The Canstruction annual design competition returned for 2023, which challenges teams of architects, engineers, and contractors to build sculptures made entirely out of unopened cans of food.

The large-scale sculptures were placed on display and later donated to City Harvest to help provide families with a holiday meal, with over 45,000 cans donated.

The 28 teams competing in this year’s competition include:

AKF, Arcadis, Arup, Beyer Blinder Belle, BluEdge, Burns & McDonnell, DeSimone Consulting Engineers, EP Engineering, Fairstead, Gannett Fleming Engineers & Architects, Gensler, Gilsanz Murray Steficek, LLP, HITT Contracting, HLW, HOK, KPFF Consulting Engineers, LERA Consulting Structural Engineers, McNamara Salvia, NV5, NYC Department of Buildings, PCP Architecture, Perkins Eastman, Severud Associates, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger, Stantec, Thornton Tomasetti, Urbahn Architects PLLC, Urban Architectural Initiatives (UAI), and WSP USA.

JOn November 6, a distinguished panel of judges selected winners from 28 creative Canstruction sculptures within the following categories: Best Original Design, Best Use of Labels, Structural Ingenuity, Best Meal, Most Cans and 2 honorable mentions.

Cherie C. Melillo Honorary Award:
CARbie by Beyer Blinder Belle

Amy Nanni Whimsical Award:
Towering Above Hunger by Lera Consulting Structural Engineers

Most Cans:
KowaHUNGA by Gensler

Best Meal:
50th CANniversary of Hip Hop by WSP USA

Best Use of Labels:

CANtastic send off to the metro card by Arup

Structural Ingenuity:
KowaHUNGA by Gensler

Best Original Design:

This City Has Gone to the Birds by DeSimone Consulting Engineers

Honorable Mention #1:

CAN-senji Temple by Simpson Gumpertz and Heger

Honorable Mention #2:
Love Story (Canstruction Version) by Fairstead

Jurors include Chris Grabenstein, award-winning #1 NYT bestselling author; Jesse Lazar, Executive Director of the AIA New York Chapter; Ryan O’Connor, CEO of Clinton Management; Maneesh Goyal of SONA; Josh Cohen, Partner for Midnight Theatre & Hidden Leaf at Manhattan West; Max Tucci, author of the #1 Amazon Bestseller, Muse Creative Award-winning cookbook “The Delmonico Way.”