2024 CNY Parade Bank of America Float
As the Co-Lead Designer for Bank of America’s 2024 Chinese New Year Parade float, I took on the role of embodying The Year of the Wooden Dragon. Utilizing 3D modeling, CNC machining, and woodworking, I designed and fabricated an 8 x 10’ puzzle dragon to stand atop the float.
Sketching & Ideation
I began the design process by consulting with my co-designer and our client to ensure we had a common goal before researching 3D puzzles, wooden joinery, and studying sculptures made by the shop in previous years.
Design Finalization
The resulting design included ~ 100 individual wooden pieces, 80 of which interlocked to create the dragon sculpture.
The overall design included subtle staining and accents of paint, but was intentionally left mostly bare to emphasize the theme of the wooden dragon and the representation of the element as a part of Chinese culture.
Fabrication
After using a CNC mill to cut out each individual piece, the dragon was assembled using a rubber mallet and stablized with a series of wooden dowels. Minimal hardware was needed due to snug fitting of all the pieces as a result of precise tolerance calculations. LED strip lights were then fastened to the profiles to give it a more dramatic effect in the dark during the parade.
Final Float
The final float was driven in the parade procession throughout downtown San Francisco. Representatives from Bank of America rode the float as the float passed by many cheering onlookers.