When architect Christopher Arelt sat down at the Blueprints & Brews sketch challenge at this year’s AIA Conference on Architecture in Boston, he wasn’t expecting to draw something as whimsical as “a door at the edge of the world.” But his playful burst of creativity was precisely what earned him the Grand Prize in this unique booth event hosted by Clopay Corporation.
“As soon as I heard about the event, the competitive juices began to flow,” said Arelt. “A love for drawing is no small part of why I am an architect, and I appreciated all the thoughtful touches, especially the ‘blueprint’ paper with white pencils.
During the Blueprints & Brews competition, participants were seated at The Drafting Bar and given a blue napkin and a white pencil to illustrate a random prompt generated by a spin of The Beantown Brainstorm Wheel. The contest went for six rounds and included thought-provoking drawing prompts that honored Boston’s architectural spirit, such as designing a building shaped like a lobster and reimaging Fenway Park as a floating structure. Illustrations produced during each round were then displayed on The Wall of Wicked Smart Design.
Image Courtesy of: Clopay Corp
Arelt’s winning sketch showed a flying car exiting a VertiStack® Clear inspired door out into a galaxy of stars and planets. For his winning submission, he received a custom mid-century-style illustration of one of his favorite projects produced by freelance artist Ron Schiding. Arelt selected his Greystone project located along the coast of Connecticut, a contemporary expression of timeless New England forms and materials that exemplifies state-of-the-art construction. Arelt plans to display the framed Greystone illustration at the world headquarters of his firm Nautilus Architects in Old Lyme, CT.
Image Courtesy of: Clopay Corp
When asked how the relationship between architects and manufacturers benefits the design process, Arelt said he depends on manufacturers for their technical expertise. “Clopay knows more about their products than I do, so I look to them early in a project’s development to find the right solution and make sure it’s integrated.”
Adrienne Reitz, Director of Marketing Communications at Clopay Corporation, noted events like Blueprints & Brews at AIA ‘25 are an important part of building relationships with architects like Arelt and are a great opportunity for mutual inspiration.
“Architects and designers get to see our latest product innovations and explore where and how to use them, and we gain insight into how they think and how we can push our own creative boundaries,” said Reitz. “It’s a blast!”
“It was an exhilarating experience and accomplishment,” said Arelt. “It quickly became the highlight of my day at the convention!”
About Christopher Arelt and Nautilus Architects
Christopher Arelt, founder of Nautilus Architects in Old Lyme, Connecticut, brings a collaborative and site-driven approach to residential design. His work blends Modernist influences with regional craftsmanship, emphasizing natural light, material authenticity, and a seamless connection between indoors and outdoors. A Yale-trained, LEED-certified architect, Arelt is recognized for creating enduring homes that honor both artistry and place along the Connecticut shoreline and beyond.
About Artist Ron Schiding
Ron Schiding is a freelance artist and art educator with a diverse range of experience spanning various subjects and media. A 1995 graduate of the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art, his career has included mural art, portraiture, scenic design, and directing arts programming at one of Pennsylvania’s largest summer camps. He developed and continues to run the award-winning Pollywog preschool art and reading program for Wernersville Public Library, as well as Outside the Lines preschool art classes for Berks Montessori Country Day School, where he works to inspire creativity and artistic confidence in children.
About Clopay Corporation
Founded in 1964, Clopay Corporation (“Clopay”) is the largest manufacturer and marketer of garage doors and rolling steel doors in North America. The company sells residential and commercial overhead sectional doors through leading home center retail chains and a network of over 3000 independent professional dealers under the brands Clopay®, Ideal®, and Holmes Garage Doors®. Rolling steel doors and grilles for commercial, industrial, institutional, and retail use are sold under the Cornell® and Cookson® brands.
Clopay is headquartered in Mason, Ohio, and operates four manufacturing facilities and 57 distribution centers. For more information, visit www.clopaydoor.com
Feature Image Courtesy of: Clopay Corp
