Design and Computational Methods
Python scripts, C# routines, and Grasshopper definitions were employed to process historical datasets of oil wells, mapping thousands of points into interconnected extrusions. The computational framework emphasized both aggregation and distortion, creating a structure that is simultaneously systematic and unruly. This method translates invisible forces — data, flow, and time — into tangible geometries, underscoring the dissonance between abstract extraction statistics and lived environmental impact.

Material Tactics
Fabrication techniques drew upon both architectural and sculptural traditions. Wood was employed as the base substrate, providing a structural framework for the sinuous extrusions. The surfaces were coated in black Plasti-Dip to evoke the sheen and viscosity of petroleum, while embedded carbon and gelatin layers suggested contamination, seepage, and decay. The combination of industrial and organic materials accentuated the duality of oil as both a driver of technological progress and a source of environmental toxicity.

Program and Audience Engagement
Sweet Crude was conceived not only as a sculptural object but as a discursive platform. By rendering drilling data as an unsettling, visceral form, the project sought to generate community dialogue around the hidden costs of extraction. Viewers confronted a physical timeline of expansion that was at once monumental and unsettling, a reminder of the scale of Oklahoma’s reliance on oil and the dangers of ignoring its ecological consequences.

Conclusion
At its core, Sweet Crude is a proposal for seeing differently — an architectural experiment that uses computational design and material tactics to transform raw data into cultural critique. By translating patterns of extraction into a grotesque physical presence, the project makes visible the corrupting outcomes of greed and overconsumption, revealing the environmental scars that continue to shape the landscape of Oklahoma.