L2 STUDIOS’ AWARD-WINNING CANSTRUCTION EXPERIENCE

We’re excited to share our team’s experience participating in Canstruction Orlando 2024. Read on to learn more about Canstruction, our design process, our focus on nutritious food choices, the small details that made a big impact, and the incredible support from our sponsors.

Participating in this year's Canstruction Orlando event was an incredible experience that not only strengthened our team but also reminded us of the power of community in helping those in need. It was the culmination of months of collaboration, planning, and preparation that merged creativity and purpose in support of hunger relief.

All 3,154 food and drink products collected to build our Canstructure were donated to Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida. Overall, Canstruction Orlando 2024 helped to collect 18,210 pounds which translate into over 15,000 meals for our Central Florida neighbors facing hunger.

We’re proud to have been part of such a meaningful cause and to have played a role in fighting hunger in our community.

What is Canstruction?

Canstruction is an international hunger relief charity that raises millions of pounds of food each year for local food banks. Teams from various industries compete by building intricate Cansculptures®, with categories like Best Meal, Best Original Design, and People’s Choice. Winners from local chapters compete internationally, and all food is donated to local hunger relief efforts.  

How did Canstruction get started?

The idea of Canstruction was inspired by a group of New York Architects and Engineers in 1992. These architects introduced countywide Canstruction competitions as a way of uniting the design, engineering and construction industries. With more than 170 cities and over 30,000 volunteers participating in Canstruction competitions globally, Canstruction has grown to become one of the largest food drives for food bank donations in the world.

Our “can do” approach.

Even though we were designing with cans, we didn’t let that limit our creativity. We pushed boundaries, just as we would with any project, finding innovative ways to make every element intentional and impactful. From the color palette to the structural details, we approached the Canstructure with the same passion and precision we bring to our architectural and interior design work, proving that even the most unconventional materials can be transformed into something extraordinary.

An Olympic theme.

The Canstruction Orlando Chapter comes up with a new theme each year. This past summer the world came together for the Olympics. Solving hunger sometimes feels like an Olympic feat. But if we come together as a community there is much we CAN accomplish. This year’s Canstruction Orlando theme was, “Lighting the Way to No Hunger,” and centered around the Olympics.

Our Concept—Parade to Plenty.

Our team's Cansculpture design titled, “PARADE TO PLENTY—SEINE-DING LIGHT AND HOPE FOR A WELL-FED WORLD.” draws inspiration from the unprecedented opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics where 10,500 athletes, from 206 countries, sailed in a parade of 94 tour boats, down the Seine River. Instead of the traditional stadium parade, these athletes brought a wave of hope and pride to the heart of Paris, uniting nations on a historic journey.

The Bridge depicts one of the 24 bridges the boats passed under during the Opening Ceremony. A bridge is a powerful symbol of unity and connection, transcending the physical structure it represents. It stands as a metaphor for bringing people together, regardless of their background, circumstances, or differences. Whether it's through acts of kindness, sharing resources, or simply being there for someone, a bridge represents the connection that enables us to stand together, united in a common cause. In the end, we all share this world, and sometimes, all it takes is crossing that bridge to create positive change and build a stronger, more compassionate community.

The Boat gliding beneath represents the collective journey towards a well-fed world, carrying the hopes and dreams of countless individuals.

The Olympians (the baby food puree packets) fill the upper and lower decks of the boat, beaming with pride and waving their country flags as adoring fans (waving the company flags of our Sponsors) cheer them on from the bridge above. The Olympic spirit of unity shines brightly and serves as a powerful reminder that, by working together, we can overcome even the most daunting challenges.

It’s all in the details.

In architecture and interior design, it’s often the smallest details that make the biggest impact—deliberate, artful touches that elevate a design, bringing depth and personality to a space. During our construction concepting sessions, we kept the mindset that anything is possible…within the parameters of an 8’H x 8’W space.

Thoughtfully curated food choices.

We placed a strong emphasis on health and nutrition during the food selection process. Our goal was to ensure that the items not only complemented our color palette but also reflected our commitment to nourishing those in need. From organic beans and baby peas to baby food purees and hydrating options like Gatorade Zero and flavored decaffeinated tea mixes, every choice was thoughtfully curated with well-being in mind.

A structurally sound arch of cans.

Creating a structurally secure arch out of canned food presented an exciting challenge, especially given Canstruction’s strict limitations on structural support materials. An arch is a self-supporting structure developed in ancient times allowing structures to span distances. Generally made of stone where the weight bears on other stones while being locked together with smaller stones or masonry grout, thus forming a very strong and rigid structural member. The result is a transference of the gravity weight from the top of the arch down to the base on each side. So, how could we replicate this concept with cans of food?

A big thank you to our longtime partner, BBM Structural, for stopping by our office during the pre-build and helping us troubleshoot solutions for our arch. Your expertise was invaluable as always!

Our solution cleverly navigated the boundaries of the competition rules, which permitted the use of thin leveling elements and alignment rods, provided they did not detract from the visual impact of the cans. We strategically used ¼” plywood sheets between the layers of cans to create a stable platform. To maintain vertical alignment, threaded rods were installed through the columns of cans, connecting the plywood layers from the base to the top. For the arch itself, we incorporated a 1/8” thick arched plexiglass sheet that provided critical bracing and support while leveling the face of the arch, which was made from tea boxes.

By combining these subtle supports, we effectively mimicked the function of traditional arches. The result was a seamless and aesthetically pleasing structure, where the cans were "locked" into place just like stones in an ancient arch, without compromising the overall design.

A touch of light.

Since “Light” was part of the Canstruction theme this year, we wanted to incorporate some sort of lighting in our design. We reached out to our friends at Sesco Lighting and Luminii to collaborate and they were 100% on board (pun intended).

We lit the water with Luminii Optic Arts Matrix 12”x12” sheets to illuminate the bottles of blue Gatorade Zero. Two Luminii Optic Arts LL72 HO Premium Grade LineLED Strips were adhered to the plexiglass under the arch providing downlight for the boat. We want to thank Sesco and Luminii for their time collaborating with us and for providing ALL the lighting materials for our Canstructure. It truly made an HUGE impact!

Proud Olympians and their adoring fans.

We chose Little Journeys Baby Food Puree Packets with caps in the colors of the Olympic rings to represent the athletes on the boat decks, waving 84 miniature flags of the countries that won Olympic medals. Fans on the bridge sported flags featuring the company logos of our 27 sponsors.

Baby food puree packets represented the 10,500 Olympians who participated in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Each waved a flag from one of the 84 medal winning countries.

An award-winning experience all around.

We're thrilled to share that our Canstruction design brought home four awards: Best Original Design, People's Choice, Second Harvest Food Bank Award, Best Meal, and the fun superlative, "Plenty of Fun!" But we all win when we step up and help our community. Our CANsculpture shines a light on a moment of global unity and hope encouraging our community to come together in the fight against hunger. Through this design, we aim to remind everyone that, united, we can achieve the extraordinary—nourishment for all and a hunger-free society. 

Thanks to all our sponsors!

We are incredibly grateful for the support our generous Sponsors who were all happy to help us on this project in fighting hunger in our community.