Canundrum
Venturi, Scott Brown & Associates
Juror's Favorite

Here’s an amazing Canstruction in the vernacular American roadside tradition!  It’s built from over 4,450 cans — suffering succotash, that’s over 2 tons of corn, peas, and beans.

And here’s how it works:
Start at either big red arrow and follow the path — up, over, down, maybe back up again? — until you reach the arrow on the other side.
And if you think that sounds corny, well, that’s because you haven’t tried it yet.
To solve the puzzle, we figure you’ll need patience and friends — or need to cheat?
It’s quite a cornundrum!  Good luck!

Team: Jessica Tidd, Captain, Angelina Dallago, John Izenour, Ali Naghdali, Jeremy Eric Tenenbaum

Special thanks to everyone at VSBA and to all of our sponsors.

I Think I CAN
PZS Architects, LLC
Structural Ingenuity

Hunger is a difficult and uphill battle that millions of families wage each year. That struggle to persevere in the face of a seemingly insurmountable task is represented in the beloved children’s book, “The Little Engine That Could."  The intent of our installation this year was to build a familiar and friendly image, which would represent not only the difficulty of taking on such a daunting challenge head-on, but also the exhilaration that comes from the immortal words of the Little Engine, “I think I can!” We hope this motto - “I think I CAN” - will serve as an inspirational theme to all that tackle the uphill battle of hunger.

Team: Herb Schultz, IV, Captain, Matt Beuke,Jose Garcia, Lowell Lipschultz, Juan Ramos

Three Square Meals
EwingCole
Best Meal

The origin of this common phrase has two distinct explanations.  Some have decifered it in a literal sense of meals being eaten on square plates.  British seamen of the 18th century would eat their meals from wooden planks that were cut into squares.  Due to the lack of food available on a long ocean journey, receiving three square meals was not only an effort but a prize.  Other scholars have taken a more etymologist route.  A square meal is one that provides balanced and proper nutrition based on the idea that square means fair or correct.  It is an idea that comes from the right of a right angle being true and therefore square has become an adjective.  One of the earliest public uses of this phrase appeared in Harper’s Magazine in 1865 to advertise a Nevada establishment, “For fifty cents you CAN GET A SQUARE MEAL at the HOWLING WILDERNESS SALOON!” Further down, the writer added, “A square meal is not, as may be supposed, a meal placed upon the table in the form of a solid cubic block, but a substantial repast of pork and beans, onions, cabbage, and other articles of sustenance.”
 In our sculpture, we have sought to bring both of these ideas together by using selected cans to represent the nutrition of the food pyramid and have placed them upon a square plate to complete Three Square Meals.  We hope this sculpture inspires balanced nutrition.

Team: Elizabeth Gregor, Captain, Jennifer Dorr, Barbara Eddy, Steve Gastright, Warren Smith

Special Thank You to our additional team members:  Zach Harr, Leah Selkowitz, and Scott Nixon
Additional Thank You to the event sponsors and LaserShip for their services.

STAMP Out Hunger FOREVER
SVT, Inc.
Best Use of Labels

This can-structure is a 3-D version of the Liberty Bell Forever Stamp. It was designed with a creative use of can labels, especially to make the shine of the bell, the text on the stamp, and the outline showing the signature shape of any stamp. Our hope is that this entry will stick in your memory, so that each time you use the Liberty Bell Forever Stamp, you will remember those who are hungry. Since we want to free everyone from hunger, let’s STAMP OUT HUNGER FOREVER.

Team: Jeremy Stevenson, Captain, Chris Holliday, Amin Ramli, Ryan Scalley, Bryan Schmidt

Special Thanks to our other members: Kevin Carmody, Jennifer DeWitt, Jennifer Loiseau, Angy Morales, and Ben Titus.

Special Thank You to LaserShip Inc, 1818 Market Street management and tenants, and various others for your generous support.

Building Balance One Can at a Time
Gilbane Building Company
Honorable Mention

Tower cranes dominate our city skylines, lifting impossibly large burdens into the sky to build, upon strong foundations, those awe-inspiring skyscrapers that shape our living city landscape. The human body needs a strong foundation in proper nutrition in order to grow into awe-inspiring people who shape our human landscape.  Building Balance One Can at a Time illustrates this analogy by bringing it to the dinner table, constructing a jobsite that is built on proper nutrition to reach new heights. Like the food pyramid itself, a job starts from the trailers made of Matzos where contractors and architects lay the plans. Our site fence and heavy equipment must be strong and powerful so they are constructed of protein-packed SPAM, Bumble Bee Sardines and Bumble Bee Tuna. The tower crane of Campbell’s Chunky Soup stretches to the sky and rotates to place the next can into our skyscraper of nutrition. Del Monte Vegetables and Fruit grow the skyscraper in progress that is pierced with Bumble Bee Tuna windows and red and blue lights of Hormel Ham and Starkist Tuna. Nutritious and filling, Building Balance One Can at a Time, illustrates in massive proportions the beauty of the construction site and its ability to show us that a strong base in nutrition leads you to new heights!

Team: Matt Carney, Captain, Maggie Reed, Gail Johnson, Alex Smith, Heather McLay

Special Thanks to our team members: Debbi Kubacki, Debbie Pryor, Michele Allinson, Meral Kanik, Ed Thompson

And a huge THANK YOU to: Lucky Strike Lanes and all of our jobsites for their tremendous effort!!

No Hunger
Timothy Haahs and Associates
Honorable Mention

The design that we developed is meant to be an experience, rather than simply a figure.  Observers will need to actually interact with the structure, in order to discover the message that is inside.  We decided to use all black cans for the outside, in order to give the impression of a basic cubed figure.  However, once the observer approaches the structure and looks inside, they will see a more elaborate and creative design, as well as the intended message of “No Hunger.”

Team Members: Andy Choe, Captain, Ed Rahme, Boik Jo, David Lee, Judy Trobliger, Megan Leinart

Stop Hunger
ASCE - Young Members Forum

ASCE-YMF has selected STOP HUNGER as this years design. It incorporates the civil engineering design of streets and traffic flow with the mission of Philabundance. Our design calls for over 800 cans to build this life size stop sign. Our focus was on collecting red, white, and green labeled cans to depict the sign’s frontage, lettering, and support post, respectively.

Team: Chris Gray, EIT, Cathy Farrell, PE, Jennifer, Reigle, PE, Alex Sopin, EIT, Angelo Waters, EIT

Speacial thank you to Giant Food Markets, Delaware County Commission, Montgomery County Commission, Pennoni Associates, Urban Engineers, Michael Baker Jr., Timothy Haahs & Associates for their generous contributions to our structure. 

Ringing Out Hunger
Bohlin Cywinski Jackson

Not only is the Liberty Bell a proud symbol of our city, but this Philadelphia relic represents the ideals of our great nation — inspirationally ringing in freedom, liberty, and hope for those who are oppressed all over this world.  Our team has constructed this life-sized replica of the Liberty Bell to demonstrate how one unified cause can alter future generations. Our structure is architecturally comprised of legume cans, chosen primarily for their nourishing content, while capitalizing on their metallic hue. Just like the Liberty Bell united a nation seeking independence, our aim is to help those less fortunate gain their Freedom from Hunger. Together, we can Ring Out Hunger.

Team: Jesse Pointon, Captain, Monica Barton, Jeff Lew, Anthony Pregiato, Megan Strenski

Thank you to our other team members: Allison Handman, Christopher Renn, Kelly Vresilovic

Putting Hunger in Check
Mainstay Engineering Group, Inc.

Chess is often thought of as a thinking man’s game, a game in which every move, no matter how small, is calculated in the hopes of ultimately capturing your opponent’s King. There is no quick path to a victory; a single game of chess may take up to seven hours before your opponent’s King is even in Check. Like a game of chess, it is going to take a lot of small efforts and a great deal of time to solve the hunger problem in the Greater Philadelphia area. The number of people requiring hunger relief assistance in the Delaware Valley rose by more than 100% from 2001 to 2005, an increase that food banks are struggling to keep up with. We hope this piece encourages you to make your move, because no matter how small, it will all help towards Putting Hunger In Check.

Team: Andrew Leone, Captain, Ryan Firkser, Jeremy White, Harry Wilson

Special thanks to our other team members at Mainstay Engineering Group, Inc: Pamela Assenmacher, Robert Ott, Justin Ruby, and Shellie Straub.

A very special thank you to Mainstay Engineering principals Matt Hilbush and Bill DiCarlo for making our participation possible. 

CANimal Crackers
Charles Matsinger Associates

Animal crackers are one of the most recognizable symbols of childhood. In Philadelphia, however, 1 out of 3 children live at or below the federal poverty line. This means that one third of all children in the city struggle to obtain basic nutrition. These playful have come alive to bring healthy food to families in need, especially the children.

Team: Sheena Toomey, Captain, Jeffrey Brummer, Karen Ploucquet, Steve Raytek, Tina Rocha

Special Thanks to our other team members: Matt Perna, Maria Edwards, Hal Kessler, Orest Poslusznyj

Special Thank You to Mike Kokayko & BHG Consulting, Inc., Service Point USA, Florkowski Buildings, Inc., WH Myers Construction Company, Neil Lipperini/Lipperini Engineering, Parallel Edge, Inc., and The Pierson Group.

We CAN Fight Hunger
Fluor Corporation

With everyone’s help we can fight hunger. The “punching bag” is representing the food pyramid of today. Through hard work and dedication of others we can “knock-out” hunger. The cans in the pyramid are representing the different food categories, and the gloves are about to deliver the final punch to short term hunger. With the continuation of help from others we can work to make this “short term” longer and longer.

Team: Lauren Di Giovanni, Captain, Dominic Cline, Shannon Salas, Darren Wessel, Gail Ziegler

Special Thanks to: Steve Alley and Howard Hawkins, our other team members who helped make our structure possible, and to all Fluor Employees who helped in acquiring our cans in the tough times of today.

PHILLing the AmeriCAN BELLy
Spiezle Architectural Group, Inc.

Standing tall as a symbol of our country’s strength in the face of diversity, the American flag instantly unites individuals into an unshakable community that can tackle one of life’s biggest obstacles, hunger.  From the depths of the flag, emerges the Liberty Bell, Philadelphia’s symbol of freedom.  It rings to represent the sound of hungry bellies nationwide.  35.5 million people, including 12.6 million children, live in households that experience hunger or the risk of hunger. We hope that our design resonates with each American, and more specifically, each Philadelphian, to stand as a reminder that every individual’s contribution to the fight for independence from hunger is part of a unified effort. RED Pack tomatoes and WHITE potatoes are the fabric of the stripes, while Goya NAVY beans are stitched together to become the blue and white stars. It is our hope that these food staples will help to phil some American bellies.

Team: Kristin “Liberty Belle” Seage, Captain, Erin “Betsy Ross” Gemeny, John “Benjamin FrankCAN” Lee, Jackie “Union Jack” Markus, Nestor “NeStowe” Asuncion

Special Thanks to our other team member: Sean “Pass” Hyland.

Special Thank You to Spiezle Architectural Group Employees, Giant of Plymouth Meeting, J&J/Invision, Fessenden Hall, Garland Company, Inc., Garland Energy Systems, Inc., SR Products, family, and friends for their generous contributions.

The AmeriCAN Liberty Bell
URS Corporation

Much like the freedom fighters whom this national treasure represents, the fight to end hunger in Philadelphia faces what may appear to be insurmountable obstacles.  However, with the help of dedicated individuals and a determination to succeed, hopefully our CANSTRUCTION project will succeed in ringing out the end to Hunger in Philadelphia. The patriots who constructed our red, white and blue bell used Campbell’s tomato soup, Starkist Tuna, Bumble Bee tuna, Progresso Soups, Progresso Chicken broth, Hunts tomato paste, Contadina tomato puree, and a variety of other delicious foods. The original bell weighs 2,000 lbs, and is almost 6 feet tall from the lip to top of the yoke. Our bell weighs almost 5,000 lbs and is almost 6 feet tall, and was forged with close to 7,000 cans. The original bell was not perfectly constructed (hence the crack) ... and our bell is not perfectly canstructed (hence the crack).    

Although the original bell remains in Independence Hall, we hope that the canned goods used to canstruct our patriotic bell are distributed to all the needy people in the city of Philadelphia, so that they may realize they are not alone, and that the fight to end hunger will continue by the brave individuals who so selfishly donate to the cause. 

Team: Robert Lamar, Captain, Edwina Lam, Nicole Iacchei, Isaac Kessler, Richard Burrell

Special thanks to our other amazing team members: Eric Berg, Emily Estes, Jason Rager, Joe Shell, Donna Reich, Matt Kusy, Tony Federici, and other phenomenal friends in Ft Washington.

Sponsor thank yous: Clean Earth, Ashtead Technologies, MARCOR Environmental, Target, Sam’s Club, Shields Construction, Crown Holdings, GMAC, WTAS.