Thanks to everyone who participated in Canstruction® Colorado 2019/2020! Stay tuned for Canstruction 2020/2021 details in the fall!

Introducing Canstruction® Colorado: “A Winter WonderCAN!” The exhibit will be up at Stanley Marketplace beginning on Friday, November 15, and will remain on display through February 3.

About Canstruction® Colorado

Seven teams from area architecture and construction firms will build winter-themed sculptures inside Stanley. Each sculpture will be up to 8 feet long, 8 feet wide, and 8 feet high, and made entirely out of canned food. The Awards Ceremony will take place on January 30 (stay tuned for more details on how to attend)!

Participating Teams

Naos Design Group
Box Studios
MDP Engineering Group
Kephart
Wilson & Company
Cuningham Group Architecture
Anchor Engineering
HDR, Inc.
ZGF Architects
Martin/Martin

Planning Committee

Jeremy Anderson, Jeremy Anderson Consulting

Megan Bateman, Gensler – SW Region

Ally Fredeen, Stanley Marketplace

Brian Fun, Jordy Construction

Charles Jordy, Jordy Construction

Jackson Lamb, Metropolitan State University

Jesse Plata, JE Dunn Construction

Maren Stewart, Taloma Partners

Tom Ventker, DPR Construction

Randi Winchester, Gensler – SW Region

Brian Young, KEPHART

Becky Grupe, bg inc

Radhika Mahanty, LaRondine Consulting

Allie Hoffman, We Don’t Waste

Kyle Endres, We Don’t Waste

Arlan Preblud, We Don’t Waste

FAQ

2019 Canstruction® Denver FAQ’s

Have a question we haven’t answered? Please email us at canstruction@wedontwaste.org.

General FAQ

What is Canstruction?
Canstruction® Denver is a city-wide competition in which architects and designers build life-size structures entirely out of canned food that will be donated to We Don’t Waste and distributed to local hunger-relief organizations at the end of the exhibit.

When and where will Canstruction® take place?
Canstruction® Denver will be held at the beautiful Stanley Marketplace for 10 weeks this winter. The sculptures will be built on Friday, November 15, 2019, and will stay up through Feb 2, 2020. De-canstruction will occur Monday, Feb 3, 2020.

About We Don’t Waste
We Don’t Waste is a Denver-based nonprofit that believes nutritious food should go to people, not landfills. We Don’t Waste reduces hunger and food waste in the Denver area by recovering quality, unused food from the food industry and delivering it free-of-charge to food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters serving those in need. Since 2009, We Don’t Waste has recovered and distributed more than 100 million servings of food to those in need.

How do I sponsor a Team or the Event?
View our sponsorship packet to see the sponsor opportunities and call or email Kyle Endres at 720-443-6113 x 102 or kyle@wedontwaste.org.

How many people will see Canstruction?
Between November 15th and February 3rd, Stanley Marketplace is expected to have more than 135,000 visitors!

After the Event, where do the cans go?
At the close of the exhibit, all of the structures are disassembled and the cans are donated to We Don’t Waste for distribution to nonprofit hunger-relief agencies, including: food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, group homes, day treatment facilities, senior nutrition sites and day care centers in the Denver Metro area.

Can I vote for my favorite structure?
You sure can – the People’s Choice Award may be the most coveted of all prize categories for our sculpture builders! Details about how one can vote will be available at Stanley Marketplace between November 15th and the awards ceremony.

What are the Award Categories?
Awards will be given in the following categories: Best Meal, Best Use of Labels, Structural Ingenuity, Most Cans, and People’s Choice. Other categories may be added as well.

Can tours for school groups be arranged?
Absolutely! We hope to have a lot of school groups come down to the exhibit. To arrange for a personal guided tour where possible, contact us at canstruction@wedontwaste.org.

Before You Enter

Who can enter?
Participants can be members of Architectural, Engineering or Construction Firms and the vendor firms who support them, and students at colleges with Architectural, Engineering or Construction Degree Programs.

What does it cost to enter?
The entry fee is $250. Your entry fee includes official Team T-shirts for 5 team members, dinner for all participating team members on the night of the Buildout, and invitations for 5 team members and 2 firm principals to the Canstruction® Denver Awards Ceremony.

We’re too small! How can we participate?
You can partner with another firm in the same situation to form a team. It’s a GREAT way to develop a relationship with a firm that you may want to partner with for business opportunities.

How do we enter?
Complete the signup form at the top of the page. Your $250 entry fee is due by September 30, 2019.

Is our registration fee to Canstruction® Denver Tax Deductible?
Canstruction® Denver is produced by We Don’t Waste, a 501(c)(3) public charity. All cash and in-kind donations to We Don’t Waste are tax deductible to the extent allowed under the law.

Team FAQ

We’ve entered a Team … what do we do first?
Decide on a design for your structure so that you know what color and size cans you will need. Keep it simple! As you look at photos of past Canstruction sculptures, you’ll see that the prize winners have been structures that are very intricate and involved as well as those that are very simple and elegant. Don’t try to build the Taj Mahal for your first structure! Design your first structure with simplicity in mind, and you’ll find that by the end of the event that you’ll have come up with many more intricate designs for next year!

What is the Canstruction Denver 2019 theme?
A Colorado Winter WonderCAN! To us this means anything winter and Colorado and can include winter holidays, things to do in winter, winter scenes, winter sports, etc…. Be creative and of course, clean as this is a family event!

How do we obtain cans and who pays for them?
Teams are responsible for obtaining all of the cans they will need to build their structure. Cans can be obtained by holding a food drive, approaching grocery stores, manufacturers, or food distributors and asking for donations or discounts, and/or soliciting cash donations/sponsorships from vendors, friends and family to purchase the cans you need.

Can we recognize our partners who help us secure the cans?
Can donations for your team can be recognized on the signage accompanying your structure.

Is our donation tax-deductible?
The donation of cans for the event can be considered an in-kind tax deductible donation for tax purposes. All cash entry fees are tax deductible.

How big can my structure be?
Your structure must fit within an 8’ x 8’ x 8’ area.

Are there rules regarding how many people can be involved during building?
Yes – There is a maximum of 5 builders permitted at one time within the build area. There can be additional team members working outside of this area during the build out. There is no limit to the number of people involved in the planning, logistics and design.

Is there a time limit for building?
Yes – 12 hours.

What kinds of cans can we use?
Structures must be made of unopened canned food, with minimal or no elements of non perishable packaged food or props. All labels must remain intact. NO alcohol, glass containers, pet food, expired or open packages of food allowed in the structure.

What are the rules regarding structural support?
Structures must be completely self supporting. Structural support must not be load bearing. Maximum of 1/4” sheets of foam core, masonite, MDF, Plexiglas, cardboard, plywood or similar materials can be used as a leveling device between rows of cans.

You CAN use any of the following methods:

Clear packaging tape, double sided tape, duct tape, Velcro, fishing line, wire, rubber bands, zip straps, etc. Any method that provides easy demounting is permitted provided the labels and cans are NOT damaged. No gluing, welding or other permanent affixing of cans allowed. Rods used for alignment ARE acceptable.

Please review the detailed Canstruction® rules and regulations (and judging info) before designing your structure.