ball nogues studio: yucca crater

'yucca crater' by ball nogues studio in the mojave desert, california
image © allison porterfield


los angeles based practice ball nogues studio is in the process of completing 'yucca crater', an interactive installation for the
high desert test sites initiative located near the joshua tree national park, california, USA. idealized as an oasis for travelers of
the vast and arid mojave desert, this project merges the theory of earthwork art with a man made structure. standing at 24 feet tall,
the shell's exposed wooden framework will serve as a ladder for climbing into and out of the vessel. the interior is lined with
rock climbing holds allowing visitors to access a pool filled with 8 feet of water. the contents will be heated with solar power
and pumped through a wind turbine, utilizing the readily available local resources.



wooden framework
image © allison porterfield


the fundamental elements of the fabrication will derive from another project completed by the studio, talus dome. a mound covered
with stainless steel spheres currently sited along a freeway in edmonton, alberta, canada, will be dismantled and repurposed for yucca crater.
an inversion of its earlier existence, the container will be transported to its desert destination promoting ecologically minded and waste
free construction.



overall framework
image © allison porterfield



(left) vessel framework with scale model
(right) opposite side of vessel
images © allison porterfield



top of yucca crater
image © allison porterfield



detail of connections
image © allison porterfield



assembling the structure
image © allison porterfield



base of framework
image © allison porterfield



cnc router cutting steel plates for connections
image © allison porterfield



cutting wood with cnc router
image courtesy ball nogues studio



completed structure within the mojave desert
image courtesy ball nogues studio



section
image courtesy ball nogues studio



model
image courtesy ball nogues studio



stainless steel spheres from talus dome
image courtesy ball nogues studio



talus dome located in edmonton, alberta, canada
image courtesy ball nogues studio

Talus Dome/ Yucca Crater Armature from Devin McNulty on Vimeo.



ball nogues speaking about yucca crater
video by julianne weiss