Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
Route 28 Sound Barrier Wall
Client
Services Provided
Benchmarking
Project Planning
Artist Selection
Project Management
Artist
Brian Peters, Ripples, 2023
Project Summary
In 2020, Shiftworks was hired by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) to manage artist selection and oversee the design of concrete panels of sound barrier walls as part of the Highland Park Bridge interchange reconstruction on Route 28 near Aspinwall, Pennsylvania.
Brian Peters, a local artist and architect, was selected from 30 applicants from across the country through a request for qualifications process administered by Shiftworks. Peters is known for his intricate architecturally-informed artwork, blending traditional materials like ceramic blocks and tiles with digital design and his patented 3D ceramic printer. His approach reflects Pittsburgh’s transformation over the decades from an industrial powerhouse to a leader in information and technology.
The final artwork, Ripples, was inspired by the nearby Allegheny River and historical architectural details around Pittsburgh. Peters used specialized computer modeling to design the panels’ undulating surface, ensuring they create a dynamic visual experience for travelers passing at highway speeds. His plans were shared with Faddis Concrete of New Castle, Pennsylvania, who created form liners based on Peters’ design. These liners were used in the production of over 700 concrete panels, which the general contractor installed on-site.
Related
CLIENT PROJECTS
Site Furnishings for the Plaza at Hazelwood Green
In 2018, Shiftworks, in partnership with Monmade, was hired to lead the commissioning of site furnishings designed by local artists for this two-acre park space.
Project Video
About the Client
PennDOT oversees programs and policies affecting highways, urban and rural public transportation, airports, railroads, ports, and waterways. More than three-quarters of PennDOT’s annual budget is invested in Pennsylvania’s approximately 121,000 miles of state and local highways and 32,000 state and local bridges. PennDOT is directly responsible for nearly 40,000 miles of highway and roughly 25,400 bridges, a system first established in 1911. PennDOT also administers the state’s 12.1 million vehicle registrations and 10.1 million driver’s licenses and IDs, and oversees safety and emission inspection programs
About the Artist
Brian Peters is an artist, designer, fabricator, and educator originally from Grand Rapids, MI who now calls Pittsburgh home. Peters earned a Master’s of Architecture from the University of Illinois at Chicago, as well as a Master of Advanced Architecture from the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia. Peters has also taught and practiced architecture and design around the world, including in Chicago, Barcelona, Amsterdam, and Pittsburgh.
Peters’ work consists of ceramic blocks and three-dimensional tiles that are designed by writing digital code, fabricated on custom 3D printers he builds, and then hand glazed and kiln-fired. The final result is similar to traditional ceramics in that it is durable and easy to maintain. He embraces abstraction and pattern as a way of deconstructing the world around us while also exploring the interaction of light, considering how the transition from day to night impacts the context of a piece.
Peters has exhibited work around the world, including the New Taipei City Yingge Ceramics in Taiwan, and has completed commissioned projects, including works funded by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Carnegie Museum of Art. His work is widely publicized and has received several prestigious awards, including an R+D Award from Architect Magazine in 2014 for 3D printed ceramics.
Additional Project Support
Faddis Concrete Products
Golden Triangle Construction
Image credits
Gallery, top:
(1) Artist Brian Peters in front of Ripples on Route 28, photo courtesy of the artist; (2) Brian Peters at Faddis Concrete, photo by Shiftworks; (3–5) Ripples installation, photos courtesy of the artist; (6–8) Brian Peters, Ripples, 2023 photos by Billy Kyle
Video:
MAKE ROOTS
Artist Headshot:
Matt Dayak
Related
CLIENT PROJECTS
Site Furnishings for the Plaza at Hazelwood Green
In 2018, Shiftworks, in partnership with Monmade, was hired to lead the commissioning of site furnishings designed by local artists for this two-acre park space.