Washington architects can cans at the Building Museum

EYP designed this entry, All You Need Is LOVE, using 4,700 cans of tomato sauce, roasted chilies, and salsa to win the Jurors' Special Recognition Award/Patricia Leslie

Although this year's can competition staged by the Washington Architectural Foundation to raise money for the Capital Area Food Bank has ended at the National Building Museum, photos of the different can sculptures can leave viewers with deep appreciation for team members' smarts and know-how. 

This may look like a summer igloo made of stacks of quarters but it is actually cans of Le Seuer peas and tomato sauce canstructed by WDG and labeled To Bean or Not To Bean/Patricia Leslie

Architects from the 22 participating firms used about 75,000 cans to make "edible architecture," all contents in different sizes and colors and all donated to the food bank.

That three teams chose the Discovery space shuttle to feature for this year's theme of "Monumental" was monumental itself, but considering  Discovery did journey 149,000,000 miles over its 27- year working life and made its last trip when it came to Washington in April, circled the National Mall four times, and landed at the Smithsonian's Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air and Space Museum, its final destination, maybe it's not so coincidental, after all.  Whew!

Hartman-Cox designed Monumental Flight:  Discovering An End to Hunger.  On the floor are bags of rice/Patricia Leslie

 

This (and below) are Hunger:  We Have a Problem by URS.  Wrote the design/build team:  "It's one small step with cans but it's one giant meal for mankind."/Patricia Leslie

 

URS's entry/Patricia Leslie

 

 

 

To CAN-finity and Beyond! by Leo A. Daly won the People's Choice Award.  The team used 3,500 cans of white beans, soups, chilies, tuna, and black coffee to depict Discovery, downtown buildings, and the U.S. Capitol with a honey bear bottle on top, representing the Statue of Freedom/Patricia Leslie

 The 2012 canstruction awards announced by the District Architecture Center:
 

• Jurors' Favorite: One Small Step for a Can, One Giant Leap to End Hunger by Wiencek + Associates, Architects + Planners
• Best Use of Labels: Grand CANyon by Barnes Vanze Architects, Inc.
• Structural Ingenuity: A Colorful Meal of Golden Proportions by Perkins + Will
• Best Meal: A Colorful Meal of Golden Proportions by Perkins + Will
• Honorable Mention: CAN You Hear Me Now? by Cannon Design
• Honorable Mention: Grand CANyon by Grimm & Parker Architects
• Jurors' Special Recognition: All You Need is LOVE by EYP
• People's Choice Award: To CAN-finity and Beyond! by Leo A Daly

Since 1992 when the competition was founded by the Society for Design Administrators, more than 20 million pounds of food have been collected for communities around the world, according to the District Architecture Center.

The 2012 canstruction competition and fundraiser for the Capitol Area Food Bank at the National Building Museum/Patricia Leslie

Nobody can can cans like Washington architects can can cans at the National Building Museum where they can can cans and can can-can (maybe).

The National Building Museum/Patricia Leslie

What: National Building Museum

When:  Open every day, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sunday

Where:  401 F Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20001

Admission:  $8, adults; $5, students, youth, seniors; $3 for Building Zone only, and reduced prices for the last hour of the day

For more information:  202-272-2448

Metro stations:  Judiciary Square and Gallery Place-Chinatown

 

patricialesli@gmail.com