10/17/2019
Pool House Addition
POOL HOUSE ADDITION (PRIVATE RESIDENCE IN WICHITA, KS)
WICHITA, KS
I. What is the scope of the project? This is a pool house addition for a private residence in Wichita, KS. Cast stone is used throughout the project in a variety of applications, including a stepped wainscot, pilasters, jambs, pilaster capitals, cornices, lunettes, surrounds, parapet coping, and caps. The pilaster capitals had to match existing capitals on the existing residence, which proved to be a complicated process.
II. What special molding or casting techniques were necessary to illustrate the Architect’s concept on the project? Reproducing the original pilaster capitals required several processes that we had not used before. The architect used software that pieced together dozens of photographs of the capitals to create digital 3D models of the capitals. From there, we trimmed the unnecessary information from the digital models to isolate the capitals. Then, we used software to modify the digital models so that they could be 3D printed at full scale. Finally, rubber casts were made from the 3D prints and were used to create the molds. The resulting wet-cast capitals faithfully replicate the originals.
III. Degree of difficulty. This was moderately difficult. The process involved in recreating the original capitals was a first, not only for us, but for the architect and the builder as well. There was a steep learning curve for these processes, and it took several attempts to get the digital models to a point where they could be successfully 3D printed and used to create the molds.
IV. Were there project requirements that presented particular challenges, and how were they met? The pilaster capitals had to match the existing capitals on the house, but the homeowner would not allow any of the existing capitals to be removed so that a mold could be cast from them, and would not allow a cast to be made on site from the existing capitals, to eliminate the possibility of damage to the existing capitals. We were able to get around this challenge by working with the architect and builder, using technologies that are relatively new. SPT Architecture, Born Masonry, LLC