Arcade Adventures: Building the ASCE Roller Coaster Tycoon Booth

Booth is one of the biggest showpieces of Spring Carnival where the ingenuity and collaboration of student organizations shine. They come together to construct multi-story structures that immerse visitors in interactive experiences, all centered around a theme. 

This year’s Arcade theme sparked creativity and collaboration, featuring many popular games. Among them, the ASCE/TPEG team’s Roller Coaster Tycoon Booth stood out, earning both the People's Choice Award and first place in the Blitz category.

CEE juniors and ASCE booth co-chairs, Mia Constantin and Samuel Chen, began the project months in advance, with significant support from senior Justin Peng. As construction started, their initial hurdle arose from the condition of the aged recycled wood materials, many of which were warped. This posed a challenge in making sure the walls were straight and plumb, requiring innovative solutions to ensure structural integrity and adherence to safety standards.

The team drew on expertise gained from coursework. “Our project to build benches at the beginning of 12-200 aided us in knowing how to work with cut diagrams and power tools,” Constantin said. “AutoCAD class helped immensely with designing and rendering the booth for our plans.”

Constantin also noted that significant rain added an additional challenge. "The rain caused numerous leaks," she explained. "We had to address this by adding extra pieces of wood to seal the leaking seams and applying flex seal to our roof sheathing." Ultimately, despite these challenges, the team passed inspection and progressed to the next phases of construction.

Peng further elaborates on the construction challenges encountered. Whether it was crafting intricate decorative elements or resolving structural complexities, each requiring careful attention. His project management skills and problem-solving skills developed through CEE coursework and his internship at Universal Creative, played a pivotal role in overcoming obstacles.

One element that really stood out was the motion platform designed by the Theme Park Engineering Group (TPEG). 

“I really enjoyed working with TPEG and the excellent work they did on every aspect of the booth, including the motion platform, the murals, and the decorations,’ said Chen. “It was a really great experience working with TPEG and they were so supportive through the entire process.”

Despite challenges and late nights, the dedicated support of fellow students and TPEG fueled their determination to create something truly remarkable. In the end, the ASCE Roller Coaster Tycoon Booth emerged as a shining example of teamwork, creativity, and resilience. Once open to the public, the response was very positive with visitors enjoying their creation.

“The best part for me was seeing people get in line, ask questions about the booth, and especially taking pictures inside the coaster car we built,” says Peng. “It was so rewarding to see people smiling and being excited about the booth we built.”