Collecting over 4500 cans the UTSA CANstruction team began to work on their design after last year’s competition.

Designers and philanthropists, American Institute of Architects, Society for Design Administration and the San Antonio Food Bank, held the 5th annual national design competition, CANstruction, in North Star Mall to nourish the people without food security and challenge the construction designers of San Antonio.

The challenge: to build a structure composed primarily of non-perishable food items, which will be donated to the San Antonio Food Bank.

The competition required that all structures be self-supportive and use no adhesives. In a unique activity to serve the community of San Antonio, the UTSA team – Harrison Pierce, Albert Franco, Audra Biediger, Samantha Singel, John Michael Storey and Stephanie Estrada – began their task soon after last year’s competition.

“In the beginning of the design, there was a sudden realization that it‘ll come together,” UTSA team leader Pierce said. “We all made a commitment to the limitations such as schedules. In the year that it took to work on the project, we worked during the summer in Dr. Eisenberg’s garage and, from then on, made many modifications to the design. A huge amount of responsibility and leadership came together.”

They envisioned “Wrangling Hunger” as their group theme.

“It was a collection of ideas,” Pierce said. The structure incorporates UTSA colors to represent the students and alumni that contributed to the gargantuan effort needed to complete the project. “We actually had a UTSA alumnus working for H-E-B donate materials and advice. St. John’s Lutheran Church along with friends, family and community were also contributors to our project, and our advisor, Kevin McClellan, pushed us for group effort.”

Although daunting, the challenges that came with the competition were overcome by the team’s strengths.

“Financially, it was a huge endeavor to collect the materials we needed,” Pierce said.

“We asked around for donations by sending newsletters as fundraising. In total, we collected 4500 cans.”

Color-coded cans were meticulously chosen for the design of the structure, and the technical support came from months of planning.

The structure was a technical achievement due to the work from the team of students. The remaining competitors belonged with architectural firms. Out of 14 competitors, only two were colleges: San Antonio College and UTSA.

“It was a measure of success,” Pierce said when he was found out that there was experienced builders and designers in the competition.

“If there wasn’t the right amount of awareness, then the food bank still receives the food items; that is an amazing achievement,” Pierce said.

“By separating the responsibilities among the team, the sum of all parts contributed to another achievement.”

According to the San Antonio Food Bank, statistically over 37 million people used a food bank for emergencies last year.

Designers and philanthropists, American Institute of Architects, Society for Design Administration and the San Antonio Food Bank, held the 5th annual national design competition, CANstruction, in North Star Mall to nourish the people without food security and challenge the construction designers of San Antonio.

The challenge: to build a structure composed primarily of non-perishable food items, which will be donated to the San Antonio Food Bank.

The competition required that all structures be self-supportive and use no adhesives. In a unique activity to serve the community of San Antonio, the UTSA team – Harrison Pierce, Albert Franco, Audra Biediger, Samantha Singel, John Michael Storey and Stephanie Estrada – began their task soon after last year’s competition.

“In the beginning of the design, there was a sudden realization that it‘ll come together,” UTSA team leader Pierce said. “We all made a commitment to the limitations such as schedules. In the year that it took to work on the project, we worked during the summer in Dr. Eisenberg’s garage and, from then on, made many modifications to the design. A huge amount of responsibility and leadership came together.”

They envisioned “Wrangling Hunger” as their group theme.

“It was a collection of ideas,” Pierce said. The structure incorporates UTSA colors to represent the students and alumni that contributed to the gargantuan effort needed to complete the project. “We actually had a UTSA alumnus working for H-E-B donate materials and advice. St. John’s Lutheran Church along with friends, family and community were also contributors to our project, and our advisor, Kevin McClellan, pushed us for group effort.”

Although daunting, the challenges that came with the competition were overcome by the team’s strengths.

“Financially, it was a huge endeavor to collect the materials we needed,” Pierce said.

“We asked around for donations by sending newsletters as fundraising. In total, we collected 4500 cans.”

Color-coded cans were meticulously chosen for the design of the structure, and the technical support came from months of planning.

The structure was a technical achievement due to the work from the team of students. The remaining competitors belonged with architectural firms. Out of 14 competitors, only two were colleges: San Antonio College and UTSA.

“It was a measure of success,” Pierce said when he was found out that there was experienced builders and designers in the competition.

“If there wasn’t the right amount of awareness, then the food bank still receives the food items; that is an amazing achievement,” Pierce said.

“By separating the responsibilities among the team, the sum of all parts contributed to another achievement.”

According to the San Antonio Food Bank, statistically over 37 million people used a food bank for emergencies last year.