market.

“The Agility Innovation Zone is a space that is open to everyone in the U of L community, no matter what the project entails,” says Brandy Old, Agility manager. “The Innovation Zone is a place where ideas can come to life. Supporting our community in developing local solutions, like the peephole project, means we can foster innovative thinking. We encourage anyone with an idea or a stuck problem to come to the Zone and talk to our staff.”

Iconic maquette statues temporarily removed for safety reasons

caroline.zentner — Thu, 07 Jan 2016 17:47:23 +0000

The six maquette statues that once overlooked the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Centre for the Arts Atrium are now in storage after a structural problem with the Level 7 plant deck where they were installed was identifed last December.

The Pointer

The statues, characters from ‘The Audience’ sculpture by Canadian artist Michael Snow, were not in danger of falling but a restraining handrail was beginning to bend as a result of the pressure from two steel cables attached to two of the sculptures. Staff from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Facilities department erred on the side of caution and had the statues removed.

Chad Patterson, Art Gallery technician, prepares to move one of the maquette statues from the Atrium.

“We have submitted a proposal to an engineering consultant engaged by Facilities for a permanent structural installation for the sculptures,” says Jon Oxley, Art Gallery administrative manager.

The firm will review the proposal and develop recommendations. The goal is to increase safety for the workers who use the deck to tend to the plants and gallery staff who check on the sculptures. The process is likely to take several months.

“The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ is hoping and planning to have the six statues reinstalled as soon as possible, as well as the additional eight that are part of the original sculptural installation,” says Oxley. “Reinstallation will require a fair bit of work and dedicated space so it will depend on the needs identified by the engineering consultant and the Atrium’s schedule.”

In the meantime, the six sculptures have rejoined the eight other characters from ‘The Audience’ in storage in the U of L’s Art Vault. The maquettes, or preliminary models, are about a third of the size of the final figures that are suspended above the two main entrances to the Rogers Centre (Skydome) in Toronto. The 14 finished figures in Snow’s sculpture, made out of fiberglass, were installed in four separate boxes in 1989.

Bruiser Guy

An anonymous donor gave the maquettes to the U of L for its art collection in 1995. They are made of mixed media with wood, foam, burlap and plaster. They vary in size, with an average weight of 75 to 85 kilograms. The six maquettes, named Bruiser Guy, Binoculars, Point-to-Sky, Man & Child, The Waver and The Pointer, were installed in the Atrium in 2001. Art Gallery staff originally intended to display the other eight characters but circumstances and resources prevented that from happening.

While the statues are in storage, U of L student interns in Museum Studies will help conduct a conservation assessment. The maquettes will be cleaned and repaired, if needed.

UNews - ��Ѹ�����Դ���߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Facilities

Agility’s Innovation Zone helps solve issue in Science Commons

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Iconic maquette statues temporarily removed for safety reasons

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