LaBella Wins Structural Ingenuity Award at 2023 Charlotte CANstruction

Structure results in 2,800 food items donated to the Greater Charlotte Community.

LaBella’s Charlotte office rocked their way to the winner’s circle for the 2023 Charlotte CANstruction competition and donated over 2,800 food items to the Greater Charlotte Community!

CANstruction is a global not-for-profit organization that addresses hunger globally. Hosted by AIA Charlotte, Charlotte CANstruction is an annual exhibit and design competition that brings AEC professionals together to create colossal structures built entirely out of canned goods. Every can and dollar are donated to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina.

Team LaBella sought inspiration from Beats by Dre headphones. Dr. Dre’s vision began with the mission of improving something he is passionate about. LaBella is passionate about improving the lives of those who live in our communities. CANstruction’s mission inspires us to help beat hunger and raise awareness of the growing issue of food shortage and insecurity. LaBella proudly planned, designed, and constructed the 8-foot-tall “Beats Charlotte Hunger” structure using 2,750 cans and 80 pasta boxes, with the hope that we can help our friends and neighbors put food on their table.

The exhibit was on display from October 14th-18th at Camp North End, where visitors viewed and voted on the structures. Teams were judged on Best Use of Labels, Structural Ingenuity, Best Meal, Most Cans, Best Original Design, Juror’s Favorite, and People’s Choice. LaBella’s CANstructure received the Structural Ingenuity award for utilizing engineering and architectural principles to overcome design challenges!

Overall, the food and funds collected total nearly 83,000 pounds of food which will create about 69,000 meals for those in need in the Greater Charlotte Area – a massive increase over last year’s competition total of 42,000 pounds!