We reimagine what places can be, and we’re with you from first sketch to final install.

Big or small, permanent or temporary, we know how to get it built.

Our work begins long before anything is fabricated or installed and it continues until the work is standing in public. We are involved every step of the way.

Whether we are developing a citywide initiative, producing a sculpture, curating artwork for a public space or managing a fast-moving installation, our role is to make the creative vision buildable in the real world.

ART CONSULTATION

We help define what’s possible.

Many public art projects begin with a big idea and a lot of unanswered questions. What kind of artwork belongs here? Who are the stakeholders? Is the site feasible? What does the budget allow? What approvals, partners or public considerations need to be addressed? How can we make this happen?

Building 180 helps clients develop the opportunity before the project is fully defined. We bring creative direction, artist insight, production knowledge and project experience to the earliest stages of planning.

  • Public art strategy

  • Project visioning

  • Feasibility planning

  • Artist sourcing and selection

  • Curatorial direction

  • Site and context analysis

  • Budget planning

  • Project roadmap development

  • Community and stakeholder considerations

When the pandemic left San Francisco shuttered and disconnected

Building 180 created Paint the Void, turning a moment of crisis into a scalable model for civic revitalization.

PRODUCTION

We support artists so they can focus on the work.

Artists are at the center of what we do. Building 180 helps bridge the gap between the creative process and the practical requirements of monumental public-facing projects.

We support artists through the logistics, communication, documentation, coordination and production systems that keep bold work on track without compromising the integrity of the art.

  • Artist calls and selection processes

  • Artist communication and coordination

  • Contracts and documentation

  • Budget and schedule coordination

  • Fabrication planning

  • Engineering coordination

  • Materials and vendor coordination

  • Insurance and compliance support

  • Installation planning

  • Press and presentation support

For Charon’s European tour, Building 180 handled every production system around Peter Hudson’s sculpture so the artist could focus on the piece itself: freight, permits, insurance, engineering, crew and installation at every stop.

CIVIC NAVIGATION

We move art through public processes.

Public art does not exist in a vacuum. It often touches city agencies, property owners, public safety requirements, neighborhood context, permitting pathways, funders and community stakeholders.

Building 180 understands how to work inside these systems while keeping momentum, clarity and trust intact. We help clients and artists anticipate challenges early, communicate with the right people and steer projects through the approvals and requirements that uphold the work.

  • Permitting coordination

  • City and agency communication

  • Public-space approvals

  • Jurisdictional research

  • Site access coordination

  • Safety planning

  • Insurance requirements

  • Stakeholder communication

  • Community context planning

  • Public trust and risk considerations

Building 180 works across city departments, park agencies and neighborhood groups to secure sites and approvals for up to 100 monumental artworks along Big Art Loop’s 34-mile trail.

REALIZATION

We get it done.

Building 180 manages the production details that get big ideas built. From fabrication and shipping to installation, site coordination, troubleshooting and final delivery, we bring the practical experience required to execute intricate projects safely and responsibly.

We are comfortable in the field, on the build site, in the production schedule and in the unexpected moments that come with doing work that has no standard playbook.

  • Production management

  • Project management

  • Fabrication coordination

  • Vendor coordination

  • Shipping and logistics

  • Installation management

  • Site coordination

  • Budget tracking

  • Timeline management

  • On-site problem solving

  • Deinstallation and ongoing care

When two major roadways became car-free parks

Building 180 helped artists reshape them into places to gather, play and stay.

Build With Us