Canstruction is a charity event and exhibition in which teams of architects, designers, engineers, and contractors compete to display colossal sculptures made out of canned goods. This year’s theme is “Pop Culture.” The canned-good sculptures, embodying current trends in design, entertainment and popular lifestyle, are on display at BSA Space and in the Atlantic Wharf lobby.

After the sculptures are dismantled, all the canned goods, supplied by the teams and coordinated through Whole Foods Market, will be donated to the Merrimack Valley Food Bank in Lowell, Massachusetts.

Competition Results

Best use of labels: acknowledging the creative placement of can labels in such a way to add breadth and depth to the sculpture
Winner: Le Canbusier: Canbu Take a Selfie; Firm: HMFH Architects

Structural Ingenuity: recognizing the best free-standing structure following rules related to leveling materials and adhesives
Winner: We All Live in a CANary Yellow Submarine; Firm: Sasaki

Best Meal: also called friend of the “foodbank,” this structure will have all of the components to create a well-balanced meal
Winner: Keep on Truck-Can!; Firm: Prellwitz Chilinski Associates

Juror’s Favorite: overall favorite of the judging panel
Winner: Let's Rock Hunger; Firm: Lavallee Brensinger Architects

Director’s Choice: chosen by the chairperson of Canstruction Boston
Winner: Hunger Takes a Toll; Firm: Architectural Resources Cambridge

People’s Choice: chosen by the public, via the online voting
Winner: We All Live in a CANary Yellow Submarine; Firm: Sasaki

Honorable Mention
Winner: Kiss Hunger Goodbye; Firm: CBT Architects

The Building of Grumpy Cat

Watch Nitsch Engineering's time-lapse construction of Grumpy Cat, a nine-foot tall sculpture depicting one of the most popular, and vindictive, memes out there!

All participating firms

Architectural Resources Cambridge
CBT Architects
Gensler
HMFH Architects
Interior Architects, WB Engineers & Consultants, and J. Calnan & Associates
Lavallee Brensinger Architects
Nitsch Engineering
Payette
Prellwitz Chilinski Associates
Sasaki Associates
Steffian Bradley Architects
Simpson Gumpertz and Heger
Stantec
STUDIO TROIKA, Inc.
Tappe Associates, Inc
WJE / Northeastern University: Chi Epsilon Chapter