Concrete canoe art director
The ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers) holds an annual competition for student engineers to compete regionally and nationally. One of these events is the ASCE Concrete Canoe Competition, which provides students with hands-on, practical experience while testing their mix design skills and project management challenges. California State University Fullerton participated in this competition for the first time in six years, which meant our team had to design, test, and build every aspect with nothing to compare it to.
CSUF’s ASCE committee reached out to me about the role of art director and aesthetics captain for the concrete canoe. As a team, we were all a part of the mixing and construction process. But I had also built a smaller, separate team to focus on planning designs and to assist with aesthetic execution. My role required me to schedule and manage meetings and a timeline, which helped us stay on track and have a set plan to finish the painting before race day. I also designed and created our school's team logo, team shirts, PowerPoint presentations, and stand for the canoe, and the final painting designs.
For the paint, I chose to use an epoxy-based paint specifically designed for concrete floors. This paint is self-priming, heat-resistant, and resistant to stains, chemicals, and weather conditions. This way the canoe’s painting will not fade or chip when in the sun or water. It also provides a protective layer that prevents cracks and moisture infiltration, enhancing the canoe’s longevity. I made the stands by painting several found and thrifted items to stay within the means of our project budget and funding. Swivel wheels were attached to the bottom of the structures, which allowed for smooth mobility. A support structure placed on top of the cabinet ensured that the required height was met while also stabilizing the canoe. The entire design was hand-painted with no use of tape or stencils. The entire canoe was painted in two days but required early mornings and late nights at the yard to finish.
The design pays homage to the Bauhaus movement while incorporating elements that reflect the local and school culture. The oranges symbolize Orange County and its rich history of orange groves. Tuffy, CSUF’s official school mascot, is copyrighted and managed by Strategic Communications and Titan Athletics. So I chose an elephant design that does not directly depict him while still referencing the school mascot as a symbol of spirit. Additionally, the design features gears as a tribute to the ASCE and the engineers working on the project with me.
The digital example of the painting design was created using Procreate, while both the logo and shirt graphic were done in Adobe Illustrator. All designs feature our official school colors.
Film and a print, shot by myself, documenting the first mix design session.
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