Boiler Brick Bowl bridges design, brick construction

By Jon Gilman
Staff Writer

This Saturday, the Purdue Mall will be laden with stones and mortar as students compete in the eighth annual Boiler Brick Bowl.

The Boiler Brick Bowl is a design/construction competition where students build a brick structure according to a theme.

This year's design concept is a carillon, which is a structure that supports bells.

The brick bowl usually has eight teams comprised of four students and one apprentice mason.

Katie Hoffmann, a senior in the School of Agriculture, will compete in her fourth and final brick bowl this Saturday as a designer. Her record consists of a second place finish in 1999 and a championship in 2000.

Hoffman said the event is a great opportunity for students to learn about masonry and added that it is not just recreation.

"There are many things that have to be considered. You have to make your design detailed enough for the masons to build it without any trouble and you have to make sure your design will actually work," Hoffman said.

The contestants have four and a half hours to assemble their design, during which several structures might collapse and teams might encounter problems.

The final products are then judged and the prizes are awarded. Prizes consist of gift certificates to Follett's Bookstore, and contestants also receive T-shirts and food. Funding for the event is provided by the International Masonry Institute.

The participants are typically landscape architecture students, landscape horticulture students and members of the Masons' Union.

Robert W. Sovinski, associate professor of horticulture and landscape architecture, said he and the International Masonry Institute jointly developed the idea for the brick bowl several years ago.

Sovinski previously had a long association with the Institute and also wrote a book titled "Brick in the Landscape."

"The brick bowl works to bridge the gap between designers and the craftsworkers, and it allows design students to learn the realities of the job site and of turning paper designs into built reality," Sovinski said.

Hoffman added that the brick bowl is a great time for spectators.

"It's an all-day event that is very unique. People get to see the entire production process, and it shows them that architects don't just sit behind desks," Hoffman said.

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