Project Overview

For EMPIRE’s 15 year anniversary event at Civic Center Plaza, I was responsible for coordinating the carpentry and construction of a custom 200 square foot merchandise booth designed by my friend Chalberto. I engineered and prefabricated more than 20 individual 4x8 wall panels, each framed with 2x4s and reinforced with two cross members before being sheathed and finished with black plexiglass. Every panel was labeled and fabricated for precise assembly, allowing the entire structure to be loaded into a trailer, transported to the event and assembled on site in less than five hours.

The project required nearly two weeks of detailed shop fabrication and planning, followed by a high pressure event day installation where we completed the interior plexiglass, finishes, custom display cases and final details on site. The finished booth created a durable, modular retail environment that showcased EMPIRE merchandise and pieces of the label’s history while maintaining a clean, architectural presentation within a major public event setting.

This project is a strong example of my ability to take a large custom build, break it down into transportable components, engineer the connections, and execute the final installation under a demanding event deadline.

Why this project mattered

EMPIRE is one of the biggest independent record labels to come out of the Bay Area, so getting the opportunity to build something for their 15 year anniversary was a full circle moment for me. Music has always been a major part of my life, and I’m an artist myself, so this project brought together two sides of my work that I really enjoy: building and creating.

The deadline was tight and the team put in long days to get everything prefabricated, transported and installed on time. Even with the pressure, it was one of those projects where everyone was working hard, having fun and enjoying the process. Once the booth was finished, we got to experience the festival together, meet artists I’ve looked up to for years and even spend time backstage while thousands of people filled Civic Center Plaza.

What I enjoyed most was everything that came from the project beyond the build itself. I made new friendships, built valuable connections and got to see something I helped engineer and construct standing in the middle of downtown San Francisco as part of a major music festival.

That is what I love about being a creative carpenter.

I get to use my craft to help other creatives, artists and brands turn ideas into something real, physical and memorable.