From concept to close-out, our approach accurately estimates costs,
creates efficiencies, ensures team accountability to your objectives,
and provides outcomes that are on time and on budget.
In addition to the exhibit fabrication, kubik maltbie also offers pre-construction consulting, design assist services, and a design/build approach. These options invite early collaboration between the client team, designers, and exhibit fabricator, resulting in projects that meet objectives, budgets, and timelines by design.
Our design / build approach results in:
- A cross-disciplinary team focused on client objectives
- A holistic view of the project that considers maintenance and operations from day one
- A streamlined and efficient workflow
- A value-based approach to align design intent with target budgets
Creating The Plan
Creating a production plan that integrates our in-house efforts with those of other service providers is a key component to the success of a project.
It’s critical to establish a system of communication and consider the requirements various specialties have for completing their work.
Integrating Design
kubik maltbie fabricates projects designed by independent design firms or a museum’s internal design staff. Each fabrication project we undertake is unique. This makes us incredibly skilled at translating your ideas into physical reality.
Our construction documents preserve the designer’s intent, while translating design drawings into detailed technical construction documents.
Informed Engineering
Thorough, up-front, engineering is a key to the success of our projects. Developing an understanding of the intended visitor experience and outcomes is the first step in our engineering process.
The construction documents created provide the link from the original design drawing to the finished exhibit and act as the “instruction manual” for how to build and install the exhibits.
Effective Communication
Effective communication is a key to our success. It allows us to foresee threats to the schedule or budget and devise solutions before issues arise. Each person involved in the project is a critical link in the chain of communication.
To avoid lapses in planned communication and time-sensitive executional elements, our team maintains regular contact with the client and designer for the duration of the project.
Testing To Fail
Prototypes help us prove the functionality and durability of interactive exhibit components to ensure that they will work properly and consistently once they are installed.
Our fabrication shop builds cost-effective prototypes of components and test them with people who represent a cross section of typical visitors.
We often supplement this testing and actively attempt to find weak points in the design to minimize the chances of encountering costly and time-consuming functional problems.
Controlled Construction
In addition to our in-house staff, we maintain a network of specialty vendors for services such as laser cutting, CNC machining, casting, and powder-coating.
Our in-house fabrication specialists help determine which parts and assemblies we will build in-house, and which parts will be outsourced to our network of approved suppliers.
Our construction documents, created by our engineering team, act as the control throughout the fabrication phase.
Collaborative Quality
Prior to installation, each exhibit built by kubik maltbie is thoroughly inspected and tested by the Project Manager, Shop Foreman, client, and designer for overall function, anticipated usage scenarios, and construction integrity.
Once it passes project team scrutiny, we schedule testing sessions with representative audiences for real-life responses.
This process is then repeated on site, working in collaboration with the client team.
Beyond Opening Day
Exhibits are a costly investment that has to last for many years. We carefully document our work to ensure that you have the information and tools necessary to keep your exhibits looking as new as opening day.
We compile the knowledge we’ve acquired through the production of an exhibit and create detailed, image-based manuals that provide key information and guidelines for maintaining your exhibits.
Our Interactives Manager will use the manuals to guide training sessions museum staff, explaining exhibit operation, access to parts, scheduled maintenance, and troubleshooting.
Additionally, we often provide “How-To” video content of these training sessions to easily and accurately onboard new employees.