Structural Design · Fabrication · Public Installation

Creek Show Dragonflies

Translated artist concepts into four illuminated steel sculptures engineered, fabricated, wired, and installed over a live urban creek.

Mechanical Engineering Intern · Waterloo Greenway Conservancy · May 2022–Jan 2023 · Austin, TX

Four illuminated dragonfly sculptures installed over Waller Creek at night — The completed installation during Austin Creek Show.

4Unique sculptures

14+ ftWingspan

200+Welded joints

−30%Peak current force

From artwork to structure

The artwork had to retain the artist's visual intent while becoming a manufacturable structure with distinct wing geometry, internal masts, mounting interfaces, lighting, and serviceable electronics.

Interpret

Translate client drawings and artistic proportions into engineering requirements.

Engineer

Develop four complete SolidWorks assemblies and creek-bed mounting structures.

Prototype

Iterate geometry and assembly details before committing to full-scale fabrication.

SolidWorks master assembly for a Creek Show dragonfly — Master CAD assembly: geometry, mast, and mounting structure.

Full-scale assembled dragonfly before installation — Full-scale assembly before transport and installation.

Fabrication ownership

I led the transition from digital assemblies to four physical sculptures: toolpaths, cut parts, weldments, wiring, and water-resistant electronics packaging.

Cut

8 unique wings

Prepared Fusion 360 CAM and laser-cut geometry for the individual wing-frame designs.

Join

200+ welds

Fabricated the full-scale structures and maintained alignment across thin-frame geometry.

Integrate

4 LED systems

Soldered, routed, and protected the lighting hardware for a month outdoors above water.

Fabricated laser-cut dragonfly wing frames — Cut and welded wing-frame geometry.

Creek Show dragonfly mounting structures over the water — Structural mounts positioned over Waller Creek.

Design for the environment

A public sculpture in a creek has environmental load cases that a gallery object does not. Wind, water current, flash-flood conditions, mounting strength, and electronics exposure all affected the final design.

Analyze

FEA + dimensional analysis

Used SolidWorks Simulation and ANSYS to assess structural response and compare design changes.

Reduce

30% lower peak force

Changed the creek-facing structure to reduce peak current-induced loading.

Protect

Outdoor electronics

Packaged and routed the LED systems for an exposed, water-adjacent installation.

Installation work in Waller Creek — Installing and aligning the structures in the creek environment.

Illuminated dragonfly wing during Creek Show — Integrated lighting operating during the public show.

Delivered result

Full show run completed

All four dragonflies operated throughout Creek Show, turning a set of artistic concepts into reliable public infrastructure seen by thousands of visitors.

SolidWorksANSYSMIG weldingFusion 360 CAMLaser cuttingElectronics packaging

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