University of Iowa College of Engineering

Penrose Donor

Wall

The tile mounting solution was engineered by the College’s machine shop engineers to meet the design aesthetic and allows for perpetual name tiles changes.

Client

University of Iowa

Location

Iowa City, IA

Completion date

November 2018

It's no surprise that the design of a wow-factor donor recognition wall for an engineering college where academic study integrates with creative arts to inspire collaborative problem solving is, in and of itself, a deeply collaborative process.

Experiential Design

True to the mission of the college, the owner brought together engineering staff from the college's technology centers, machine shop, electrical shop and computer science, with the design team, AV designers, experiential graphic designers and architects to ideate, prototype, refine and fabricate a custom installation.

Layering static donor names effortlessly over a video curtain keeps names displayed independent of the technology as a requirement for the project.

A new lobby linking the existing school building and the addition houses the Penrose Donor Wall, honoring the donors to the building project.

Video feature of dynamic, interactive installation recognizing donors to a building project.

University of Iowa Engineering Donor Wall in Iowa City, Iowa.

Displaying vivid videos and photos to celebrate engineering, this donor wall functions as visual art for the study lounge adjacent to the lobby.

The tessellated Penrose Tile Pattern is created from mathematical formulas and artistically adapted with space and scale-change to support the donation program.

An ever-evolving canvas for engineering students to showcase their visuals is layered to inspire giving and support the work of fundraisers for the school.

Touchscreen integration will allow for individual tiles or groups to be highlighted and video wall content to change based on a user’s interaction.