The first project is a rectangular block with the proportions of the monolith from Arthur C. Clarke's science fiction classic, 2001: A Space Odyssey, 1:4:9, where the second and third values are the second and third natural squares (the book goes on to imply that the progression continues in other dimensions, but that is beyond the scope of this project). This allows us to cover cutting to length and width and to consider part orientation as a necessary adjunct of thickness, without the pressure of actually making the project.