Emergence
2025
Emergence is a public sculpture commissioned by the Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology to celebrate the opening of Academic Building One, the first building of Virginia Tech’s Alexandria Campus. Emergence is a sphere roughly 8’ in diameter and is created from durable Corten steel and mirrored acrylic. Emergence was parametrically designed with Rhino+Grasshopper, and then digitally fabricated with a CNC plasma cutter. It is held together entirely by 3,500+ nuts and bolts (no welding) so that it can be entirely disassembled and recycled at the end of its use-life.
Structural Designer: Braden Perryman
Graphic Designer: Trevor Finney
Photographer: Damon Brewer
Installation Expert: Rude Graves
Engineering Consultation: Max Ofsa
Fabricators: Rude Graves, Damon Brewer, Burkley Lyons, Nylah Desnoyer, Elena Ahwee-Marrah, Preston Aycock, Jackson Childers, Jack Davis, and Sasha Mkrtchyan.
We would like to extend special thanks to the Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology, as well as David Baker, Benjamin Knapp, Rob Gonzales, Melissa Wyers, Holly Williams, Clare Suess, and Rodney Kimgangu.