On Saturday, June 1, 2013, the ASAI competed as a rookie entry in the 27th annual AIA Sand Castle Competition among more than 60 teams located on Galveston Beach in Texas. For more than two decades, teams of architects, designers and engineers have taken their tools to East Beach in Galveston for one of the world’s largest sand castle competitions, hoping to take the top prize — the highly coveted Golden Bucket. The Houston Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) has been hosting this competition since 1986 as a fund-raising event for AIA Houston and ArCH Foundation https://aiahouston.org/v/site-page/Architecture-Center-Houston-ArCH-/ArCH-Foundation/3r/. Based in Dallas, Texas and comprised of a dedicated crew of interior designers, architectural artists and indistry vendor representatives led by ASAI member and 2013 Vice President, John Dollus, the ASAI team began meeting in April to develop concepts, strategy and assign duties. Funded completely through private contributions and sponsorship in part from Teknion http://www.teknion.com/, The ASAI participated with a pop culture That’s Entertainment category entry based on the 30th anniversary of Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. On the day of the event the teams, stretched along the beach front, meticulously sculpt their piles of sand and work non-stop for five hours. The judging of the sculptures is rated on originality of concept, artistic execution, technical difficulty, carving technique, and utilization of the site. In addition to the Golden Bucket, awards are given in several categories including Best Traditional, That’s Entertainment, Most Complex, Stars & Stripes, Best Architectural, Most Hilarious, Most Lifelike/Realistic as well as best team t-shirt design, best team signage, best costume, and public favorite. At the end of the day, everyone goes home with memories of a great day at the beach filled with fun, sand, and sun. Timelapse of the build can be viewed below.
