AIA Sandcastle Competition brings works of art to East Beach
In a tradition that is uniquely Galveston, the 33rd Annual AIA Sandcastle Competition comes back to East Beach, this year on Sunday, Aug. 24. The event is expected to draw thousands of spectators throughout the day, and more than 60 teams will compete for the Gold Bucket Award.
“First timers can expect to be wowed at the creativity and skill of the teams that accomplish great feats within just a few short hours,” said Jeffery Briggs, AIA Sandcastle Committee Chair.
In addition to the Gold Bucket, awards include the Silver Shovel, Bronze Shovel, and special categories such as Architectural Icon, Geometric, Greatest Feat of Structural Ingenuity, Houston-centric, Kidtastic: Fables & Folklore, Marine Life, Pop Culture: Decades, Public Favorite, Tallest Standing Structure and Traditional Castle.
Teams often begin generating ideas, developing designs and assigning duties for their structures months in advance of the event. During competition day, they are given five hours to complete their structures, which must be made only of sand and water, with no other materials or additives allowed. Teams must also come up with creative ways to transport water to their build sites, as water can only be moved by human power or by machines that do not run on fossil fuels, said Briggs.
The competition is a fundraising event for the American Institute of Architects — Houston and the Architecture Center Houston Foundation. It is also one of the top five revenue-generating events for the city of Galveston. Competing teams come from area architecture, design, and engineering firms, as well as accredited architecture, design, and engineering universities.
“Teams put a lot of thought and effort into their entries and often arrive with elaborate formwork to frame their structure,” Briggs said. “To see professionals who build skyscrapers by day converge on the beach to build structures in sand is quite amazing. There’s something to see for people of all ages.”
Spectators are encouraged to begin arriving at 9 a.m. to see teams build their sandcastles from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission to the event is free for the general public. Parking along East Beach is $15, cash only, collected by the Galveston Parks Board. Team registration is open through July 29. For more information, go to aiahouston.org or visit @AIAsandcastle on Facebook.