GuildWorks ~ Architecture of the Air

honoring brad swet and brandon blackmore

8/13/2019

On Thursday, August 8, 2019, Brad Swet (May 28, 1984) and Brandon Blackmore (February 15, 1992) died when taking down the GuildWorks array at Pickathon and their boom lift fell. They were in the process of repositioning the lift to reach the next set of ropes in the trees when the accident happened.

The Brad Swet and Brandon Blackmore Memorial Fund has been established by Pickathon and GuildWorks to support the families and will serve as the public memorial. Funds raised will be split evenly between the families. Brad’s family will use the funds to help cover funeral expenses and conserve timber land in his name. Brandon’s family will donate funds towards nature conservancy programs in his name. This memorial fund gives us all a way to honor these valuable and beloved members of our communities and their love of the outdoors.

Brad was an independent contractor with GuildWorks for 7 years and has worked the Pickathon event for 3 years as Tree Crew Lead. Brad was a Certified Arborist and owner of Foster Trees as well as a gifted leader, mentor, and friend. He possessed a deep love for trees and the outdoors. His inquisitive mind and unrelenting desire for knowledge led him to develop innovative solutions and safer work standards. His teachings and spirit will carry on through those he touched and taught.

Brandon Blackmore has been a GuildWorks employee since 2017. Brandon was steady, calm and quick to laugh, approaching every situation with a great sense of humor and positive attitude. A pro in the air and on the ground, he foresaw next steps and tackled every task with talent and tenacity. His mission was to create experiences that celebrated life and encouraged everyone to “enjoy the ride.“

Brad and Brandon were remarkable friends who shared an unusual bond. They loved being in the trees together, were passionate about installing at Pickathon each year and were incredibly proud of their work. They were known for their professionalism, creative thinking, and dedication to their craft. Their joy for life was contagious and they touched everyone with their laughter and enthusiasm. They both have a wealth of friends who greatly admire them and will be dearly missed.

Please contribute the Brad Swet and Brandon Blackmore Memorial Fund and/or share. If you’re looking for other ways to help, you could plant a tree, volunteer with a tree-planting program or contribute your time and talent to a nature conservancy.

"All our wisdom is stored in the trees." ― Santosh Kalwar

Going Up at Pickathon!

7/19/2019

Who’s excited for Pickathon 2019?! We are! Since 2005 - that’s 14 years! - GuildWorks has been installing tensile fabric structures that provide beauty, shade, and flair to the popular Pickathon Music Festival. Beautifully hand-crafted and colorful, these massive canopies hover ethereally over the grounds.

Built by our world-class design and sky teams, Pickathon's Mountain Stage is one of the largest temporary festival tension structures in the world. Our designs have gone on to create permanent tension structures for places like SOMO Village and the iconic Riverfront Park Plaza Pavilion at the former 1974 World’s Fair site in Spokane, WA.

Installation began last week! Over 250,000 square feet of hand-dyed fabric, 12 miles of rope, 1000 linear feet of stage truss, 10 miles of tension lines, tens of thousands of pounds of tension and thousands of work hours go into building the stage and audience array.

We’ll be at the 21st Annual Pickathon, August 2-4 at Pendarvis Farm in Happy Valley, OR. Come say hi...see you there!

Revitalizing an Iconic structure

7/16/2019

Using the existing 1974 US Pavilion cable net structure, Guildworks created a new partial tensile array that beautifully shades the ground where events take place. The new shade array falls within the overall design of the existing structure which was initially intended to be fully covered in fabric.

The historical cable net structure was extensively studied using modern tensile structure engineering software. Careful analysis shows that the iconic 1974 structure was not only well engineered and constructed for its time but that the work was quite impressive for predicting the overall shape without modern computing.

The new shade array nestles into the existing structure with minimal intervention so as to preserve and enhance the existing geometry. Struts and cables hold geometrical diamond membranes in a 3-dimensional shape, stabilizing the entire system and offering a unique visual experience year round. The array allows unobstructed views of LED light blades on the upper sections of the structure, as well.

These plans show the overview of months of engineering studies of the original structure when covered with fabric, the existing cable net structure (as it exists today) as well as the new shading. The new shade array complements the original structure and honors the intent of the 1974 construction.

Guildworks Sets the Stage for SOMO Village

7/15/2019

Guildworks just completed the Sonoma Mountain (SOMO) Village stage canopy! This beautiful 30’ x 40’ permanent tension membrane structure gently spans the stage providing shelter as well as a dramatic contrast to the surrounding environment during events.

A specialized architectural membrane was laid out on our computerized plotter/cutting table and heat welded to create the permanent shade canopy.

SOMO Village is an internationally recognized redevelopment project located in beautiful Rohnert Park, California. The community is a leading example of a thriving and sustainable development committed to nature, culture, comfort, innovation and technology.

Guildworks strives to design and install permanent projects that share our values of sustainability, community, design, and function. As a forward-thinking company in a rapidly changing climate, we know our choices have a profound impact. We use highly durable and recyclable architectural fabrics that use a fraction of the materials used in traditional buildings. This material efficiency makes every part of our building process more sustainable.

CypreSS VALLEY EVENT CENTER

6/3/2019

Bring your own fairytale wedding to life,
inspired by the magic only nature can create!

What makes a place a sacred space? What transforms a location into an memorable experience? It's a combination of things, most often the architecture and landscaping sets the tone. Fabric Architecture helps to marry all the elements together in a way that feels natural by adding fluidity to connect elements together.

When The Cypress Valley Event Center started to consider options for their property they turned to GuildWorks to produce a custom shade canopy that was light, and uplifting and followed the flow of nature and based on sacred geometry.

The result, a dynamic and enchanting shade canopy supported by their intriguing lightweight frame and massive tree trunks. Imagine saying “I do” nestled between ancient cypress trees , the spring-fed creek whispering below your feet, as your loved ones watch your big day from the creek ravine amphitheater. This is the place where your enchanted, fairytale wedding comes true. Morning weddings are serenaded with the songs of birds and weddings at dusk, are delighted by sunsets and seasonal fireflies as night falls.

1223 S Paleface RR, Spicewood TX, 78669 512-264-8880

VOTE FOR PICKAtHON AS THE BEST OUTDOOR EVENT IN OREGON

5/17/2019

We have supported and have worked with a lot of festivals over the years, but Pickathon is hands down one our favorite outdoor music events every year. While it takes a tremendous effort from our team and countless volunteers, the rewards are endless and the memories and joy countless. Pickathon is once again up for nomination as one of Portland Best Music Events, and as such we encourage our friends and fans to vote for them by following the link below.

More than 60 artists all performing twice on different days, six unique venues & artistically created stages, four amazing Oregon summer days and nights, wooded camping, delicious food & drink, Kids 12 & under are free, teens half price.

Vote for Pickathon! -> Nominated in TWO categories
'Best Music Festival' & 'Best Outdoor Event' - as part of the Willamette Week 2019 Best Of Portland Reader's Poll.
VOTE TODAY AND TELL YOUR FRIENDS!

https://www.wweek.com/bop2019/#/gallery/155487447

Arizona Center $25 Million Renovation IS Complete

3/26/2019

After several months of construction, the Arizona Center in Phoenix announced in March 2019 that its $25 million face-lift had been completed.

Among the upgrades: a unique tension structure featuring specialized nets and architectural fabric elements. The structure was designed, engineered, fabricated, and installed by GuildWorks based in Portland Oregon.

The Arizona Center is located at the corner of Third and Van Buren streets in the heart of Arizona. It features an shops; an entertainment stage; outdoor lounges; valet parking and bike racks; updated landscaping, water features and new lighting features.

The goal of the tension structure was not about creating shade, but establishing a unique artistic expression that would make the center stand out and draw people to space. Visit our Gallery to learn more in our Arizona Center Case Study.

BUSINESS IMPACT NW FEATURES GUILDWORKS

2/12/2019

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2019 / PUBLISHED IN BLOG

GUILDWORKS

“GuildWorks aims to Inspire with Lightness in form, Beauty in Structure and Grace in Movement,” reads an inspirational quote on GuildWorks’ website, a design build company in Portland, Oregon that creates fabric architecture installations. “In a lot of ways, we’re multiple companies in one,” explains Founder and Senior Design Principal, Mar Ricketts. “We design. We engineer, or specify, and then we fabricate and install.”

With one foot in the art world and the other in architecture, GuildWorks uses the sky as its canvas, creating elaborate geometric structures that are both aesthetically alluring and provide shelter. Mar founded the company nearly 25 years ago in Massachusetts, then moved it to Madison, Wisconsin before settling in Portland. In its infancy, Guildworks created tension structure kites which Mar sold to stores and distributors. The company evolved to creating work for stage sets and mobiles for lobbies and hospitals, then took another turn in Portland, where Mar started creating installations for events and outdoor summer festivals. This year GuildWorks is embarking on more permanent installations than ever before, fulfilling a dream he has had since founding the company.

“Fabric structures are visually stunning and beautiful and that’s part of what drew me to them, along with being sustainable,” recalls Mar. “The combination of being sustainable, having material sufficiency, and while offering beauty, function and form – all in one, this is what drove me into the industry.”

The materials GuildWorks uses are amongst the most sustainable options in the building market. They require less heavy equipment, fewer transport needs and contribute to greater efficiency across the board, ultimately resulting in higher efficiency in design, production and installation.
GuildWorks recently went through the rigorous process of applying to become a certified B Corporation, furthering their commitment to environmental stewardship, high social standards and inclusive business practices. Mar is also passionate about educating architects and developers about the advantages to using fabric architecture. “Many architects don’t see fabric structures as a basic material. You know, they see bricks, concrete, glass, etcetera, but membrane structures really have so many possibilities for being enclosure and weather protection, while being sustainable and making a visual statement.”

Continued on Business Impact NW >>>

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