THEMED builds
For 8 years I have created a spooky one-of-a-kind experience in front of my family's home. Guests traverse an environment with large themed structures, animatronics, scare-actors, lighting, sounds, and even smells! Branded as Haunt for HEP, the annual event has raised $30,000 for the Homeless Empowerment Program. Here are some of the structures I have built for the haunt!
church
Inspired by abandoned American churches, this 23' tall facade housed our zombie bride scare actor who burst through the front door at guests. Designed with storage in mind, the church comes apart into 20 pieces that are bolted together. It is made from a combination of wood and foam with the entire top of half of the steeple made from foam for easier maneuverability. I used aging techniques to make the paint peel off the facade and give an overall decrepit look.
Cemetery columns
One must enter through these rather imposing columns to reach the rest of the haunt. The columns are 11' tall when fully constructed but are designed to come apart. A wooden structure is used for support while I carved foam for the stone blocks and other details. I then hard-coated everything for durability and texture. The gates and fence use PVC and foam paper finials.
Mausoleum
The mausoleum is yet another place for scare actors to hide and jump out at guests. Inspired by Gothic architecture, the structure reaches 12' but comes apart into 14 pieces when disassembled. I built a wooden structure and then used foam to create the majority of the detailing. I even used vinyl siding for the roof. For added effect, fog billows out of the turrets on either side.
crypt
The crypt facade is placed at the entry to our house and completely masks the front door. This is because our demon animatronic sits inside the foyer waiting to lurch out at guests trying to get candy. Also a modular setup, the crypt seamlessly comes together to form a facade of bricked-up coffins and an arched entryway with large PVC columns on either side. Each brick was individually cut out of foam and everything was hard-coated.
Carnival grounds
This is a Lumion rendering of the entrance of a haunted house to be built on campus at the University of Florida. Construction is beginning Spring semester of 2023.