REES and BNI “Saddle Up” for CANstruction Dallas 2024
REES recently partnered with Bliss & Nyitray, Inc. (BNI) for CANstruction Dallas, the annual event where creativity and community service collide in a design-build challenge benefitting the North Texas Food Bank. In line with the theme “Saddle Up and Lasso Hunger”, REES and BNI constructed “Cattle in the Cactus”—a Texas longhorn grazing in a cactus patch. Using 2,824 cans, the competition not only showcased the team’s design expertise, but it also contributed to feeding families across North Texas.
From Concept to Cans
After choosing the design of “Cattle in the Cactus” with the help of an office-wide vote, the team took the initial sketch and developed a digital model in Revit. The design process was a balancing act, ensuring the integrity of the structure while maintaining the overall vision. Working with the fixed dimensions of the canned food, the team incorporated support structures within the center of the design to help maintain its shape. The collaboration of REES’ design creativity with BNI’s structural solutions ensured a successful build. The Revit model became a color-coded design, with brown cans forming the longhorn’s body, green for the cacti and orange to create a sunset backdrop. Next a trip to Aldi helped find cans with labels to match the design. Prior to build day, a build guide was created with step-by-step plans, outlining what cans and leveling boards were needed for each specific level. Having everything mapped out ensured the actual build of the structure ran smoothly.
The night before build day, teams were able to prep their locations at NorthPark Center. REES and BNI employees gathered to unload and organize cans, lay out the leveling boards in the order needed and ensure everything was in place for the early morning start. The preparation paid off, and the team’s collaborative efforts made for a great structural build. One obstacle the team faced was threading the bolts through the vertical rods. While the measure was effective in keeping the structure stable, threading took a significant portion of the team’s time in the permitted building hours. Despite the time-consuming task, the team successfully finished “Cattle in the Cactus” with time to spare. The final structure stands 21 cans tall!
Contributing to a Greater Cause
REES is proud to have participated in CANstruction, especially because its commitment to giving back to the community. The event, held annually at NorthPark Center, helps to raise awareness about food insecurity in North Texas. Approximately 778,000 people, about 1 in 7 in North Texas, are facing hunger. Over 100,000 cans were used in this year’s 29 CANstructution builds, which will all go to North Texas Food Bank to provide meals to those in need.
The structures are up for viewing at NorthPark Center until Sunday, October 6, 2024. Voting is also open until the same date. Every $5 donated helps create 15 meals for our neighbors in North Texas. Support the cause and vote for our sculpture as your favorite here. A special thanks to BNI Engineers for partnering with REES, and to captains Toni Huerta and Kaci Tate for leading this year’s team!