Canstruction contest ‘out-of-this-world’ benefit for foodbank

Nearly 23,000 pounds of food was collected by the Hawaii Foodbank last month during the 2016 Canstruction contest at Pearlridge Center.

Hawaii’s top architecture and design firms, contractors and engineering professionals took part in the 16th annual competition that features structures built using canned goods and other nonperishable foods. Another team comprised of Oahu keiki and volunteer architects designed and built a “Rocket Hunger to Outer Space” display using cans of Vienna sausage.

This year’s theme was “Galacti-CAN.” From Oct. 1 through Oct. 15, shoppers at Pearlridge were encouraged to vote for their favorite structure (and donate another canned good to the Foodbank in the process).

More than 960 cans were earmarked for Coffman Engineers’ “Astronaut Ellison S. Onizu-CAN Inspires Us to Dream” structure, which was awarded the People’s Choice Award.

According to the Foodbank, all the canned goods collected during the competition will be able to provide almost 18,000 meals to hungry individuals in Hawaii.

Other winners included:

» Juror’s Favorite: “We Can Guard the Galaxy Against Hunger,” WATG

» Best Use of Labels: “Marvin the Martian Brings the KABOOM on Hunger,” Group 70/Swinerton Builders

» Structural Ingenuity: “Millenium Fal-CAN,” Clifford Planning & Architecture LLC

» Best Meal: “Helping the Planet’s Condition,” Cambria/RAV Productions

» Most Cans/Honorable Mention: “Astronaut Ellison S. Onizu-CAN Inspires Us to Dream,” Coffman Engineers

» Honorable Mention: “Space CAN-vaders Battle Hunger in Hawaii,” Rider Levett Bucknall

» Team T-shirt Design: “Transformers: Age of CANstruction,” Design Partners/Albert Kobayashi, Inc.