I fell my project is the aesthetic, if you search “3D lake map”, “3D wood lake map”, “3D bathymetric map” or any combination of those terms, you get the idea that I am trying to replicate. My plan is to continue on with this direction but explore other aesthetics was fun.

Old World Map Aesthetic

Thinking of isolating the map aesthetic, I reflected on old world maps, where North America is crudely outlined, California is an island, and European nations carve their territories. This map is flat, inaccurate, but conveys the known information seen form the surface. I translate this to my lake map as having no depth measurements, inaccurate boundaries, and little to no descriptions of details. My sketch was aided by tracing on a screen to get the general outline correct. Otherwise, the lake would be absolutely unrecognizable. The old maps, although inaccurate or incorrect, are pretty accurate in general shape.

(Henricus Hondius, 1630)

Aluminum ‘Bowl’ 

Keeping the lake depth information, I change the manufacturing method, and thus the aesthetic, but switching to a novel method of extruding sheet metal I stumbled across. Machine Labs has a unique method of extruding sheet metal into organic and unique 3D shapes as a manufacturing method. Where large scale production might be better off with stamps and dies, one offs can be made very precise with state-of-the-art bending. My sketch is of an oval lake with some bathymetric terrain. This manufacturing method relies on digital manufacturing, and a part drawing would be useless, unless of a very simple shape. My sketch is very cured, as to the fact I am positive I could not afford to outsource my project to them. A picture is worth a thousand words, so I will let them describe: