What we mean by creative fabrication
Creative fabrication is making things that are meant to be looked at and remembered, and also meant to last: sculptures, themed elements, window pieces, immersive details, large brand objects. The design has to be bold. The build has to be sound.
Most failures in this field are not failures of imagination. They come from the gap between the person who drew it and the person who built it. Our drawing office and our workshop are the same team, so that gap does not open.
From idea to object
We start with the image in your head, or the concept board your agency produced. Our designers resolve it into drawings: proportions, structure, materials, how it splits for transport and where the lights and motors go. You see a visual and a price before any material is cut.
Then we make it. Large forms are carved or built up in foam and fibreglass, hard parts are machined, structures are welded or joined, and everything is finished by hand in the paint shop. Finishes are tested in the light the piece will be seen in.
Delivery is part of the work: we crate, label, ship and install, and we stay until it is signed off.
What suits creative fabrication
Anything that has to be seen close up by many people. A seasonal grotto centrepiece. A product five times its real size. A moving figure. A stage set. A shop window that changes every month. Pieces like these reward a maker who thinks about the audience as well as the object.
They also punish shortcuts. A surface that reads as paint under studio light needs depth. A sculpture in a public space needs to survive being touched. We build for both.
Choosing the right material for the idea
The material decides how the piece looks, weighs, ages and travels. Expanded foam carved and coated in fibreglass gives a large form that two people can lift. Timber and board give crisp edges and a sound base for fixings. Steel carries load and spans gaps. Resin captures fine texture and suits parts that must repeat exactly.
We often combine them: a steel frame inside a foam skin, a resin detail on a timber body. We explain the choice in plain terms so you can see why a surface is what it is, and what it will tolerate.
Built for touch, weather and time
Ask how long the piece must last before you ask what it should look like. A window piece for a month needs little. A sculpture in a shopping centre for a season will be leaned on, climbed on and cleaned. An outdoor piece meets rain, sun and frost.
For public contact we use tougher coatings, rounded edges and hidden fixings. For outdoor use we seal every joint and choose paints that stay colour-true. Tell us where it will stand and for how long, and we build to that.
What we need from you to begin
A concept image or sketch, the size or the space, the date, and the name of the person who approves. If the piece carries a logo or a product, send the artwork files and any colour references. If the venue has rules on fire performance, loading or working hours, send them early.
From that we return a short note on feasibility, a drawing for approval and a programme. Nothing is cut until you have signed the drawing.
Working with agencies and in-house teams
Agencies bring us in when a concept has been sold and needs a maker who will say plainly what is possible. In-house creative teams use us as an extension of their studio, with one point of contact and a fixed schedule. In both cases you get a clear drawing, a clear price and a clear date, and you keep control of the creative.
Typical pieces
Questions
Is creative fabrication the same as prop making?
They overlap. Prop making is usually for a camera or a window. Creative fabrication includes that and also work that must survive public contact for a season or longer.
Do you design as well?
Yes. Concept, drawing and visualisation are done in-house, or we build from your design.
Can you match a render exactly?
We build to the approved visual and flag in advance anything that cannot be made as drawn, with an alternative.
What about safety?
Materials are chosen for the place and the use, with fire performance and loading considered at drawing stage.
How do we start?
Send a sketch, a render or two lines about what it is and when you need it. You will get a straight answer on feasibility and the next step.
Can pieces be repaired or refreshed later?
Yes. We build with access panels and replaceable parts where we can, and we keep the drawing on file so a repair or a repaint matches the original. Seasonal pieces can be stored, refurbished and reused.