COE to host AIA-NJ's CANstruction
COE to host AIA-NJ's CANstruction
September 21, 2009

The New Jersey Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA-NJ) announces that Canstruction, its annual design exhibition and contest to benefit community food programs, will be held at Rowan University in Glassboro on Oct. 27, 2009, at The Atrium in Rowan Hall.
Students mentored by architects, engineers and professors will compete to design and build giant structures made entirely from full cans of food. The giant structures, after being judged, awarded and displayed, will be disassembled and the cans of food will be donated to local charities.
Sponsored by AIA-NJ and Rowan University’s student chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineering (ASCE), and coordinated by the West Jersey section of AIA-NJ, the New Jersey exhibition is part of a national Canstruction event, which is being held under the auspices of the Society for Design Administration (SDA), an affiliate of the national AIA organization.
The structures, which take thousands of cans of food to create, will be built during a four-hour “Build Day” on Tuesday, Oct. 27, from 3 to 7 p.m. Following a reception from 7:30 to 9 p.m., where the immense 10- by 10- by 8-foot structures will be judged, the structures will be on display in The Atrium in Rowan Hall for a day before being dismantled and donated to the Food Bank of South Jersey.
“The event gives students the opportunity to display their talents while also serving as a benefit for the hungry,” said Judith Donnelly, AIA, principal of Donnelly Architecture LLC in Hackettstown, N.J., and chair of the event. “With the current state of economy, more people than ever are in need of the food bank’s services. We are delighted that AIA-NJ can make a contribution.”
The student chapter of the ASCE at Rowan University is recruiting student build teams from different organizations on campus to participate, as well as organizing other food drive opportunities, including holding on-campus food drives and contacting local businesses and grocery stores for can or monetary donations.
Each team will have a faculty advisor or an AIA-NJ sponsor to provide support if the students have questions or need assistance with the build. The four confirmed teams, comprising six to eight members, have been planning ideas for structures since school started at the beginning of September.
“Our real interest and concern is simply collecting enough cans to have a successful community service project that returns something good to the area during the tough economic times,” said Douglas B. Cleary, Ph.D., P.E., associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at Rowan University, faculty advisor of the ASCE student chapter and co-chair of the event.
This will be second year for the design competition at Rowan, which also was held in 2003.
Since the inception of Canstruction, 10 million pounds of food have been donated to aid in the fight against hunger. Initiated by the Denver, Seattle and New York chapters of the SDA in 1992-1993, Canstruction now has more than 130 individual competitions scheduled to take place during the 2009-2010 cycle.
For more information on the New Jersey event, contact Judith Donnelly at 908-852-3113, or visit www.canstruction.com.
This event is one of two Canstruction events AIA-NJ is sponsoring this year. The other event, coordinated by the Newark and Suburban section, is being held at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., in conjunction with the New Jersey Devils’ “Hockey Fights Hunger” initiative, during the Devils game on Nov. 14. vs. Washington. Last year, the Newark and Suburban section’s Canstruction raised more than 40,000 pounds of canned food, which was donated to the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, based in Hillside, N.J.
About AIA and AIA New Jersey The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is the professional organization that helps architects serve the public’s needs and builds awareness of the role of architects and architecture in American society. The organization, which was founded in 1857, recently celebrated its 150th anniversary. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., its 300-plus local chapters represent 86,000 licensed architects and associated professionals. AIA New Jersey, based in Trenton, is the local chapter of AIA. In 2000, it celebrated its 100th anniversary. AIA New Jersey has about 2,000 members in six regional sections. For more information, please visit www.aia-nj.org.
About Canstruction
Canstruction is an international community service project of the design and construction industry whose mission is to “Canstruct a World Without Hunger.” Canstruction is trademarked by the SDA. Working in tandem with AIA and other members of the design and construction industry, Canstruction is making a significant contribution to the fight against hunger. Canstruction combines the competitive spirit of a design/build competition with a unique way to help feed hungry people. To learn more about Canstruction, visit http://www.canstruction.com/.
About the Food Bank of South Jersey
The Food Bank of South Jersey is a 501 (C) (3) nonprofit hunger-relief organization founded in 1985. Focused solely on the South Jersey region, the organization serves Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Salem counties. Now in its 24th year of community service, the organization continues to serve as an agent for effective food rescue and charitable food distribution and has provided nearly 80 million pounds of food—the equivalent of 64 million meals—to thousands of families, seniors, individuals and children in need. For more information, please visit: http://www.foodbanksj.org.
About Rowan University
Rowan University is a nationally recognized public institution serving more than 10,000 students in six academic colleges (Business, Communication, Education, Engineering, Fine & Performing Arts, and Liberal Arts & Sciences) as well as the College of Professional and Continuing Education. U.S. News & World Report recently ranked the College of Engineering 15th in the nation among those schools offering bachelor’s and master’s degrees and placed three of its programs of in the top 10 in the country. For more information, visit www.rowan.edu.
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Students mentored by architects, engineers and professors will compete to design and build giant structures made entirely from full cans of food. The giant structures, after being judged, awarded and displayed, will be disassembled and the cans of food will be donated to local charities.
Sponsored by AIA-NJ and Rowan University’s student chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineering (ASCE), and coordinated by the West Jersey section of AIA-NJ, the New Jersey exhibition is part of a national Canstruction event, which is being held under the auspices of the Society for Design Administration (SDA), an affiliate of the national AIA organization.
The structures, which take thousands of cans of food to create, will be built during a four-hour “Build Day” on Tuesday, Oct. 27, from 3 to 7 p.m. Following a reception from 7:30 to 9 p.m., where the immense 10- by 10- by 8-foot structures will be judged, the structures will be on display in The Atrium in Rowan Hall for a day before being dismantled and donated to the Food Bank of South Jersey.
“The event gives students the opportunity to display their talents while also serving as a benefit for the hungry,” said Judith Donnelly, AIA, principal of Donnelly Architecture LLC in Hackettstown, N.J., and chair of the event. “With the current state of economy, more people than ever are in need of the food bank’s services. We are delighted that AIA-NJ can make a contribution.”
The student chapter of the ASCE at Rowan University is recruiting student build teams from different organizations on campus to participate, as well as organizing other food drive opportunities, including holding on-campus food drives and contacting local businesses and grocery stores for can or monetary donations.
Each team will have a faculty advisor or an AIA-NJ sponsor to provide support if the students have questions or need assistance with the build. The four confirmed teams, comprising six to eight members, have been planning ideas for structures since school started at the beginning of September.
“Our real interest and concern is simply collecting enough cans to have a successful community service project that returns something good to the area during the tough economic times,” said Douglas B. Cleary, Ph.D., P.E., associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at Rowan University, faculty advisor of the ASCE student chapter and co-chair of the event.
This will be second year for the design competition at Rowan, which also was held in 2003.
Since the inception of Canstruction, 10 million pounds of food have been donated to aid in the fight against hunger. Initiated by the Denver, Seattle and New York chapters of the SDA in 1992-1993, Canstruction now has more than 130 individual competitions scheduled to take place during the 2009-2010 cycle.
For more information on the New Jersey event, contact Judith Donnelly at 908-852-3113, or visit www.canstruction.com.
This event is one of two Canstruction events AIA-NJ is sponsoring this year. The other event, coordinated by the Newark and Suburban section, is being held at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., in conjunction with the New Jersey Devils’ “Hockey Fights Hunger” initiative, during the Devils game on Nov. 14. vs. Washington. Last year, the Newark and Suburban section’s Canstruction raised more than 40,000 pounds of canned food, which was donated to the Community Food Bank of New Jersey, based in Hillside, N.J.
About AIA and AIA New Jersey The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is the professional organization that helps architects serve the public’s needs and builds awareness of the role of architects and architecture in American society. The organization, which was founded in 1857, recently celebrated its 150th anniversary. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., its 300-plus local chapters represent 86,000 licensed architects and associated professionals. AIA New Jersey, based in Trenton, is the local chapter of AIA. In 2000, it celebrated its 100th anniversary. AIA New Jersey has about 2,000 members in six regional sections. For more information, please visit www.aia-nj.org.
About Canstruction
Canstruction is an international community service project of the design and construction industry whose mission is to “Canstruct a World Without Hunger.” Canstruction is trademarked by the SDA. Working in tandem with AIA and other members of the design and construction industry, Canstruction is making a significant contribution to the fight against hunger. Canstruction combines the competitive spirit of a design/build competition with a unique way to help feed hungry people. To learn more about Canstruction, visit http://www.canstruction.com/.
About the Food Bank of South Jersey
The Food Bank of South Jersey is a 501 (C) (3) nonprofit hunger-relief organization founded in 1985. Focused solely on the South Jersey region, the organization serves Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Salem counties. Now in its 24th year of community service, the organization continues to serve as an agent for effective food rescue and charitable food distribution and has provided nearly 80 million pounds of food—the equivalent of 64 million meals—to thousands of families, seniors, individuals and children in need. For more information, please visit: http://www.foodbanksj.org.
About Rowan University
Rowan University is a nationally recognized public institution serving more than 10,000 students in six academic colleges (Business, Communication, Education, Engineering, Fine & Performing Arts, and Liberal Arts & Sciences) as well as the College of Professional and Continuing Education. U.S. News & World Report recently ranked the College of Engineering 15th in the nation among those schools offering bachelor’s and master’s degrees and placed three of its programs of in the top 10 in the country. For more information, visit www.rowan.edu.
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