Canstruction NY Succeeds Despite Sandy

by Tashween Ali | Wednesday, February 6, 2013 | 1 Comment

Canstruction Award for Studios Architecture

Studios Architecture’s "VeCAN HAM-mer!" won Best Structure Award. Photo by Kevin Wick.

The 20th-Annual Canstruction New York finally kicked off this week after being postponed late last year due to Superstorm Sandy. This year’s 24 participating teams—including architects, designers, engineers and contractors—had one night to install their creations after weeks spent designing and test building. Nine nine teams who had been scheduled to participate donated all their cans back in November when Sandy hit.

The competition, founded by the late Cheri Melillo, also a Society for Design Administration (SDA) member, brings awareness to hunger in the city by calling upon to build massive structures out of unopened food cans. The goal is “to help the hungry, but also for the people in the industry to donate their time to inspire youths,” says Amy Nanni, Canstruction NY co-chair.

The winner of the Grand Structure Award went to Studios Architecture, one of two teams who along with Ferguson & Shamamian Architects not only donated all their cans back in November after Sandy hit, but still returned to participate.

“The team we chose [as winner] not only donated their cans, but also continued the mentorship model, sharing the architect’s knowledge and working with schools,” says the late founder’s son, Dr. Brion John van Over.

After the exhibit, all cans will be donated to City Harvest. “[W]e wouldn’t have the ability to get high-quality, protein-rich, organic foods, like this to help the one million people who go hungry [without this event],” says Lisa Sposato, City Harvest associate director.

The exhibit is open to the public through February 11 at the World Financial Center’s Winter Garden. Although entrance is free, suggested donation is at least one can. Current donations number 99,340 cans and counting.