Architects’ designs normally call for steel, masonry, wood, or glass as proposed building materials. But for one day each summer, Houston-area architects hit the beach to build with sand in a competition at Galveston Island, Texas. There, they craft larger-than-life designs that run the gamut from traditional castles to freight trains, volcanoes, and sea creatures. AIA Houston's Architecture Center looks back on the competition with its 25 Years of Sandcastle, an exhibit showcasing standout designs from past years. The exhibit features photos and memorabilia as well as 3D high-definition laser-scanning technology used to produce holograms, point clouds, and elevations of past winners. This year Jacobs Engineering Group took home top awards with its dragon-and-sandcastle-design titled “Have Your Castle & Eat It Too," shown. Through June 24. • aiahouston.org
