OTL Wraps up a Banner Year

The year 2024 was quite exciting for Outside the Lines, Inc., as we celebrated the completion of several water feature projects, the installation of revolutionary technology at two spectacular show fountains, the addition of some highly talented new team members, and the winning of several awards from respected industry media. 

Projects Completed 

In Los Angeles County’s San Gabriel Valley, OTL constructed an outdoor water feature at the main campus for City of Hope, a private, non-profit clinical research center, hospital, and graduate school that resides on 110 acres of land adjacent to the boundaries of Duarte and Irwindale, California. The fountain features a 60-foot inverted radius wall with basalt finishes and white water that spills into the basin at 1,500 gallons per minute, run by 15 submersible pumps each emptying 100 gallons per minute. Lights were installed to illuminate the water wall, producing a dramatic yet soothing effect. The project provides a breathtaking focal point, producing delightful sounds and sensations for visitors to enjoy. 

Our team also created a stunning water feature at the circular driveway entrance to The Sinclair – formerly known as Energy Plaza, an office tower in Dallas, Texas, that recently underwent a $300 million repositioning to a mix of luxury apartment residences and upgraded office spaces. The fountain we delivered, featuring 714 hand-placed glass blocks, fiber optic lighting, and a fog system that creates a serene mist around a towering magnolia tree, sets the tone for this property’s elegant transformation. 

In Portland, Oregon, we designed and built a soothing water feature at Block 41, a 23-story residential and commercial tower that is part of a 10-acre site overlooking the beautiful Willamette River. The fountain features jet displays and LED lighting over a sloped concrete pad that allows for an aesthetically pleasing water display with minimal splash – incorporating both urban and natural elements on an interactive deck. 

Nearly a decade ago, we provided the construction, LED lighting, several systems and programming for an 830-foot-long fountain with an interactive children’s area at downtown San Diego’s Waterfront Park. This year, we designed and constructed another project on that waterfront: a sandstone boulder water feature amongst the buildings at the Research and Development District (RaDD) of life sciences company IQHQ, an eight-acre office, retail, dining, premium event and public art space that has transformed the waterfront area in recent years. The water feature, which is illuminated at night, offers the calming sounds of water flowing freely through large natural sandstone boulders into a reflecting pool, providing a serene respite from its bustling surroundings. 

At San Diego’s Fashion Valley Mall, an upscale lifestyle destination in the city’s Mission Valley area, the OTL team refurbished an existing fountain as part of the mall’s multi-million-dollar renovation. We completed a beautiful lighted architectural fountain at the site that reflects San Diego’s relaxed lifestyle and stunning aesthetics. The project is a testament to our ability to deliver excellent service including working at night instead of during the day to minimize disruption to retail tenants at the property and finding innovative ways to fill a fountain with water when no nearby source is available. 

Also in San Diego, OTL revitalized a more-than-20-year-old fountain in the lobby of Pala Resort & Casino in Pala, California. The project, which included six meticulously selected strands of 20-foot decorative lighted rain chains and four exotic natural boulders with water running down the surface, provides an impactful first impression and iconic focal point for this hotel and gaming hotspot in eastern San Diego County. 

In addition, outside Scripps Pitzer’s Science Center (SPSC) in Claremont, California, we designed and built an artful water feature containing a sculpture hanging from three cables over the center of a fountain supported by three stainless-steel slanted columns. OTL was challenged during construction with protecting the “absolute black” polished granite at the site and ensuring the water would recirculate while appearing to be unmoving. The sculpture over still water provides a place for reflection and meditation at the college campus. 

Technology Installations 

Along with completing these remarkable projects, this year our team installed Aquarius Interactive™, our proprietary interactive technology, at two awe-inspiring show fountains we had previously constructed: Illuvia at EpicCentral, a 172-acre entertainment park in Grand Prairie, Texas, and our second project at Mountain View Village, a mixed-use development in Riverton, Utah, offering retail, dining, and entertainment. Both water features provide dazzling displays while thrilling visitors with technology that allows them to control the fountains’ movement simply by moving their body. This is just the beginning of what Aquarius Interactive can do for property owners – visit our new website for this technology to learn more. 

New Team Members 

Over the last year, OTL also brought some valuable new team members on board, including Oscar E. Guereca, Jr., who joined us at the end of 2023, and Austin King, who began at our company in March – both as senior project engineers – as well as Melissa Silva, who started with us in July as administrative coordinator. As our firm evolves, we continue to seek stellar individuals with incredible skills and a strong work ethic to become part of Team OTL. 

Industry Awards 

Lastly, we are extremely proud of the industry recognition we have received this year. This includes our company’s win as an Influencer in Commercial Real Estate for 2024 and our CEO J. Wickham Zimmerman’s wins as one of GlobeSt.com.’s Best Bosses in Commercial Real Estate for 2024 and as a Los Angeles Times Commercial Real Estate Visionary for 2024. These awards motivate us to continue raising the bar for water feature design, construction and maintenance projects as well as our team culture. 

As we close out the year, OTL has many projects in the pipeline that we are looking forward to sharing with you in the coming months. We wish everyone a joyous holiday season and a happy and prosperous 2025!