Doug Richardson of Moment Engineers, Inc. has been practicing his Peaster Island masterpiece for the Canstruction competition that begins today at the Charleston Civic Center. Peaster Island is among the architectural masterpieces now under construction at the Charleston Civic Center.

Built from 30 cases of peas, the tall structure is meant to mimic the prehistoric monuments of Easter Island in the South Pacific, said Doug Richardson of Moment Engineers Inc. While brainstorming over dinner, he and his wife, Janet, came up with the idea for building canned replicas of the mysterious statues of Easter Island. Distance has deterred them from visiting the barren island located between Tahiti and Chile. "It's one of the furthest places to vacation," he said. "It's three days worth of traveling." Instead, he's building his own statues -- a job that required a few trips from a grocery store to his car with 700 cans of peas. "I had to explain to a couple of checkout girls why I wanted so many peas," he said. It's all part of Canstruction, which begins today at the Charleston Civic Center.

Doug Richardson of Moment Engineers, Inc. has been practicing his Peaster Island masterpiece for the Canstruction competition that begins today at the Charleston Civic Center.

Teams of architects, engineers and contractors will compete to design and construct sculptures using canned foods. The trademark charity event of the design and construction industry is produced under the auspices of the Society of Design Administration. It is sponsored locally by Covenant House and the American Institute of Architects -- West Virginia.

Teams compete in the categories of Structural Ingenuity, Best Use of Labels, Best Meal, Juror's Favorite, and People's Choice.

Competitors have until 10 p.m. today to complete their structures, which will remain on display in the Civic Center lobby until Friday. The awards ceremony is set for 5:30 p.m. Friday.

Additional participants are Chapman Technical Group, West Virginia University Institute of Technology Community and Technical College, Silling Associates, Terradon Corp., Dow Chemical Co. Women's Innovation Network, and ZMM, Inc.

Participating teams design and build their creations and then tear them down. Family and friends are helping with Peaster Island, which includes a 6-foot tall structure and a 7-foot tall monument. While they consist mostly of peas, a few cans of chili will be added for color.

De-canstruction and delivery of canned goods to the food bank are set for Saturday. Thanks to the competition, more than 700 cases of canned food will be donated to the food panty, said Amy Weintraub, executive director of Covenant House.

"This influx of food will be of enormous help as we seek to provide balanced, nutritional food orders to no- and low-income Kanawha countians," Weintraub said. "Last year, 2,358 people were served by the food panty, with a monthly average of 197 individuals and 66 households."

The Covenant House food pantry, located at First Presbyterian Church, is open to anyone needing food. An on-site manager and volunteers distribute thousands of pounds of food every year. Those requesting food assistance may take a photo ID and proof of income or a referral from the Department of Health and Human Services to the Covenant House drop-in center, 600 Shrewsbury St. With these documents, any Kanawha County resident can receive a voucher good for a food pantry visit. Individuals may receive food once a month.

Covenant House, a 13,000-square-food facility on Shrewsbury Street, is a collaborative effort of 35 congregations of various faiths. Programs help more than 30,000 people a year in 32 counties.

Canstruction celebrates the 25th anniversary of Covenant House and the 150th anniversary of the American Institute of Architects. Visit the Web site www.canstruuction.org for more information on the nationwide competition.

Contact writer Charlotte Ferrell Smith at 348-1246.