California-based design-build construction company Outside the Lines—known for its Las Vegas-like dancing water fountains projects in North Texas and beyond—has expanded in the Southwest with a new office in Arlington.

“The demand for entertainment-driven amenities has skyrocketed over the last several years as it plays a vital role in driving traffic to commercial properties,” CEO J. Wickham Zimmerman said in a statement. “Because of this rising demand, we have seen tremendous growth in our business, especially with the launch of our new proprietary AI technology. This was the right time to expand our presence in Texas and establish a new office in Arlington.”

Southern California-based since 2007, OTL has a long history of designing, building, and constructing large-scale entertainment-focused water features for commercial properties, as well as realistic rockwork and themed environments. To date, the company said it has completed more than $200 million in projects across the U.S. and $30 million across Texas.

OTL’s fountains dance in Arlington and Grand Prairie

OTL has designed and built several show fountains in retail and mixed-use properties across Texas, including the special effects show fountain at Texas Live! in the Arlington Entertainment District .

OTL also created what it calls “the tallest interactive water feature in the world,” the Nancy Best fountain at Klyde Warren Park, the 5.2-acre park in downtown Dallas, and the Illuvia fountain at EpicCentral, a 172-acre entertainment destination in Grand Prairie.

High tech fountains ‘help create memorable experiences’

EpicCentral, a mixed-use project developed in partnership with the city of Grand Prairie, is centered around the Illuvia fountain to help draw interest and increase foot traffic onsite, and to create a welcoming space for the community to gather.

“We recently installed our patented AI-powered technology at Illuvia,” Zimmerman said.

He said the new Aquarius Interactive technology system enables guests to interact directly with the water feature. Without having to touch any equipment or enter the fountain, the system detects users’ location and motion and responds with displays of water, lights, and effects. The company said the technology also captures valuable data, such as foot traffic, length of stay, and more.

“Illuvia was designed to transform the way that guests interact within the property and has had a tremendous impact on its success,” Zimmerman said. “Since Illuvia opened, the property has received 30,000 visitors a week in peak summer season, and we believe the addition of this new interactive technology will increase site visits, and repeat visits, even more.”

Barry Caylor, VP of business development for OTL—whose team is headquartered in the new Arlington office—said the partnership with Grand Prairie officials is just one example of the firm’s expansion in Texas, and the promising capabilities of the company’s new AI technology.

“Our new office helps position us to meet the continually growing need for entertainment driven amenities in all kinds of commercial properties throughout the southwest region,” Caylor said. “With the increasing capabilities of new technology, we can help create memorable experiences for consumers that are completely unique, so we know there is a huge potential for more growth for OTL in the Texas area.”

Other notable OTL projects include Aquarium at the Boardwalk in Branson, Missouri; Mountain View Village II in Riverton, Utah; Sandy Hook Memorial Fountain in Sandy Hook, Connecticut; and Beaverton City Park Foundation in Beaverton, Oregon.

Don’t miss what’s next. Subscribe to Dallas Innovates.

Track Dallas-Fort Worth’s business and innovation landscape with our curated news in your inbox Tuesday-Thursday.