Canstruction Toronto 2014

Photo by David A. Crowder

Have you strolled through the lobbies of the TD Towers in Toronto recently? If not, we recommend taking a detour on your lunch break or on your way home and checking out all the Canstruction structures!

What is Canstruction?

Canstruction is a non-profit competition between designers, architects, engineers, students, and other industry professionals that focuses on fighting hunger all around the world. This year, all the proceeds of the Toronto competition went to the city’s largest community food bank, Daily Bread Food Bank.

There were 19 teams and each came up with a structure to symbolize the fight against hunger. The interesting thing about the competition is that all the structures must be built using only non-perishable food items that can be donated. We weren’t sure what to expect when we attended the award ceremony, but we have to say, we were very impressed; Toronto has some very talented artists!

Hunger, Just Like the Enemy, is Not Welcome Here. Photo by David A. Crowder

The panel of judges, consisting of industry professionals, handed out five awards. The Best Meal award is based on the variety of food products used to create the structure and was won by Aecom Canada LTD for “Hunger, Just Like the Enemy, is Not Welcome Here.”

A Queen’s Feast. Photo by David A. Crowder

The Best Use of Labels award was based on how well the team used the labels to accent their structure. The winner of this award was BA Consulting Group Ltd. for a “A Queen’s Feast.” If you stand back far enough from their structure, the portrait of the queen is almost life-like!

This Loon Sure CAN Fish. Photo by David A. Crowder

The Structural Ingenuity award went to Aerocoustics Engineering Ltd. with Rebanks Pepper Littlewood Architects Inc. for their “This Loon Sure CAN Fish” structure because of the cantilever system they employed.

The Honourable Mention went to a team that broke every single building rule set out by the competition. Turner Fleischer Architects Inc. used materials other than food and bracing materials to create a playground called “CAN’T Let Hunger Slide” (the top image). But let’s be real, breaking all the rules is what good architecture is all about.

A Three Sisters’ Wampin Belt. Photo by David A. Crowder

Finally, the Jurors’ Favourite award went to “A Three Sisters’ Wampin Belt,” by Cannon Design. It was the favourite because of its complex yet simple design, as well as its representation of the indigenous people of North America.

Since 1992, Canstruction has donated 17.5 million pounds of food around the world. This was our first time at Canstruction, but we can not wait for it to come back! The structures come down on June 1, so check out the TD Towers at Bay and Wellington today!