The cans are stacked. The masterpieces are nearly complete. Now it’s your turn to decide which structure will take home the coveted People’s Choice Award! Your vote does more than pick a winner. It helps build a stronger and more nourished community.
This year is a record-breaking CANstruction Reno with 22 teams and an incredible 42,907 cans coming together to fight hunger through creativity and compassion.
From April 30 to May 4 at Meadowood Mall, teams of architects, designers, students, and community members will transform thousands of canned goods into stunning, larger-than-life sculptures. After the event, all cans will be donated to the Food Bank of Northern Nevada to help nourish neighbors across our region.
How to Vote:
Voting opens Wednesday, April 30 at 8 a.m. and closes Monday, May 5 at 6 p.m.
Every $1 = 1 vote, and every dollar directly supports the Food Bank’s efforts to provide nutritious food to families in need.
Ways to join the fun:
Stop by Meadowood Mall on build day (April 30) to watch teams bring their visions to life from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Visit Meadowood Mall Thursday through Sunday to view all the completed structures.
Vote online right here for the one(s) that inspires you most.
Team names and structure descriptions are posted below. Photos will be added after the build wraps up on Wednesday evening. Check back soon to see the finished masterpieces.
Meet the Masterpieces
TEAM 1: Savage and Son, Inc. | Nevada’s Oldest Can-tractor – 5,626 cans
Our team has put together a design we’re all familiar with, a private bathroom, featuring a 6’ tall plumber holding a plunger.
The walls of our structure are put together with black beans and kidney beans, with green beans creating a Nevada shape on one wall along with the text, “BATTLE BORN”, and a wrench with the year “1893” to represent the logo of our company and when it came into business. The walls encapsulate a bathroom scene and plumber made of tuna and sparkling water cans, a toilet made from evaporated milk cans, and a vanity put together using lime, grapefruit and lemon sparkling water.
TEAM 2: Plenium Builders | Only You Can Prevent Hunger – 1,616 cans
Smokey’s on a mission—this time, it’s not just about preventing wildfires, but also about putting food on the table! Crafted entirely from cans, this towering tribute to our beloved forest ranger proves that with a little creativity (and a lot of cans), we can fight both hunger and wildfires. Smokey’s message has always been clear: ‘Only you can prevent wildfires,’ but now he’s adding ‘hunger’ to that list. So, remember, it’s not just about saving forests, it’s about building a stronger, hunger-free community, one can at a time!
TEAM 3: Van Woert Bigotti Architects | Desert BoCANical Garden – 2,162 cans
The “Desert BoCANical Garden” theme was inspired by the “Chihuly in the Desert” art exhibits by artist Dale Chihuly who is known for his vibrant, large scale glass sculptures. The can sculptures represent glass art nestled amongst various cacti and desert plants. In keeping with the southwest desert theme, the food items consist of ingredients that can be found in many
Tex-Mex Recipes.
TEAM 4: ACCO Engineered Systems | Drive Change, One Can at a Time – 1,647 cans
Our creation represents a very special truck in ACCO Engineered Systems rich history. From the newest to the oldest employees, everyone knows about the ACCO Truck and the excellent service it represents. Now, the ACCO truck is Driving Change, One Can at a Time. The Bush’s black beans were chosen for their deep blue hue, contrasting against the white and black detailing cans.
TEAM 5: AT&T Pioneers Silver State Chapter and VC Silver Circuits FTC Team #16158 | Knock Out Hunger! – 4,238 cans
T – TECHNICAL. Our technique of 4,238 canned food items includes 892 pinto beans, 2,274 sweet peas, 533 diced tomatoes, 399 black beans, 104 pasta noodles, 22 rice pilaf, and 14 macaroni and cheese.
K – KNOCK. Knock, knocking on hunger’s door. A towering 7.6’ blow to end hunger and a bob and a weave to end round one!
O – OUT. Blow-by-blow and away we go…it’s a unanimous decision. TKO! And the heavyweight champion of the world is —an END TO HUNGER!
TEAM 6: Food Bank of Northern Nevada | Rising Together – 2,128 cans
Just like a hot air balloon lifts off with the right support, our community rises when we come together. Set against the backdrop of the Sierra, this year’s vibrant CANstruction display captures the strength, generosity, and resilience that fuel the fight against hunger. The hot air balloon lifts off against a mountain sunrise, a reminder that when we support one another, we create brighter days for all. Every can in our structure represents the kindness and determination of neighbors helping neighbors, ensuring families across our region have the nourishment they need to thrive—because when we lift each other up, there’s no limit to how high we can go!
TEAM 7: Northern Nevada Sheet Metal Apprenticeship | Can Do Bender: The Tincredible Hulk of Hunger! – 1,530 cans
Forged from the finest fusion of aluminum ambition and canned culinary chaos, Can Do Bender is the sassy, sass-tin structure of your wildest soup-er hero dreams. Standing tall like a rebel without a can opener, Bender’s body is a glorious patchwork of green bean abs, corncob-calves, tuna-toned biceps, and chicken-breast brawn—seasoned liberally with soup-er strength. Crafted by sheet metal sorcerers (aka our instructors and apprentices), this iron-clad icon is more than just a tribute to Futurama’s finest—he’s a steel-ed deal in the war on hunger. Like he always says, “My story is a lot like yours, only more interesting ‘cause it involves robots”…and way more legumes.
TEAM 8: Pinecrest Academy | Ms. Berger’s Cheeseburger – 1,942 cans
We’ve created a delectable piece of meat that has most definitely been taken a bite out of! I’d make a cheeseburger pun… but it’d be too cheesy!
The Manwich Sloppy Joe Sauce is to represent a quarter pound flattened piece of meat which typically is a beef mixture that has been shaped into a circle and covered with Nalley Cheese Chili con Carne to represent a slice of cheese. Along with Del Monte Fresh Cut Sweet Peas as lettuce and Hunt’s Tomato Sauce for tomatoes. All in between two circular shaped buns using S&W White Beans.
This cartoony, delicious, combination of cans is created to make the meal: Sloppy Joe casserole!
If only our school lunches were this good! We are honoring a teacher at our school, a huge favorite, Ms. Berger! She is a very intelligent and funny math teacher.
TEAM 9: Pinecrest Academy | Tetris Arcade – 948 cans
An absolutely beautiful, technological marvel, this Tetris arcade machine made from cans with a thickness of 2 cans on the base with a sleek beautiful look with vibrant colors, that will awe any person who lays their eyes upon it, a sculpture that challenges Greek statue makers and you don’t even have to pay for access to a museum.
TEAM 10: Pinecrest Academy | JIF Crunchy Peanut Butter – 1,848 cans
We decided to go for a more classic design, and ended up on Jif’s Extra Chunky Peanut Butter. Nothing reminds us more of family and comfort than a delicious peanut butter sandwich!
TEAM 11: Pinecrest Academy | London Phone Booth – 1,218 cans
Our design represents an icon of London, the red telephone booth! Our structure is globally recognizable, and a fun representation of how communication can impact our world.
TEAM 12: Fortis Construction | Conehead Carl – 820 cans
Meet Conehead Carl – the safety cone statue made entirely of cans, built by the team at Fortis Construction to remind us that safety and teamwork go hand in hand. Carl’s not just a cool statue – he’s a symbol of our commitment to keeping everyone safe on the job and working together to build something great, like the data centers we’re constructing. Conehead Carl is the ultimate combination of safety and doing good. He’s like the superhero of statues – without the cape, and definitely without any actual superpowers, but still pretty heroic. Plus, once Carl’s time in the spotlight is over, all his cans will be donated to help fight hunger in our community. Safety, teamwork, and giving back – that’s the Fortis way.
TEAM 13: Mountain View Montessori School | Mountain View Peacock – 3,080 cans
The Mountain View Peacock is the most distinguished and magical bird in the land, and he is also very considerate. He only eats two things: donated food and his favorite treat, deep fried dandelions. Sometimes the M.V.Peacock is brought more food than he can eat, so every spring, he donates his extra food to the Food Bank of Northern Nevada to share with the people who need it most. This is his favorite part of the year because he can fight hunger and spread joy and happiness throughout the community.
We gave the M.V.Peacock spectacular plumage, ensuring that he is stable, secure, and beautiful to admire. Since the M.V.Peacock is so magical, we gave him a bright array of colors. We used Bush’s Best Black Beans for his vibrant blue body, and his radiant plumage consists of green Chopped Spinach, orange Hot Honey Beans, and blue Bush’s Best Black Beans. His dark black eyes and beak are Ranch Style Beans.
TEAM 14: Frame Architecture & TMCC Students | Hitting Hunger Out of the Park – 1,851 cans
It’s game night here in Reno, Nevada and the crowds gather at the Reno Aces Greater Nevada Field. We are bringing baseball to Meadowood Mall with a baseball and baseball field made entirely of brightly colored canned foods.
We have recreated the iconic diamond shape with colorful cans that are artfully arranged and angled to mimic the green grass stripes on the field, infield sand, and bases. In the foreground sits a sculpture of a red and white baseball, ready to be thrown into action and begin the game.
The baseball field is comprised of canned corn contained in tan colored cans, made to mimic the color of the field sand, jalapeno beans in bright green colored cans to mimic the light striped of the grass field, spinach in dark green cans to mimic the dark green stripes of the field, and black beans in the dark brown cans to mimic the infield dirt.
The design is a display that celebrates the spirit of baseball in Reno, while simultaneously providing hearty canned food meals to local families.
TEAM 15: Sierra Nevada Job Corp & JKAE |Sisters in the Brotherhood – 3,030 cans
Our structure features a woman proudly standing in a pink safety vest and hard hat, symbolizing the strength, skill, and resilience of women in construction. Built entirely from canned goods, she represents the growing presence and impact of women in the trades. The bold letters “SIB” stands for Sisters in the Brotherhood, a nod to the unity and support found within the trades community.
This design honors the hard-working women breaking barriers and building a better future, both on job sites and in their communities. Additionally, this structure serves as a reminder of our commitment to Fight Hunger, as the canned goods will be donated to those in need, helping to support families and communities across the region.
TEAM 16: Theta Tau Engineering Fraternity | The Hunger Knight Rises – 1,068 cans
Gotham isn’t the only place that needs a hero. From the shadows of hunger rises a crusader built from cans and courage. Lego Batman, AKA The Hunger Knight, stands as a symbol of resilience, justice, and hope. Assembled brick by brick and can by can, this structure reminds us that small pieces can become something powerful when united for a good cause. Your typical Batman may fight fictional villains but this version fights a very real and sinister villain — hunger. Each canned good not only represents a step towards fighting hunger but also represents a meal on someone’s plate. The Hunger Knight doesn’t need superpowers to be a hero, just purpose, a utility belt, and plenty of canned goods.
TEAM 17: Eagle Valley Middle School | Bearly Contained – 524 cans
All the way from the hundred acre woods…. I mean… all the way from Carson City, NV, Eagle Valley Middle School NJHS is proud to present our entry into the 2025 CANstruction competition. Playing into our childlike wonder, and our love for sweets, honey- its got to be Winnie the Pooh and his friend Piglet! A silhouette that is timeless and brings joy wherever he goes, just like we do!
The honey pot, made from Baked and Garbanzo Beans, is sure to satiate any hunger pangs, unlike Pooh’s desire for honey- which is unending! To make him as hearty as his love for others, Pooh is created with bright yellow tomato sauce cans that are sure to catch the eye and his friend piglet adds additional sweetness with cans of milk tea. As Pooh would say, “The things that make me different are the things that make me, me.”
Teams 18-20: Sky Ranch Middle School | Lights! CANmera! Action!
Team 18: Minion – 916 cans | Team 19: 3D Glasses – 1,025 cans | Team 20: Popcorn – 1,190 cans
Join us for a spectacular CANstruction project that is truly one in a Minion! This exciting event features three incredible builds showcasing a beloved Minion, 3D glasses for an immersive movie experience, and a bucket of delicious buttery popcorn. As you stroll down our red carpet, your eyes will glide like butter over these eye-popping structures, each a testament to the creativity and effort put into this community-driven project.
These CANtastic creations serve not only as visual delights but also as powerful reminders of the importance of giving back. After admiring the beautifully arranged canned goods, remember that these very cans will be donated to the Food Bank of Northern Nevada to support those in need. In the world of CANstruction, every can counts, like every scene in a movie.
So, come enjoy the show as we “Minionize Hunger!” Experience the magic of cinema with our themed displays, feel the joy of community giving, and savor some delicious popcorn. Together, we CAN make a difference while having fun. Movie magic is meant to be shared, and everyone deserves a little joy—especially those in need. Join us at Meadowood Mall and help us bring this vision to life!
TEAM 21: JCPenney | Catalyst – 1,200 cans
JCPenney is a 123 year old Iconic American Company founded on the principles of the Golden Rule. In 2025, JCPenney merged with SPARC Group to form Catalyst Brands, which consists of JCPenney, Aeropostale, Brooks Brothers, Eddie Bauer, Lucky Brand, and Nautica. The design captures the JCPenney logo on the back and changes to the new Catalyst logo on the front. A variety of canned goods, including various beans and vegetables were chosen to mimic the metamorphosis from the solid red JCPenney to the gradually changing colors of Catalyst.
TEAM 22: H+K Architects/ CORE Construction | Wolf Pack CANstack – 3,300 cans
A tribute to Reno’s favorite mascot, the Wolf Pack CANstack is a true alpha of CANstruction! Standing at 9 feet 5 inches, this CANis lupus is built from a howling 3,100+ cans, with Bush’s Black Beans forming its fierce silhouette, WinCo Foods Great Northern Beans adding a bite of contrast, and Armour Vienna Sausage cans filling out the finer details.
This CANine creation is ready to dominate the CANpetition.
