VLK Architects and Bridgeland High School Build Award Winning Structure at CANstruction 2023
On Saturday, November 11, 2023, a team from VLK joined with Bridgeland High School of Cypress-Fairbanks ISD to participate in the annual CANstruction competition benefiting the Houston Food Bank at the George R. Brown Convention Center. The team’s winning structure used 7,300 cans and received awards for Most Cans and Juror’s Favorite at the awards ceremony on Wednesday evening.
VLK and Bridgeland High School’s design for the structure took inspiration from the artwork “The Great Wave off Kanagawa” by Hokusai to create a unique wave structure.
“Each year our students find new ways to impress the judges with their creativity and teamwork to build complex structures,” said Team Captain and VLK Design Architect, Krista Thomas. “The idea of creating a wave through cans was ambitious as we knew it would be crucial to make a build that had movement from all sides. We are proud of all the work our team put into this build, and we’re grateful to be a part of CANstruction’s contribution to the Houston Food Bank.”
Former Bridgeland High School student, Ethan Hajdik, has participated in CANstruction as a student for three years, but this year he joined the team as a VLK Intern. “When I became an intern at VLK I was elated to be able to work with those who were my mentors throughout my high school career,” said Ethan. “When I asked to be a part of the firm’s CANstruction team, I was excited to team up with my alma mater in a new role. It’s my hope that this is just the beginning of many winning builds to come.”