The plan for the state of the art center for musical and visual arts was to completely gut the structure, graft on an addition and repurpose the newly renovated space. The Pendleton West building at Wellesley College was full of cramped classrooms and labs, unchanged since its 1934 construction. Wellesley would launch a fundraising campaign to bring the former science building into the 21st Century, decisively and in its entirety.
An endeavor as ambitious as this demanded a presentation beyond the usual Power Point, so the development team at Wellesley turned to the digital magicians at Studio AMD and their three-dimensional imaging app. Studio AMD, in turn, collaborated with Portfoliobox to build the physical launch platform for the project.
The app and the wrap
Portfoliobox, Studio AMD, and digital printer iolabs, had previously collaborated on a similar project for the University of Kentucky. The core of the presentation is an iPad Air loaded with AMD’s Augmented Reality app and a specially printed photographic wrap on the top and sides of the inner slipcase.
When viewed through the iPad, the campus buildings, including the proposed repurposed structure, appear to rise in three dimensions from the platform in a holographic sleight of hand. Proper positioning of the wrap on all surfaces of the slipcase is critical for the app to work properly, and the crafts people at Portfoliobox were up to the precision challenge.
A Custom Slipcase within a Custom Slipcase
The outer box is a slipcase with a 5-Panel wrap-around folder and hidden magnetic closure. The covering material, Iris, is a natural linen-type fabric made in Germany by Bamberger. The logo is hot stamped with a white pigment foil.
When opened, a second slipcase housing the iPad is revealed along with a ribbon pull. This internal case is covered with white Brillianta digitally printed at iolabs on a Roland large format printer using Eco-Solvent inks. This painstaking process of covering the internal case allows the holographic app to work its magic. A wood framed slipcase, with its crisp edges and corners, assures exact placement and guards against image drop off. The interior pads are covered with domestic Arrestox, its smooth surface allowing the iPad to easily slide out.
We’re happy to report that the capital campaign was a success and reconstruction of the building is close to completion. Portfoliobox is proud to have been an instrument in furthering the academic prowess of such a well-respected institution. Through a confluence of tactile and virtual techniques and our collaborative efforts with our partners we were able to create an effective and memorable presentation piece for Wellesley.
Technical Specifications
Product held: iPad
Style: Slipcase with 5 Panel Folder, with additional inner slipcase
Size: 7″ x 11″ x 2″
Base materials: .25″ basswood, .120 Eska board, .5″ Foamex
Cover materials: Iris book cloth, inkjet printed Brillianta, Arrestox
Decoration: Foil Stamp
