Solo Project
6 weeks
Design and build a decorative, outdoor lamp for a specific location, drawing visual language from that location, using only a standard socket.
13-foot tall permanent outdoor lamp designed for Atlanta's Historic Fourth Ward Park made from welded and bent steel tubes.
The Historic Fourth Ward Park in Atlanta has recently been renovated to be a beautiful park. However, after I visited the park at night I realized that there was a need for better lighting. I decided to design the lamp for this park and identified its key characteristics, such as the curves of the amphitheater steps, the framework of the bridge rails, and the dark areas at night.
I applied the visual language of the park to the lamp, drawing from the bridge rails and the curves of the amphitheater steps. I also wanted to include dramatic and decorative lighting effects, which I included by allowing light to shine through and reflect off the patterned brackets.
I had zero experience building something of this scale, but I do have a lot of experience in CAD and general fabrication. At this scale, a small slip-up could sink the project.
I meticulously planned out the entire lamp in CAD (which made it easy to 3D print the bulb-fixture pieces) in order to know the design from every angle. I made a drawing from the model, which I always had in my back pocket during fabrication so I could use it as a reference.
Using the technical drawing as a guide, I cut, welded, and grinded all the pieces, setting the metal frame in a concrete base.
Bent and welded steel
Laser-cut acrylic light diffuser
Hex-screw connector brackets
5000 lumen bulb
Concrete base
