Little School on the Prairie:Engineering support for a sculptor’s artwork

Sculptor Patrick Dougherty’s “Daydreams” was the first large-scale “land art” installation built on the Tippet Rise Art Center’s 11,500-acre property – a panoramic outdoor music/performance/contemporary sculpture destination in the Big Sky State. The “Daydreams” sculpture resembles a rustic 18th Century schoolhouse interacting with nature and the land’s vastness. Masses of native sapling branches entwine and penetrate the roof to enter the interior space – transforming the structure into an organic presentation.
DCI+BCE Engineers designed the concrete foundation and wood framing system for the single-story schoolhouse. The project team conducted feasibility studies, calculated wall and snow load distributions, reviewed the roof truss framing plan, detailed connections, and provided construction support.