CoxHealth Pediatrics
Springfield, MO
Project Type
- Corporate
Services
- Scenic Elements
- Seating
- Lighting
- Interior Design
- Rigging
- Concepting
- Design
- Fabrication
- Assembly
Location
- Houston, MO
Texas County Library Gets Creative With Paragon Fabrication
Paragon Fabrication was tapped to bring to its creativity, design, and fabrication skills to bear for several custom scenic projects at the new Texas County Library in Houston, MO. Paragon Fabrication was first selected by Sapp Design Architects to design, fabricate, and install posed aluminum butterflies hanging from the ceiling in the main space of the library. The success of this butterfly art installation then led to a substantial number of other projects at the library, initially including a donor wall, and then the crown jewel of the library: Evelyn’s Creative Center children’s space, incorporating extensive theming, scenic, and décor and involving a sculptured reading nook, wall murals, displays, cabinets, shelving, signage, craft area, seating, and activity table.
"Everything about this project came out beyond what we expected."
Custom Design Inspires Creativity and Sparks Imagination
Evelyn’s Creative Center, located within the new Texas County Library, was built to honor the memory of nine-year-old Evelyn Marie Dieckhaus, who tragically lost her life in a school shooting. This special children’s area was created through the love and support of her family and friends, and serves as a space of inspiration, exploration, and community engagement. The Center was designed to share Evelyn’s love of nature, her spirit, creativity, and compassion, as well as to foster curiosity, imagination, and learning through interactive art, science, and nature-based experiences.
Paragon Fabrication brought the concept of a child’s view of the wonder of nature, as seen through a bug’s eye, to fruition throughout the space. Paragon worked closely with Evelyn’s family to design the Creative Center to reflect her interests in nature, science, and art. The centerpiece is a large, oversized, mushroom reading nook. The mushroom stalk has a doorway and two windows, as well as a lit underside and interior to provide a place for kids to read. On top of the mushroom is perched a larger-than-life frog. Paragon designed, fabricated, and sculpted both to look whimsical yet realistic. To either side of the reading nook, are live-edge, bench seat, book cubbies with butterflies inlaid in epoxy. All of this is surrounded by wall murals of a prairie flower field, featuring 3D creatures, and intended to represent what a bug would see.
In addition to these creative elements, Paragon designed and fabricated several other nature-themed installations, including acrylic display cabinets featuring forty butterflies, insects of the world, and Missouri insect specimens. Other displays included a sculpted snake diorama with copperhead, rattlesnake, and green snakes, and a 2D cross-sectional, layered soil diorama highlighting all the diverse organisms and life that occurs in a soil biome.
Custom Cabinets & Donor Wall
The displays were all housed in a prominent cabinet designed and built by Paragon Fabrication. The cabinet included an inspirational quote in raised lettering cut from acrylic and painted. And perhaps most importantly, Paragon Fabrication created a large format, digitally printed poem that Evelyn wrote, featuring her handwriting on aluminum. The cabinet also featured a carved wood sign that reads “Evelyn Marie Dieckhaus Creative Center,” mounted on a metal branch sculpture with metal bird’s nest, all designed and fabricated by Paragon.
Paragon Fabrication also designed, fabricated, and installed a donor wall to recognize contributors to the library project and the Evelyn’s Creative Center. To accommodate recognizing donors separately, allow the donor list to grow, and to keep with the nature theme of the creative center, Paragon created a gratitude tree scene. The butterflies and leaves of the trees recognize the donors of the library, including assorted sizes for the tier levels, with a river of printed metal panels for donors to the creative center below.
A Word From the Designer
"Everything about this project came out beyond what we expected" stated Addison Keck, Interior Designer, Sapp Design Architects. "After working with Paragon, I have full confidence in myself and my design. I really don't feel that I have too many limits placed on my shoulders." Senior Interior Designer for Sapp Design Architects, Kathe Kristek went on to say, "... Paragon Fabrication made our lives very easy and really outperformed for our clients."
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