If you know CGI, you know we’re very involved and very supportive of our Florida architecture community. It’s an honor to be deeply involved with AIA Florida … but we wanted to take it a step further this year.
For the last three years, CGI has sponsored the “Walk on Water” competition put on by the Dept. of Architecture at Florida International University, and we’ve watched interest and participation grow each year. The value of supporting a program like this is the ROI for the students: This event allowed students to both design and build their project, which equals real-world, hands-on experience. That’s invaluable. 
New for 2016: The 2016 “Walk on Water” event welcomed, for the first time, competition teams from across the state (Palm Beach State and the University of Florida, to be specific). Sponsor funding assisted these schools with both their materials and their travel expenses.
“Walk on Water” is an amazing event: FIU students in the Materials & Methods of Construction Class taught by FIU Architecture Professor Jaime Canaves were issued a challenge by their teacher: Successfully construct shoes that will allow the student to walk across a campus lake – with minimum water contact. Entrants can compete individually, or as a team.
The event, a favorite campus tradition, is about more than just making the grade in Canaves’ class; the first place winner of each of the two races received a $1,000 cash prize, thanks to CGI’s sponsorship. The event is in its 27th year.
So what’s next? Who knows … maybe we’ll help FIU take this event national in 2017!
