( Wired ) -- Growing up in Colorado , Calvin Seibert spent a lot of time at construction sites . Back then , the artist was thousands of miles away from an ocean , but that did n't stop him from building castles out of the massive mounds of sand . `` In the evening when everyone left for work and before the sun set , I 'd find a pile of sand and start making stuff , '' he recalls . A few decades later , Seibert is still making sand castles , though today they tend to be much , much more sophisticated . His castles resemble less the complicated towers and moats of fairy tales and more the brutalist structures of his architectural inspirations like Paul Rudolph , Gottfried Bohm and Giovanni Michelucci . `` I always had an affinity for architecture which I attribute to growing up in a neighborhood and town that was constantly under construction , '' he says . `` As I was becoming more aware of the architecture in the wider world , Brutalism was one of the styles of the moment . '' Read more : Incredible historical photos from one of the world 's best museums . With their exacting geometric shapes and sharp edges , you might think his sculptures require molds or other helpful gizmos . But Seibert , who 's fabricated sculptures for years as an artist 's assistant , has a surprisingly simple tool kit : A 5-gallon pail to haul water and sand , a plastic placemat for leveling surfaces and a little chunk of plastic for getting those sharp edges . `` It 's literally a plastic $ 1.50 tool you pick up at a hardware store , '' he says . The key to getting those precise shapes ( aside from lots of practice , Seibert says ) is making sure the texture of the sand is just right . Sand that 's too dry is weak and crumbly . Too wet , and it 's hard to shape . There 's no perfect ratio , but Seibert explains the ideal texture is similar to the sand you 'd find if you dig about 6 inches down on the beach . `` It 's easy to pack and will hold long enough to maintain the form . '' Seibert shapes everything by hand , roughly packing each piece of a structure and then refining and leveling it with his simple tools . This is an entirely different method from the elaborate sandcastles you see in competitions , which are actually made by building an enormous solid block of sand then carving into it like a sculptor does with a hunk of stone . Carving means dragging and dragging means a rougher , more jagged surface . Seibert 's castles are perfectly smooth , like the top of an hand-sanded piece of wood . `` I 'm really just packing things together like a child might build a sandcastle , '' he says . `` You get a much smoother surface by doing it this way . '' Read more : Striking Photos of the Rooms Where VIPs Shape History . He tends to build his castle right at the edge of the tide , close enough to have easy access to water in case he has to dampen his piles of sand , but far enough to ensure the structures are safe during the building process . Seibert says he 's not attached to his creations , in fact , he likes the idea that they 're temporary . `` It 's about the process , '' he says . `` Building 'sand castles ' is a bit of a test . Nature will always be against you and time is always running out . Having to think fast and to bring it all together in the end is what I like about it . '' Each summer , Seibert has followed a routine : `` I walk to Penn Station , take the train out to Jones Beach , I walk for 40 minutes so I 'm so far out I can build a castle and have it be there several days later because no one 's bothered it , '' he explains . But this year things will be a little different . The artist is devoting his entire summer to sand projects , and he might even end up with a book of his work sometime later this year . `` I 'm actually going to spend this summer doing nothing but building sandcastles , '' he says . `` I wo n't be working , except on the beach . '' Read more on WIRED : . China 's giant new warplane will look awfully familiar to the U.S. air force . Amazon could save Twitter from a fatal stall . Check out early storyboards from the original Star Wars trilogy . Subscribe to WIRED magazine for less than $ 1 an issue and get a FREE GIFT ! Click here ! Copyright 2011 Wired.com .
Calvin Seibert constructs geometric sand castle sculptures with precision . He only uses a pail , a plastic placemat and a $ 1.50 plastic tool for the edges . Seibert shapes everything by hand , roughly packing each piece .