Massimals: League

Jason Scroggin

Massimals: League - This exhibition presents large design fabrications by Jason Scroggin. Each object is a variation on the Massimals project, abstractions of animal forms built in the manner of architectural study models. These colossal “models” are exercises in material and assembly methods presented in the form of lumbering polar bears. On display are the Stair Bears, incorporating stair elements into their formal typology that are intended for use.

The pieces are strategically positioned to encourage social interaction by providing multiple seating options at various levels within a single piece and flat planes positioned above the waist for standing desk or countertop. Each object is designed using a cross-lap assembly method organized on a six-inch grid. These components can be flat packed for shipping and assembly on site, and disassembled and repacked for future use. 

These small-scale investigations encapsulate the philosophy of a design practice to consider engagement with community, context, fabrication, assembly, and delivery methods. These factors are integrated at all levels of the design process, resulting in the final product. 

About the Artist: Jason Scroggin is a licensed architect and an Associate Professor of Architecture at the University of Kentucky College of Design. He received his Master of Science degree in Advanced Architectural Design from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the UK College of Architecture. Jason is principal of Scroggin Studio, an architectural research practice that focuses on the design and realization of projects that present new ways to interact with built form from the scale of the city to interior environments and has produced internationally recognized and award-winning design projects. He has also worked as a lead designer in the world-renowned offices of Reiser + Umemoto, RUR Architecture, DPC in New York and Studio Libeskind in Berlin and has previously taught architecture at the University of Texas at Austin.

Artwork Assembly Assistant: Zeke Elmore