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This has happened to me a couple of times. Where do you start? Obviously the face- to-face conversation with your client is necessary and is the opportunity to find out some very preliminary parameters.
Is there an established budget? The budget is the restricting factor for the project. As a general rule, budgets for Civic Public Art Projects in North America cost out at 1% of the project budget, though 1/2 % and 1 ½% are also seen. Of course this is a generality and may not reflect specific needs of your client. It will determine scale and materials used.
The relationship between budget and scale is critical. The wrong scale can render your piece a failure given an inappropriate setting. Determine with your client the appropriate scale. You should take the lead in this situation.
2. MATERIALS Materials should be appropriate for the site. Vandal resistant materials used where there is immediate access may cost more than materials used in private or indoor settings. Damage from vandals and weather can include graffiti, physically inflicted damage, atmospheric damage such as acidic rain and oxidization. All of the above can be ameliorated with appropriate materials. More resilient materials often used include bronze, stainless steel, powder coated aluminum, some stone, some plastics and some glass.
If the piece you are going to
propose is too small, and your clients can’t change their budget, then you will need to reconsider the piece and the materials it is composed of.
In general there are four major budgeting considerations:
1. SCALE Appropriate scale for the site is the most important consideration. Undersized sculptures in prominent, highly focused areas lose the essence and purpose of what is to be accomplished with the sculpture. Sculptures too large for a given site dominate and reduce both the effectiveness of the surrounding architecture and the sculpture.
3. AESTHETIC CONSIDERATIONS Site specificity needs to be considered. What is the context and surrounding environment composed of? Is the site surrounded by contemporary architecture? What is the nature of the buildings, do they contain business offices? Are they ground floor retail stores? Is the site primarily residential in nature? What is the historical or ethnic nature of the area? Materials must again be considered from an aesthetic perspective. Is stone most appropriate? Maybe stainless steel should be considered if the area in which the sculpture is located is vandal prone. The considerations will definitely be affecting the budget.
4. SITE PREPARATION Site preparation costs can be involved because of servicing and related considerations. Much of site prep need only consist of design work as existing landscaping features such as pavers will already be budgeted for in the project. Water features need piped water; electrical services such
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