In the twenty-seventh annual Disney Imagineering Design Competition, out of over 273 participants, it was a SCAD team who walked out with honors.
Carlos Ginatta, Michael Howell, Maria Mondloch and Maya Vyas were the winners of this year’s competition with their project called “Caguaya.”
The team started working on this project in early fall in September and presented it at the end of January.
“We chose a ghost town that was rather unconventional, it’s actually in Port Royal Jamaica,” said Mondloch, talking about the city, famous for its pirate activity.
“In 1692,” Mondloch continued, “an earthquake and a tsunami hit and 33 acres of the city actually sunk under water. But all the ruins of Port Royal are still there underneath the water, and they’ve been undisturbed for almost three hundred years.”
The purpose of their project was to allow guests to tour the ruins through underwater tunnels without disturbing them, creating a sort of museum experience.
Another aspect of their project is to revitalize the eco system of Jamaica, with a “coral farming” technique, by selecting a type of coral that can support temperature changes and hold during strong storms.
Vyas said, “We were really exited about the idea of underwater city. So we did researche about underwater cities that are available, and we really kind of fell in love with Port Royal because of its vibrant history.” The team also loved the city’s storied history and enjoyed the idea of paralleling the coral city with a ghost city. “We were all just really inspired,” Vyas finished.
“I think something we really sought after the entire time was clarity. You know we had all this great ideas,” said Mondloch, “I think the biggest thing that was difficult…was to have one direct clear idea.”
In regards to what advice the team would give to aspiring Imaginereeing competitors, Howell said, “it works really well to have people from different things; three of us are in the themed entertainment program, but we all have very different background, and the fourth team member, Maya, is an animator. So I think it was really nice and fun to have a diverse group of people.”
All the members of the winning team are currently focusing on their graduation and their theses due in June, but are very exited for their upcoming internships with Disney.
“It’s the opportunity of a lifetime,” said Mondloch, “however it’s a huge company; everybody wants to work there, so it’s very difficult to get your foot in the door and get in there, and I was blown away by how many literal and metaphorical doors that opened for us, during that week at Imaginereeing.”
By Scarlett Ruggiero.
Scarlett is a writing major, wine lover and cheese enthusiast from Paris, France. When she isn’t busy writing, she likes to wander around District’s quarter in search of new articles to write.
