Alumni Portrait: Will Jewett '14 Th'15

What drew you to design?

I grew up in Houston, Texas, and spent much of my childhood on the family farm two hours outside of the city building tree forts, driving tractors, and welding things back together. While the last of those tasks generally concerned a cattle guard or a piece of farm equipment, it also included the go-cart. If we didn't occasionally fix the frame, tighten the brakes, and clean the carburetor, my siblings and I couldn't drive. 

What makes your art unique?

I try to pair a delicate touch and exacting craft with an industrial aesthetic. Although pieces are often functional furniture, they are frequently of an imposing scale. The central theme of my work so far has been to recreate a playground for adults: I want to inspire wonder through movement and encourage people to be present. Right now, I'm working on a prototype for what I'm calling Seesopposite, a seesaw but you'll be right next to your buddy instead of across the pivot from them. Lots of design kinks to work out and a large gearbox to design before I’ll have something adults can ride.

What skills from Thayer apply?

I'm using my engineering education every day. My ideas progress from sketches to small models and then on to modeling in Solidworks or Rhino/Grasshopper. Once in CAD, I'll look at them with an engineer's lens, sizing steel members using finite element analysis or tweaking the form to achieve a specific goal. For example, I used Solidworks to study the center of mass in The Rocking Bench [above] and found I needed to fill the front 37 inches of each C with lead shot for it to sit perfectly upright. I'm having a blast and can't wait to bring more of my ideas to life.