Canstruction®
Helping Wear Out Can Openers Since 1992
Canstruction® Calgary brings together teams of engineers, designers, architects and builders to create extraordinary structures out of non-perishable food items. The structures are exhibited to the public, judged, and then de-canstructed, with food going to the Calgary Food Bank. Each year there is a theme that teams must base their design around. Since 2006, this event has provided nearly 589,190 pounds of food to Calgarians in need. Canstruction® Calgary is the local chapter of Canstruction, a global anti-hunger project founded by the Society for Design Administration, an affiliate organization of the American Institute of Architects. The event is held in more than 50 cities across North America.
BUILD DAY
March 13, 2025
Welcome to CANimal Kingdom
CANimal Kingdom encompasses all the weird and wonderful creatures that are a part of the forests, deserts, oases, swamps and jungles of our world. Who will be the top dog? King or queen of the jungle? The ultimate apex predator? Only time will tell!
STRUCTURES ARE ON DISPLAY AT SOUTHCENTRE MALL FROM MARCH 12 TO APRIL 3, 2025
OUR April 2024
Participating Teams
Our April Sponsors
“At Fluor, we strive to build stronger communities by fostering positive, lasting change. CANstruction provides a unique opportunity for us to give back to some of the more vulnerable members of the community by raising food and awareness for the Calgary Food Bank, and having a bit of fun along the way!”
Robert Mitchell
Fluor Canada Ltd.
April 2024 Fast Facts
pounds of food
teams
Funds raised ($)
number of cans
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Cost?
Teams are responsible for sourcing their own food. Budget $1.75 – $2.50 per can if you are planning to purchase them. You can also host an employee food drive, employee “loonie” drives or join with another firm in a joint venture.
How much time will this take?
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The time commitment depends on the amount of prep work you do. You will need to meet in advance to develop and create your build, potentially developing a CADD drawing. You will also need time to gather your materials. The actual building is contained to just one day, although some teams choose to do a dry run in advance.
*Previous teams have advised us that the estimated team hours spent on CANstruction from the design, right up to build day and deCanstruction range from over 200 – 350 hours.
How do we get food?
Look to vendors and consultants in your industry, and invite them to make a financial contribution towards your sculpture. Team sponsors can be recognized on your team signage, which is displayed during the exhibit. You can also approach food suppliers, food retailers and manufacturers for direct donations. Every team is responsible for acquiring the food for their sculpture.
Tax Receipting
If you require a donation receipt for the food purchased, submit proof of purchase to the Calgary Food Bank. A donation receipt for the total amount will be issued to the participating organization. The cost of the entry fee, tape, cardboard, and all other non-food items are not eligible for a tax receipt.
***We will not issue tax receipts for food purchased to multiple individuals. Please click here for the Calgary Food Bank tax receipting information for CANstruction.
Can we practice beforehand?
Certainly. Some teams must work out tricky structural challenges ahead of time. If you have food delivered to your office for a practice build, you will have to arrange for delivery of the cans to the venue.
Can we have more than five people involved during the building?
Only five people can handle the cans within the 10’ X 10’ competition area at any one time. These people are allowed to hand-off to fresh team members. We ask that you assign a sixth member to remove garbage, recycling and building materials and place them in the designated areas. There is no limit to the amount of people who can be involved in the planning.
What are the next steps?
Submit your $250 entry fee and begin building you team! Brainstorm some cool ideas (Google CANstruction to see what’s been done in the past) while considering colour and structural support. Plan your build while considering what is both feasible and structurally sound, yet interesting. You may want to test run difficult aspects of the build to make sure they work. Don’t forget to challenge yourself and have some fun! At the end of the build day, you will have amazed your friends and co-workers while helping a great cause.
Are there awards provided?
The award categories are:
BEST MEAL: The winner of this category will be the structure that best utilizes cans to compose a balanced meal.
MOST CANS: The structure with the most cans wins this award.
STRUCTURAL INGENUITY: The winner of this category will go to the structure that ensures that the structure is designed to support the structural load.
PEOPLE’S CHOICE: The structure that receives the most votes from the public wins this award.
BEST USE OF LABELS: The structure that best utilizes labels in its design will win this category.
BEST ORIGINAL DESIGN: Does the structure reflect the build outline, does it inspire you, is it authentic to it’s outline.
Get In Touch
Contact our Community Engagement team at 403-253-2059 Ext. 3 or email