Alfred State architecture students studying in Sorrento, Italy partnered with the Sant’Anna Institute to participate in a 48‑hour intensive design competition hosted by Texas A&M University and Hamid bin Khalifa University.
Working in two teams under Professor Alan Vlakancic, the students were challenged to respond to the prompt “Reimagining Food Systems,” focusing specifically on architectural approaches to food‑waste cycles. Competing against teams from thirty-two universities across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas, Alfred State students developed two innovative proposals.
The Trash to Treasure team reimagined food waste as a resource for creating the built environment. Their proposal explored how organic biowaste could be transformed into a biodegradable building block - capable of forming temporary structures that break down into nutrient‑rich fertilizer while producing reusable energy during fabrication. View their presentation
Reflecting on the experience, team members CJ Larsen (Covington, WA), Theresa D’Amato‑Neff (Schenectady, NY), Connor Dolan (Corinth, NY), and Warren Auty (West Islip, NY) shared, “It was a fantastic experience working with a group that was enthusiastic to create realistic solutions to help a global issue! The time constraint helped push us further than any one of us thought we could go. Thank you to Professor Vlakancic and Sant'Anna for this wonderful opportunity.”
The second team, Ashes to Glasses, developed a sustainable method for producing glass using food‑waste materials such as corn and rice husks and eggshells. Their approach sought to address both the global food‑waste crisis and the growing sand shortage affecting traditional glassmaking. View their presentation
Team members Anthony Woods (Bronx, NY), Kathy Galindo (Tuckahoe, NY), James Prendergast (Woodside, NY), and Cole Kornow (Buffalo, NY) reflected on the project, “Throughout this design competition, our team had a great time researching and exploring this innovative method of fabricating glass out of food waste and it allowed us to apply our architectural skills for our prototype. It was also a pleasure working alongside each other and designing different glass prototypes that could potentially become a reality. Thank you, Invent for the Planet for such an amazing opportunity!”
Marco Marino, Vice President for Institutional Relations, Academic Affairs and Advancement at Sant’Anna Institute: “As part of the spring Architecture semester program that the Sant’Anna Institute has successfully organized in partnership with Alfred State College (SUNY) since 2009, students were invited to participate in the Global Invent for the Planet innovation challenge. Initiatives such as this highlight a shared commitment to experiential learning, interdisciplinary collaboration, and preparing students to address real-world global challenges through creativity and innovation.”
Marino continued, “The Sant’Anna Institute values its longstanding partnership with Alfred State College and is proud to collaborate with universities across the United States in developing meaningful international learning experiences that connect academic study with global engagement.”
Vlakancic echoed similar thoughts, “It was a privilege to collaborate with the Sant’Anna Institute and further strengthen the long‑standing partnership between our two institutions. Opportunities to engage on a global stage are made possible through this invaluable collaboration between our institutions. Being able to witness the creativity our students brought to this competition was truly inspiring. We look forward to continuing this partnership and participating together in the future.”
Ultimately, Trash to Treasure was selected to compete against the global competition.