Drawing inspiration from the ingenuity and creativity of Jules Verne, an innovative consulting firm named Forefront recently completed a modern renovation of two 1800’s homes
As a company that is used to being ahead of the curve, for over 20 years Forefront has been on the cutting edge of corporate transformation. By monitoring disruptive technologies and thinking outside of the box, Michel Berger, President and CEO has led his team through turbulent economies and global industries – emerging today as a technology niche specialist integrating cloud software seamlessly into corporate ecosystems in over 14 countries worldwide.
Growing up a youngster in Paris, Berger always dreamed of traveling and seeing the world. He knew a career in engineering would be his ticket to great adventure.
Among the stories that shaped his childhood dreams were the science fiction tales of famed 19th century author, Jules Verne – a genius and true visionary whose creative mind conjured up the underwater adventure, “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea”, in which characters traveled beneath the oceans’ surface in a nuclear powered machine at a time that predated the modern submarine.
“Verne was amazing, writing technically sound stories that were beyond his time,” said Berger. “When I would think ahead to the company I would build, I wanted to always be on the leading edge – the forefront of technology.”
Opportunity to be inspired
With the completion of Forefront’s new headquarters on River Road in Fair Haven, NJ, in January 2019, the company wanted to realize a longstanding goal of incorporating creative artwork that would represent their culture, their drive, and their foresight. Although it sounded easy, this proved to be a challenge for a business that deals with intangibles – innovative software solutions deployed to the cloud.As a company that is used to being ahead of the curve, for over 20 years Forefront has been on the cutting edge of corporate transformation. By monitoring disruptive technologies and thinking outside of the box, Michel Berger, President and CEO has led his team through turbulent economies and global industries – emerging today as a technology niche specialist integrating cloud software seamlessly into corporate ecosystems in over 14 countries worldwide.
“To the best of our knowledge, this is the first physical representation of Jules Verne’s cloud clipper vision,” said Berger. “It pays tribute to an era that opened opportunities and transformed possibilities.”
Slowly the concept emerged of bringing together technology and the aesthetic design inspired by the industrial steam-powered machinery that Jules Verne had imagined.
Enter Bruce Rosenbaum, Steampunk Guru and owner of ModVic, LLC. In 2012, Berger and Rosenbaum had met at an art show event at Pier 90 in New York City. Although not familiar with the sub-genre “steampunk”, Michel remembered Bruce as a retro-futuristic Victorian-era artist who could help with ideas and designing the right “look” for this new sculpture.
The story behind the artwork
“After all that time, I was surprised and delighted to hear from Michel,” said Rosenbaum. “He really had the perfect scenario to combine art, history, and technology into a Steampunk masterpiece, he just didn’t know it yet.”
“I love working with clients who want to use art to illustrate their creativity and culture.” – Bruce Rosenbaum
It was also a good match as Bruce happens to be a big fan of Jules Verne. As the two combed through the author’s collection of work, they came across the title “Clipper of the Clouds.” In the story, the main protagonist finds himself in a competition to design and build an airship.
The other inventors he was competing against took the conventional route of the day, incorporating balloons and dirigibles into their machines – basing their engineering on the scientific assumption that for anything to fly, it would have to virtually be “lighter” than air.
The hero of the story took a different approach, modeling his vessel on a clipper ship, known in the late 1800s as being the fastest hull design through water. His critics thought it preposterous that something so heavy would ever fly, but in utilizing propellers akin to modern day drones, the inventor’s work was a success – and his ship dominated the skies.
“When we discussed it,” said Rosenbaum, “It was the really the perfect metaphor – a forwarding thinking inventor, using leading edge technology, designing a vehicle that dominates the clouds!”
Soaring into a new home
Weighing over 300 lbs., the Forefront Flying Cloud Clipper is approximately 10 ft. long, 17 inches wide and now hangs suspended 12 ft. overhead in a specially designed atrium in the new HQ. It was fabricated by Marty and Michael Ulman, a father/son team from Roslindale Studios in Massachusetts.
“It is a unique experience when you first see the ship, you see it from underneath,” explains Berger. “From the original story, it is meant to be camouflaged with the sky and its hull is painted a light blue. The ornamental mermaid normally seen on the bow of the ship is actually on the back – again to confuse someone viewing from the ground as to which direction the vessel is traveling.”
“We love the opportunity and challenge of creating this sculptural art piece,” said Michael Ulman. “We tried our best to follow the story line regarding the ship’s design and capabilities.”
Click here for time lapse installation video.
The best viewing area is actually from the building’s second floor, where vertical windows offer a clear line of sight to the details and repurposed materials of the ship’s deck and rotating propeller masts.
The machinery to spin the rotors is an art deco 1930s paint compressor, the ship’s horn is a vantage Delahaye car klaxon, the forward-looking steering is an early 1900s ophthalmic examination antique, and electronic green and red lights signify the port and starboard sides of the ship.
This level of detail is akin to the programming and technical expertise that Forefront’s staff must possess to accomplish their client work.
Symbolizing both the journey and the success along the way.
In early 2019, Forefront completed a renovation of 2 adjacent homes into a modern day, sustainably minded, eco-friendly office space – embracing the future while honoring the past.
