Purdue News
Purdue News
"Landscape architects can draw very well, but they are often criticized for not getting their hands dirty," Sovinski said. "Designers are often perceived as being out of touch with the construction process."
Through Brick Bowl, Sovinski makes sure Purdue students get construction experience and some practical perspective on design.
"One of the missions of the event is for students to find out if their designs are workable," Sovinski said.
Nearly a month before the event, students are divided into 10 teams of four students each. Each team also is assigned an apprentice from the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftsmen. Sovinski then announces the object the students will design -- this year it's a mailbox -- and team members start creating their designs on paper.
Once students complete their designs, they must wait until the day of the Brick Bowl to transform their two-dimensional concept into a three-dimensional reality. The event starts at 10 a.m. with a brick-laying demonstration on the mall in front of the Horticulture Building. After the gun goes off at 10:30 a.m., students start building. They have until 3 p.m. to finish creating their brick masterpieces.
"They start off slow, then speed up as time starts to run out," Sovinski said.
While students build, faculty and volunteers grill burgers and hot dogs for team members. The brick-laying students can break any time for lunch.
When the 3 p.m. gun fires, students must stop building and a panel of judges goes to work. A landscape architect evaluates design appeal; a creative arts professor judges aesthetics; and a faculty member from building construction technology looks at the mechanics of the structure.
"Not only must the mailboxes be built well, they also must be aesthetically pleasing, durable and useful objects in the landscape," Sovinski said.
First-place team members each receive $100 gift certificates to a bookstore. Second-place winners receive $50 gift certificates.
After the winners are announced, students don't usually stick around, Sovinski said: "They all have sore muscles by that time and are ready to go home."
The brick structures stay up for two weeks, then Sovinski, faculty and students take them down.
"That's the most challenging part of the Brick Bowl," he said. "It's hard to demolish their designs."
Source: Rob Sovinski, (765) 494-1341; e-mail, sovinski@agad.purdue.edu
Writers: Rebecca Goetz and Kelly Murphy, (765) 494-0461; e-mail, rjg@aes.purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu
