Creativity, engineering, and community spirit came together earlier this month as KCI’s Allentown, Pennsylvania team participated in the 6th Annual CANstruction Greater Lehigh Valley event, hosted by the Greater Lehigh Valley AEC Foundation.
This year’s theme — “GAME ON! Video & Arcade Games” — challenged teams of architects, engineers, and contractors to design and build giant sculptures made entirely out of cans of food. To mark the 40th anniversary of the original Super Mario Bros. and the NES console, our team, the C[A]N Artists, went all in on nostalgia, creating a vibrant Super Mario–inspired structure that captured the spirit of fun and collaboration.
Building for Impact
Special shout-out to Diego X. Eras, PE, who helped bring the vision to life alongside our AEC industry peers. The finished sculpture, built from more than 3,400 cans of food, was displayed at the Lehigh Valley Mall from October 10 through October 24.
At the close of the exhibit, all cans — along with funds raised through team sponsorships — were donated to the Second Harvest Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania, helping local families facing food insecurity.
“This project reminded us that engineering and creativity can work hand-in-hand to make a real difference,” said Eras. “It’s not just about building structures — it’s about building community.”
About CANstruction
The CANstruction program, founded in 1992, hosts competitions in more than 150 cities worldwide, engaging professionals from the design-build community to raise awareness of hunger and collect millions of pounds of food for local food banks. Since its inception, CANstruction events have contributed over 20 million pounds of food to those in need.
Locally, Second Harvest Food Bank serves six counties — Lehigh, Northampton, Carbon, Monroe, Pike, and Wayne — through a network of more than 200 agency partners, including food pantries, shelters, and schools. Each month, they provide roughly 1.4 million meals, a vital lifeline for many across the region.
