AIA Northern Virginia’s Canstruction® event brought together creativity, collaboration, problem-solving, and community spirit as six teams transformed an everyday building material—the humble can—into imaginative and memorable works of art, all on display at the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City.

More than a design competition, Canstruction® demonstrates how architecture and design can make a tangible difference in our community. Every can collected and every structure constructed ultimately supports the fight against food insecurity through the Capital Area Food Bank. This year it is estimated that we collected 17,570 cans, worth approximately $32,000. What began as a creative challenge became food on pantry shelves and support for neighbors throughout the region.

This year’s teams embraced the challenge with enthusiasm, ingenuity, and plenty of personality. From a beloved internet meme, to a giant beaver and a familiar Shrek character, the 2026 structures showcased the many ways designers can turn a simple concept into something easily relatable.

The day after the sculptures were completed, a 7-person jury panel met to deliberate and decide the winners.  This year’s jury included: Anh Tran, AIA 2026 AIA Northern VA President and Director of Visioning and Measurement at Little Diversified Architectural Consulting Firm; Lessa Mayfield, AIA Owner of LMA Architecture; Joseph McCoy, AIA Founder & Principal of JMc Architects; Christopher Durant, General Manager for Fashion Centre at Pentagon City; Minh Tran, Structural Engineer with BHKM Structural; Melissa Harmouche, Marketing Coordinator with MEP Designs; and Danilo Simic, Restaurateur and Co-Owner of Nina May.

The 2026 Canstruction® Northern Virginia Award winners were announced at a reception held at Matchbox in the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City on September 21.  Awards were given to teams whose projects used the most cans, displayed uniquely original design, demonstrated the greatest structural ingenuity, best used the cans’ labels to give life to the design, and used cans, that when combined, created the most balanced meal.

The 2026 Canstruction® Northern Virginia Award Winners are:

Honorable Mention: “This Is Fine” — KGD Architecture

Honorable Mention: “Gotta Feed ’Em All!” — Wiley|Wilson

Honorable Mention: “Painting the Town Fed” — Jacobs

Honorable Mention: “Nourishing New Worlds” — Samaha Associates, P.C.

Most Cans: “Nourishing New Worlds.” — Samaha Associates, P.C.

Structural Ingenuity: “Ogre-Coming Hunger!” — HGA

Best Use of Labels: “Bob the Beaver, CAN We Build It, Yes, We CAN!” — MTFA Architecture

Best Meal: “Ogre-Coming Hunger!” — HGA

Best Original Design: “Bob the Beaver, CAN We Build It, Yes, We CAN!” — MTFA Architecture

People’s Choice Award: “Gotta Feed ’Em All!” — Wiley|Wilson

As we close out our 2026 AIA NoVA Canstruction® event, we want to give one last shout out to this year’s teams for transforming thousands of cans into imaginative structures while helping provide food to neighbors throughout Northern Virginia. Their creativity made Canstruction® memorable, but their generosity made it meaningful.

AIA Northern Virginia would also like to thank everyone who volunteered, photographed, and supported this year’s event including our sponsors MEP Designs, Inc.; Nina May; BHKM Structural; and Burke & Herbert Bank . Together, we turned cans into creativity—and creativity into community impact.