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Questions we actually get

What does Rec Department do?

Rec Department is an experiential design and fabrication studio in Atlanta, and the special projects division for brands, artists, and agencies. We design, engineer, fabricate, and install brand activations, foam sculpture, custom installations, stage and conference scenic, and large-format signage. One team from concept to install.

Where is Rec Department located?

Our studio and shop are at 787 Wheeler St NW, Atlanta, GA 30318, in West Midtown Atlanta. We install across the Southeast and nationwide; recent projects landed in Atlanta, Nashville, San Antonio, San Diego, Frisco, Boston, and New York.

What kinds of projects do you take on?

Physical brand experiences of most shapes and scales: multi-week outdoor activations, conference main stages and breakout environments, oversized sculptural photo moments, custom furniture with electronics inside, dimensional logos and hanging signage, and one-of-one special projects for brands, artists, and agencies.

Do you design, or just build?

Both, and that's the point. Our team covers creative direction, engineering, and fabrication under one roof, so the person who drew it and the person who welds it share a wall. We also build from your agency's designs when the creative already exists.

Do you work with agencies and production companies?

Yes, constantly. Much of our work comes through agencies, experiential shops, and executive producers. We slot in as the design-and-fabrication partner: drawings, engineering, honest timelines, and crews that show up.

Do you do foam sculpting?

Yes, in-house, and it's one of the things people are most surprised we do. We sculpt large-scale foam props, mascots, characters, and oversized objects, then finish, paint, and engineer them to stand up, hang, or take a crowd. Sculpting, finishing, structure, and install by one team.

What counts as a "special project"?

The thing nobody else will quote. A miniature Airstream. A rideable hot dog. A mascot sculpture for an NBA arena. If the brief sounds crazy out loud and has a hard deadline, that's exactly the work we're built for.

What materials and techniques do you work in?

Wood, steel, aluminum, acrylic, polycarbonate, foam, turf, paint, and print. On the technical side: LED integration, projection-ready surfaces, Arduino-driven mechanisms, and motorized elements engineered in-house.

Do you handle delivery and installation?

Yes. We truck, install, maintain, and load out our builds. For multi-week public activations we run scheduled maintenance so the piece stays photo-ready for the whole run. Storage available for pieces that come back.

Do clients come back?

That's the pattern we're proudest of. Brand Apart has worked with us for eight years, Dude Perfect for six, Melt Atlanta for five. Most first projects turn into long-term relationships, and pieces we built years ago still come back to the shop for refreshes and re-installs.

How far in advance should we reach out?

Earlier is always better, but tell us the real deadline and we'll tell you the truth about it. Our project timelines have run from 48 hours to six months. It depends entirely on what we're building.

How does pricing work?

Every project is scoped individually against design complexity, materials, engineering, and install logistics. We quote from a defined scope of work, and we're direct about what moves the number. Reach out with your budget range and we'll tell you what it buys.

Who are some of your clients?

Clients and projects include Chick-fil-A, Coca-Cola, Delta, AT&T, Aflac, Dude Perfect, WK Kellogg Co, SAIA, and Vanderbilt University, working both directly and alongside agency partners.

How do we start?

Email info@recdept.com with what you're imagining, where it's happening, and when. We'll come back with questions, then a point of view.

Get in touch
Rec Department. Experiential design and fabrication, Atlanta. recdept.com