Third Annual Paper Airplane Challenge
It’s that time of year! Paper airplanes took flight in our Atlanta and DC offices, with over 30 employees and summer interns competing in the firm’s Third Annual Paper Airplane Challenge.
This year’s awards included 1st and 2nd Place for the farthest flyers, and the Most Beautiful Design. Weeks leading up to the event, DYE | NBA Aviation President and Event Sponsor Mercer Dye encouraged everyone to get creative with their designs, reminding them that “there are no rules.” Keeping this in mind, Project Architect, Jake Gamberg, stepped up his game with a Batman Blimp that may or may not have been attached to a little battery charge propeller. “After watching my overweight watercolor paper airplane fly straight into the ground last year, I couldn’t wait to try out the new and improved blimp idea,” said Gamberg. The propeller allowed his “plane” to travel around the office but ultimately drifted outside the boundaries of the competition. Back to the drawing board…or should we say bat cave?
NBA Chairman of the Board Niles Bolton was quite impressed.
Start your “engine”?
Sticking to a more traditional design paid off in the end for Architecture Designer Caleb Lawrence and Project Architect Sanjay Rajput. Caleb won 1st place and Sanjay won 2nd place with their classic style paper airplanes. The Most Beautiful Design went to Associate Principal and #1 Dad Michael Kolodzy when he tugged on all our heart strings by entering his daughter’s artwork in the contest. How could anyone compete with that?
ATL office’s 2nd Place winner Sanjay Rajput (left), Event Sponsor Mercer Dye (middle) and 1st Place winner Caleb Lawrence (right)
Kolodzy would like to emphasize that the prize money will be going towards his daughter’s college fund.
Outflying the competition in the DC office was Architecture Designer Emma Fritzinger who coasted into an easy 1st place. Architecture Associate Gianluca Sanzone claimed 2nd place with his Ryanair decorated plane. “Most of us have been to Europe or studied abroad and used Ryanair as a cheap airline,” said Sanzone. “So, in my mind, it made sense to throw the logo on there for a cheap paper airplane.” Cheap indeed, as the plane ended up crash landing into the pavement. After a unanimous vote of hands, The Most Beautiful plane was awarded to Architecture Associate Madison Asbury who showed off her artistry with a rendition of The Great Wave Off Kanagawa.
DC office 1st Place winner Emma Fritzinger
DC office 2nd place winner Gianluca Sazone
DC Office Most Beautiful Design winner Madison Asbury
Congratulations to all the winners, and we can’t wait for next year’s competition. Curious to see just how creative our NBAers get around the office during the Paper Airplane Challenge? Click through pictures below to check out some of the designs!
