Wesleyan Hosts Water Station Design Competition

Thirsty for money? Build a Wesleyan water station and win a $1,000 cash prize!

As a part of its commitment to becoming a bottled water-free campus, Wesleyan is seeking alternatives to hydrate the campus community at outdoor events.

The Sustainability Office, Center for the Arts, The Patricelli Center for Social Entrepreneurship, and the College of the Environment are co-sponsoring a student competition to design a mobile water station, which will be used at Reunion & Commencement, Homecoming/Family Weekend, and other outdoor events.

“Students will have the chance to design a beautiful and functional water station for the campus through this contest.  While some technical knowledge will be helpful, we’re looking to have students design the housing around a filtration unit, not the filter itself,” says sustainability coordinator Jen Kleindienst. “We’re looking forward to seeing how creative students can get with their design ideas!”

Contest participants will work individually or form teams to develop designs for the water stations. Students will have the opportunity to consult with faculty, staff and alumni to receive guidance as they create their designs.

The competition will have two phases. During the first phase, students will create rough engineering drawings of their water stations. A panel of faculty, staff, and administrative judges will evaluate drawings based on functionality, practicality, and creativity and offer suggestions for improvement. Promising design submissions will proceed to Phase II.

Teams and individuals chosen to proceed to Phase II will elaborate on their initial designs, noting all necessary materials and parts. Students will work with Scientific Support Services on their designs to ensure that designs are buildable. A judging panel will choose the winning individual or team, who will receive a prize of $1,000, to be shared among team members. Scientific Support Services will construct the winning design.

Teams of one to five students must be submitted to Jen Kleindienst by Oct. 5. Each team will be paired with an advisor. A rough engineering drawing, complete with a material list and construction costs, will be due Nov. 18.

For design requirements and for more information, see the Sustainability Office’s website.