34th AIA Sandcastle Competition

The AIA Sandcastle Competition is a fundraising event for AIA Houston and ArCH Foundation as well as one of the top five revenue generating events for the City of Galveston. Competing teams have their eyes and shovels set on winning the prestigious Gold Bucket Award. Firms begin months in advance generating ideas, developing designs, and assigning duties. 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 Gold Bucket, awards are given in several categories including Traditional Castle, Architectural Icon, Kidtastic: Nursery Rhymes, Texas Pride, Pop Culture: Video Games, Go for the Gold, Animal Kingdom as well as Public Favorite, Greatest Feat of Structural Ingenuity, Best Team T-shirt Design, Best Team Signage, and Best Costume. At the end of the day, everyone goes home with memories of a great day at the beach filled with fun, sand, and sun.