Raina Kamrat, Author at xibitz architectural exhibit fabrication

Final exhibit features installed at Flint Museum

by Raina Kamrat Museum, News

FLINT — Wyoming-based architectural fabricator Xibitz Inc. has been working in partnership with Sloan Museum of Discovery over the last three years to bring the museum’s brand-new exhibits to life, with the final piece being installed last week. This work includes the Discovery Hall Gallery, Hagerman Street Early Childhood Gallery, the History Gallery and the Durant Vehicle Galler

A final piece of the installation included an interactive automobile assembly line showcasing the deep history of the auto industry and allowing visitors to participate in the car assembly process. Installing this piece marks the end of a multi-year journey in enhancing the museum’s exhibits that tell the story and history of the city of Flint.

“Xibitz was honored to be selected as the trusted partner for the museum,” said Ben Metzger, principal at Xibitz. “It has been an incredible journey to watch this project develop from ideas and concepts to complete galleries that tell the story of Flint in ways for the whole family to enjoy.”

Other elements of Xibitz’ hands-on installations include multiple interactive experiences such as the 3-D Periodic table with a touchscreen kiosk in Sloan’s Discovery Hall Gallery. Visitors select which compound they would like to produce and drag the elements into the touch-screen beaker. Upon adding all elements, the periodic table lights-up with all of the elements to produce the final product.

Hagerman Street Early Childhood Gallery features an interactive ambulance, with lights, sirens, warning systems and a large flat screen integrated into the design. Also in this space is a three-story climbing experience in the form of a treehouse with multiple “peek-a-boo” boxes on each floor. The Market uses AV-integration to accomplish an interactive shopping experience that allows visitors to select different drinks.

The History Gallery features an AV system installed by Xibitz that is triggered by a visitor walking onto the “Story Stones” placed along the floor. As guests walk into the gallery, they are taken on a journey through the history of the city, guided by a carpet design representing the Flint River.

“The teamwork and support Xibitz provided to bring our vision to life was phenomenal,” said Amy Walker, exhibit coordinator at Sloan Museum of Discovery. “Xibitz brought 100 percent to the Sloan Museum of Discovery project, and I look forward to creating future projects together.”

Xibitz partnered with Cambridge Seven, Peter Hyde Design, Blue Telescope, and Electrosonic to design and fabricate the new galleries at the Sloan Museum of Discovery. — B.G

Meet Carlos, Quality Control Manager

by Raina Kamrat News

Carlos has been at Xibitz for 6 years and brings his experiences in construction and manufacturing to the team. He started as an estimator and after developing a unique understanding of projects, a passion for perfection, and excellence, he found himself leading Quality Control.

“He has participated in the team process and build methodology conversations which allow him to see a project from start to finish,” said Jeremy Miller, Principal at Xibitz.

This helps him understand the nuances of projects and develop mutual respect between the pre-production and fabrication/production teams. Carlos, and quality, are common conduits that run through every project.

“When I think about the day-to-day, there are a lot of tough jobs in this organization. Our days are mostly filled with excruciating fun, however, in my mind, one job, in particular, is an island of its own. It requires everything mentioned above plus a lot of courage to stand alone. Quality,” said Account Executive, Chuck Plockmeyer.

Part of being Quality Control Manager is recognizing problems and providing solutions. Providing solutions and problem-solving is synonymous with one of Xibitz core values – We figure it out. Carlos excels at this because he doesn’t shy away from the difficult conversations that are necessary to keep a project aligned with expectations.

Project Memories

One of Carlos’ favorite projects from his time at Xibitz is Waste Management Houston Headquarters because of the sheer scale of Xibitz’ final build – an 8-story tall living wall. “It required a lot of trust and ingenuity to work through not just the fabrication challenges, but the hurdles caused by the pandemic,” commented Carlos. “In the end, it was a beautiful project that won several awards.”

Free Time + Family

When not working, Carlos enjoys spending time with his family. During summer months in Michigan, he likes loading up his 3 children and camping at various parks around the state. Having grown up on an apple orchard, Carlos finds peace in spending as much time outside as possible.

“Carlos is an extraordinary asset to every project at Xibitz,” said Jeremy. “He creates an energy and excitement for excellence that our clients expect when they work with us. Even better, he brings such joy and comradery to our teams – simply put, we couldn’t do it without him.”

Grand Rapids Art Museum – Creative Learning Center

by Raina Kamrat Museum

Grand Rapids, MI

Xibitz’ experience with interactive elements was influential in the success of this project for GRAM (Grand Rapids Art Museum). The team worked closely with GRAM to design and fabricate five interactive experiences that were unique to the art community and allow people of all ages to be educated by and interact with concepts in the art world.

These elements were designed and created to be durable and flexible, allowing GRAM the ability to continuously use and relocate these interactives in their environment. The space includes five exhibits. The first includes two “make-and-take” tables where the museum can rotate various hands-on interactives to allow visitors to make their own creations and take them home. The second is “Build Like a Sculptor,” where a series of Velcro-wrapped beams and cubes allow visitors to create their own abstract sculptures. The third includes two “Landscape Layers” tables, where visitors can interchange “slides” of disparate landscapes with varying transparency to create unique layered looks. The fourth, “Color Mixing,” includes a trio of spinning cylinders with a variety of color patterns from the CMYK spectrum that encourages visitors to discover how new colors are created. Finally, the “Think Like a Curator” exhibit asks visitors to select both paintings and frames to “curate” their own gallery on a blank, magnetic wall.

Return to more Museum Exhibition Fabrication Projects.

UW Health – Living Donor Recognition Wall

by Raina Kamrat Healthcare

Madison, WI

Since completing its first kidney transplant in 1966, the UW Health Transplant Center is one of the oldest, largest, and most respected organ donation and transplant programs in the country. UW Health’s goal with the new facility was to create a better experience for those involved in the organ transplantation process as well as honor donors for their life-saving decisions. Xibitz was fortunate to help bring this special recognition feature to life after being retained by the Experiential Design firm ZEBRADOG in Madison, Wisconsin.

The Living Donor Recognition Experience is a series of light boxes constructed of wood and acrylic, with donor names printed on glass discs throughout the wall. Each disc is covered with a Corian surround attached with magnets and is easy to remove for updating. On the back side of the wall is a digital media experience, also designed by ZEBRADOG, to showcase individual donor stories and a full listing of all donors to date. The bright, captivating wall is in a prominent location to attract visitors and inspire future organ donors, creating awareness around the gifts of life and healing while honoring life-saving heroes.

Return to our Healthcare Portfolio

Sydney Swans Nostaboard

by Raina Kamrat Nostaboard

Sydney, Austrailia

After their move to the iconic Royal Hall of Industries, the Sydney Swans thoughtfully explored a captivating experience for Swans fans and guests of the building alike. As a leading Australian football team and a premier professional sports team in Australia, the Swans felt they had a great story to tell within their new space. The historic facility has had a variety of uses over the years, which was reflected in the decision to install a split-flap display wall.

Populous, the Sydney Swans, and Xibitz quickly brought the concept designs to life through high-quality fabrication and installation. Xibitz’ team built and traveled to Sydney to install the 2,145-piece split-flap rotating image display that energizes the lobby. We are proud to have partnered with two world-class organizations on this project.

Return to Nostaboard

Sloan Museum of Discover

by Raina Kamrat Museum

Flint, MI

Xibitz partnered with Peter Hyde Design, Blue Telescope and Electrosonic to design and fabricate four galleries for the Sloan Museum of Discovery. This work includes the Discovery Hall, Hagerman Street Early Childhood Gallery, the History Gallery, and the Durant Vehicle Gallery.

Elements of Xibitz’s hands-on installations include an interactive automobile assembly line allowing visitors to participate in the car assembly process. Multiple interactive experiences such as a 3-D Periodic table with a touch-screen kiosk in Sloan’s Discovery Hall gallery. Visitors select which compound they would like to produce and drag the elements into the touch-screen beaker. Then, the periodic table lights-up with all of the elements to produce the final product. Hagerman Street Early Childhood Gallery features an interactive ambulance, with lights, sirens, warning systems and a large flat screen integrated into the design. Also in this space is a 3-story climbing experience in the form of a tree-house with multiple “peek-a-boo” boxes on each floor. The History Gallery features an av system installed by Xibitz that is trigged by a visitor walking onto the “Story Stones” placed along the floor. As guests walk into the gallery, they are taken on a journey through the history of the city, guided by a carpet design representing the Flint River.

Return to more Museum Exhibition Fabrication Projects.

Breakthrough Fuel

by Raina Kamrat Corporate

HOK Experience Design and Xibitz combined their efforts to create an inspiring new space for Breakthrough Fuel’s new corporate headquarters in Madison, WI. A unique feature of this space is a logo wall, which contains polished acrylic blocks that are laser etched with client-logos and internally illuminated. Behind these blocks you can see an overarching image of an interstate, capturing the brand focus of shipping, fuel management and mapping. Each block is interchangeable and updatable.Also notable to the space is a values wall which is made up of textural shipping containers that carry Breakthrough’s core value statements. The core values are embedded into the wall within illuminated niches. The library space is designed in brand-colored books and shelving. The conference board room contains the Breakthrough logo with mirrored bronzed edges that reflect the warmth of the wood surrounding the text.

Chicago Cubs

by Raina Kamrat Athletics

Chicago, Illinois

During the 2016 regular season, the Chicago Cubs pursued a suitable experience in their new office tower next to Wrigley Field. As the oldest team in professional baseball, the Cubs felt they had a great story to tell within their new space. Coincidently, sports architecture and design firm Populous presented their final designs to the Cubs the same week as the World Series and “HOLY COW, CUBS WIN!!” So back to the drawing board to develop a much more amazing story to celebrate—and a much more condensed time frame to create it in.

Populous, the Cubs, and Xibitz quickly brought the concept designs to life through high-quality fabrication and installation. Xibitz built everything from the World Series Trophy display to a 3,475-piece split-flap rotating image display that energizes the entry. We are proud to have been a part of this always-believed-in Chicago celebration!

Truist

by Raina Kamrat Corporate

Xibitz proudly partnered with Perkins & Will in an endeavor to design and fabricate a truly impressive space for the fourteenth and fifteenth floors of the Truist building in Charlotte, North Carolina. A two-story sculpture inspired by the Southern Live Oak can be seen from the bustling downtown streets of Charlotte. The sculpture is being called the Truist Tree.

Using a combination of millwork at the bottom, culminating with a digital expression as its canopy, the tree was crafted as an abstract piece. This installation consists of a series of different-sized boxes, both enclosed and open frames, which were further animated with LED programmable lighting. This lighting allows the ambiance of the tree to shift through multiple scenes throughout the day, week or year. The tree was incorporated into an existing open office park area utilized for impromptu meetings, where workers can overlook the Charlotte skyline and feel inspired by the artistic atmosphere.

Designer: Perkins&Will / 2021 Halkin Mason Photography LLC

CAD Engineer

by Raina Kamrat Careers

Development/CAD Engineer Responsibilities and Task

The CAD Engineer position at Xibitz uses experience and knowledge of metal and wood fabrication, architectural design, structural engineering and CAD (Solidworks and AutoCAD) to fulfill a dual role of helping to develop build methodology on complex and unique projects, and also to generate and analyze production-ready detail and parts drawings. This position strategizes closely with the CAD Engineering Supervisor, and works both independently with limited direction/information and in teams with precise design/build objectives to generate solutions that are equal parts aesthetically pleasing, fitting to the design, efficient, structurally sound, cost-effective, transportable, and buildable. The Development/CAD Engineer requires a high level of sensitivity to understanding creative intent, build/structural concerns, vendor/construction timelines, project flow strategy/timelines, transportation/installation sequence, and construction/material capabilities and costs.

Primary Responsibilities

Review available data (RFP, Work Order Descriptions, Designs and/or Detail Designs, Architectural Plans, etc.) to compile list of objectives, materials and problems that require solutions
Work with other engineers, fabricators, estimators, designers, project managers, account executives and vendors to develop solutions, suggest materials, research vendors, or otherwise facilitate resolutions to open items
Review requested and/or recommend any sampling, mockups, prototypes, research, analyses, or other testing that may be required to prove out designs and build methodologies
Adhere to timeline and strategy to facilitate solutions
Communicate effectively with supervisory team to align daily tasks with schedules and strategies
Estimate time required to complete aforementioned tests, details, or any other assigned tasks
Create, maintain, and recommend improvements to methodologies, procedures and standards
Generate detailed construction drawings, plans and vendor files in 2D and 3D (as required by individual projects)
Perform site surveys to measure, laser map, photograph, and otherwise evaluate site conditions required to successfully design, detail, fabricate and install projects
Regularly review fabrication process on shop floor to ensure adherence to design intent, build methodology, material specifications, and to flag any concerns

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Excellent written and verbal communication skills
High attention to detail and organizational skills
Knowledge of standard wood and metal fabrication techniques/methods
High-level understanding of CAD and Engineering principles
Ability to manage multiple competing priorities in a stressful environment
Proficiency in Solidworks or similar
Desire and curiosity to work on a variety of projects, with unique materials, demands, and expectations

Required Experience

Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Design Engineering, Product Design or similar; or relative professional experience using parametric modeling for custom fabrication

Physical Requirements

Ability to work in moderate to high noise levels in a manufacturing environment
Ability to move about frequently changing physical environments: printing, prep, paint, assembly
Ability to stoop, lean, bend, squat, step over, duck, feel, to visually inspect projects
Reasonable accommodations may be made for candidates and employees with disabilities

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Project Memories

Free Time + Family