The appearance of a 6-foot-tall wooden egg on the Arts Quad soon will herald the approach of Dragon Day on March 28, a more than century-old tradition led by first-year architecture students in the College of Architecture, Art and Planning.

Once hatched, a full-bodied dragon, undulating some 80 feet from outstretched nose to tip of flared tail, will begin gliding through campus aided by sail-like wings. This year’s Dragon Day parade – a public event starting at 1 p.m. – features the theme of “How to Build Your Dragon,” a play on the popular novel and movie franchise, “How to Train Your Dragon.”

Credit: Anson Wigner/AAP

The theme also highlights the architects-in-trainings’ novel approach to building their dragon, as if from a kit. Using a giant, computer-controlled drill called a CNC (computer numerical control), the students plan to fabricate dozens of plywood gusset plates they will use to join the two-by-fours framing the dragon. The students said the machining process – new to dragon design – promises to save time, reducing the number of individually cut boards. And it should produce a stronger, more rigid skeleton capable of supporting the dragon’s dramatically cantilevered head, spiked neck and arched back.

“Our theme looks at how the structure comes together and what makes the assembly unique, so we’re doing a few things differently,” said William Day, B.Arch. ’29, an elected Dragon Day co-leader with Kuai Yu, B.Arch. ’29. “The dragon is going to appear different than in years past.”

Rest assured, Yu said, the dragon should make a “very impactful” impression on parade watchers gathered near the Arts Quad – along a route that was still being finalized to avoid construction on the quad.

“They’ll definitely be thrilled seeing this enormous thing,” Yu said of spectators. “It’s going to be pretty big.”

The co-leaders said their class aims to present a complete dragon. The final form, which will be covered in white canvas, is expected to take the shape of a W, with the crown of its head, arched mid-body and tail stretching roughly 15 feet high. Operable wings will fold and extend in triangular sections.

Credit: Anson Wigner/AAP

“It’s very raked in profile, with these long spikes coming out,” said Day, from Menlo Park, California. “We want it to be very sleek.”

At the parade’s conclusion, the class hopes to provide opportunities to help color the dragon’s blank canvas, completing this year’s theme with an interactive effort to complete a vibrant character. Later, the kit-like construction will facilitate the dragon’s rapid disassembly, while leaving the wooden beams in good condition to be repurposed, promoting sustainability. After recycling 95% of its lumber, last year’s Dragon Day crew built benches for the Arts Quad.

Throughout the parade, the class of roughly 70 first-year B.Arch. students will march alongside the dragon, repeating their signature chant: “Dragon, dragon, dragon, oi, oi, oi!” By tradition, the dragon is expected to encounter a rival phoenix when passing the College of Engineering.

Coming on the eve of spring break, Dragon Day offers students a festive and memorable bonding opportunity. It also applies skills they’ve learned since the start of the academic year – and involves far more work than Yu imagined a year ago, when he followed the action on Instagram (it can also be followed on TikTok) from Shanghai, China. In a relatively short period of time, the students must: develop ideas; generate sketches, digital and physical models, and construction drawings; source materials; and build the dragon. As in professional practice, the project requires collaboration among many teams and stakeholders, including coordination with university administrators and police to permit the parade and ensure its safety.

Dragon designs must consider not only aesthetics but real constraints, like the clearances at turns; a route impacted by construction; weather conditions; and, of course, budget. The event is entirely self-funded by the students, including through T-shirt sales and a GoFundMe campaign.

“We’re definitely applying a lot of things we’ve been taught,” Day said. “But you learn a lot just by getting thrown into the process and having to figure it out each step of the way.”