The Coffee House: Brewed Bike Appeal

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The Coffee House is a fairly new shop to the Philadelphia coffee scene. It's located at 113 W. Girard ave. right at Front and Girard. I stumbled upon it one day, because it was close to my studio and I was out getting lunch. What's better after lunch then a cup of coffee?

After weeks of going in there I was hooked. Derrick, the owner, is a rad dude and his employees are all really nice people. If you like coffee and enjoy a good place to drink it...go check out The Coffee House! Not only that, It's now bike friendly too.

Derrick, approached me one day about making a bike rack. There was nowhere to park your bike. You would have to either walk a block or risk locking to a very small tree. So... I got started sketching.

Here is the design I came up with, that I like to call "Drop Top Down". It maximizes space well, offers a double duty purpose (bike rack and community bulletin board) and parks the most bikes in the smallest amount of space. It does so by utilizing angled bike parking. It works really well on tight sidewalks too. Why don't you go get a cup of coffee and ride a bike there. It might just become your new favorite Java spot.













Derrick also wanted to bookend the bulletin board with plants, so I fabricated planter trays on each end.









Beyond what it was designed for...apparently it can accommodate scooter parking as well. Hmmm.

A Learning Experience

The Solar-powered bike rack project for Honey's took some doing. Once all the details were worked out and the project was rolling along...I definitely hit some bumps along the way. Little things that you don't realize are gonna take forever...do. Mistakes are inevitable and progress is key. I learned a lot about procedure and technique. The right way of doing things and the infinite amount of possibilities that the proper tools offer.

I made sculpture for art sake in college and it was fun. But making form to suit function in a creative way is awesome! Designing work on paper and then making it real is quite a rewarding feeling for me. I love making things.

After countless hours, coffee breaks and lots of hard work...Here is the final outcome. please take a look.

First, the "Spiral".



























Notice the details at each end of the spiral.




























































Next is the "Grid". Also notice that they have been powder coated clear to keep that raw metal feel and so they can patina.


I really like this piece. It turned out exactly how I envisioned it.

Here's the face...
and the display base.


Then the "Cactus". I like the proportions on this one. It's simple and tall and it's all in the details.
Finally, all three in a row. They look nice all lined up, especially when they are loaded with bikes. Soon I'll post some pics of them lit up at night, so you can see them in full effect. Please go check em' out next time you're up that way. If you like, leave a comment and let me know what you think . Thanks.