Local Architects and Builders show Can-Do Spirit
Second Annual Canstruction Contest Winners Selected by Judges

Three Utah construction associations came together for the second annual Canstruction Competition to stretch their creative skills and collect donations for the Utah Food Bank.

Salt Lake area architects and builders put their creativity and skills to the test pushing the limits of construction using only cans of food. The second annual Canstruction competition was held Dec. 10 at the Salt Lake City downtown library and in addition to the creation of from remarkable displays, the 16,000 cans of food used will be donated to the Utah Food Bank.

Of the nine creations, first prize went to 6 foot roll of film constructed of cans of green beans, diced tomatoes, mandarin oranges, and black olives. The structure titled, "Exposing a Meal" was composed of 3,800 cans and was built by Sahara Construction, JRCA Architects, Commercial Wallcovering Source, and Delta Fire Systems, Inc.

The award for structural ingenuity went to "Peas on Earth," one of the largest installations, a 20 foot sphere with the continents made of canned peas supported by columns of olives. The canstruction of 3,450 cans was created by GSBS, Big-D Construction Corp., Reflective Product Sales, and SBR Technologies.

The award for the best use of labels was given to "Olene Can," a 665 can portrait of the Governor Olene Walker being sworn in as the first woman Governor of Utah. Team members are Pentalon Construction, Cooper Roberts Simonsen Architecture, and Interstate Brick.

Best Meal Award was given to a 6-foot tall Kitchen-Aid mixer created of tomato sauce and tomato paste, with a large silver bowl made of Barq's Root Beer silver cans.
Consisting of 1,440 cans, it was designed by BYU student Jason Wheeler and built by the team of FFKR Architects, BYU Construction Management Students, Reaveley Engineers, and Daly and Associates.

An honorable mention in the Best Meal category was awarded to "Give Hunger the Boot," a 7 foot tall snow boot made of canned chili and refried beans and black olives sitting in bags of marshmallows with a binding made of blue kippered snacks. R&O Construction and Architectural Nexus created the boot from 1,935 cans.

A second honorable mention was awarded to "Canfusion of Languages," based on the Tower of Babel and built of many kinds of foods, with a carrot level, a corn level, potatoes, beets, sweet peas, black beans and topped with a variety of many beans with international labels. The team of EMA Architects, LLC and Wadman Construction used 2,000 cans for the structure.

The annual competition and charity event is sponsored by the American Institute of Architects -- Salt Lake Chapter, Associated Builders and Contractors, Construction Specification Institute -- Salt Lake Chapter, the Products Council, and the City Library.

National ASLA Names PAresident for 2004

The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) has selected Susan L.B. Jacobson, FASLA, as its president for 2004.

Jacobson is the founder and owner of Bartells/Jacobson Design, a private design firm located in Glen Ellyn, IL, a suburb of Chicago. A successful landscape architect in private and public practice since 1978, she opened her own firm in 1990, specializing in public works, parks and recreation, and commercial landscape architecture projects.

She earned a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from the University of Illinois, Champagne-Urbana Campus. An active member of ASLA since 1982, Jacobson was elected to the ASLA Council of Fellows in 1995 and has held numerous offices at both the state and national levels. In addition to her volunteer work with the Society, she has presented lectures for the Garden Clubs of Illinois, the University of Illinois, the Chicago Chapter of Women in Architecture, and area schools. She has served on the jury for the Indiana, Texas, and Vermont ASLA Chapters and for the University of Illinois student awards program.

ASLA also inducted Patrick A. Miller, Ph.D., FASLA, as president-elect for 2004 and three vice presidents to two-year terms: Karen C. Hanna, FASLA, vice president of education; John H. Nicolaus, ASLA, vice president of communication; and Amy L. Schneckenburger, FASLA, vice president of public affairs. Continuing service on the ASLA Executive Committee are: Paul F. Morris, FASLA, immediate past president; C. Edward Curtin, ASLA, vice president of finance; Don H. Brigham, Jr., ASLA, vice president of information and practice; and Sadik C. Artunc, FASLA, vice president of membership.