"Rebar" is not just a sculpture, but a testament to the power of collaboration and innovation at Lehigh University. Through the joint efforts of artists, architects, and engineers, this magnificent structure was born from the most unlikely of materials - rebar. Spearheaded by the visionary Anthony Viscardi, who has been shaping the minds of Lehigh's architecture students since 1992, this project is more than just a sculpture - it is an opportunity to promote the importance of design build and the magic of working together. By testing the limits of what rebar could do, the team of engineers was able to create a stunning array of hollow beams that grace the sides of the sculpture, making it a true masterpiece of form and function.

The project began in collaboration with Frank Fantauzzi, a professor at the University of Buffalo, who played a crucial role in the creation of the sculpture “Rebar”. Since Fantosi came to Lehigh from Buffalo, industrial sights always excited him. He was particularly interested in touring and further exploring the Bethlehem Steel Stacks and the remnants of the once-constructed steel plant. During the sculpture's creation and 2-dimensional planning phase, Viscardi, Fantauzzi, and a group of 13 students traveled numerous times to visit the Steel Stacks for inspiration and to be able to see the mechanical hardships of the steelworkers. Fantauzzi brought a model of two sticks with dowels woven in between, along with a twisting mechanism at the front that raised the bars, and inspired the team to use rebar as the material for the structure. Fontosi returned to Lehigh every couple of weeks to work with the students, faculty, and engineers on the project. Thanks to his contribution and expertise, the sculpture was successfully built and has become a symbol of collaboration between different disciplines and the power of turning mundane materials into something extraordinary.

During the project's initial stages, the students involved were encouraged to take an active role in the creation process. This included getting permits and digging the foundation, tasks typically done by contractors. The project's leader, Anthony Viscardi, strongly believed in the concept of design build, where learning occurs through teamwork and trust-building. He had completed ten design build projects at Lehigh, and found that groups who worked together for extended periods had a stronger bond. As a result, the students involved in the "Rebar" sculpture project spent long hours together and worked tirelessly to complete it within a single semester. In the end, the Class of 2007 proudly completed the project, a testament to the power of collaboration and design build principles.

The slight slope of the sculpture and its opening accentuate the site and make it a wonder to behold. The sculpture is also meant to be played with, as Viscardi wants students to reveal its true beauty and interact with it. Through the many years of weathering the outer beauty of the sculpture remains and students enjoy watching it and seeing it adapt and change to the different seasons. 

"Rebar" is a sculpture that embodies the spirit of collaboration and design build. It was created by a team of students, engineers, faculty members, and artists who worked together to turn something ordinary into something beautiful. The beauty of its design came about in the process of discovering things, going to physical places like the Bethlehem Steel plant and Mountaintop Campus at Lehigh made the project feel as though it belonged to every person that touched it. The sculpture is located on the way to places and is meant to be interacted with by students. Viscardi sees the sculpture as a sense of wonder that changes the way people see everything, and he believes that collaboration builds trust and creates a bond between the university and its students.