There are gingerbread bakers and gingerbread artists.

And then there are gingerbread overachievers.

The group representing Focus the Region, the annual teach-in on climate change, fits into the latter category. The faculty and staff members and the single student on the team came up with a “house” they called CandyLEED Campus. Apparently, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) is flexible enough to apply to all building types – gingerbread as well as wood and cement.

Their entry earned enough credits to be awarded a platinum rating, using such things as skylights made from salvaged hard candy, melted and cooled into sheets, a garden with drip irrigation, chocolate bar solar panels and a living sweets roof. And they had a LEED®-accredited professional on hand.

For their efforts, Team Focus the Region took first place in CSUMB’s seventh annual gingerbread house contest on Dec. 10. They were awarded a tin of butter cookies, a pizza party for 10 (courtesy of Sodexo) and possession of the trophy until next year’s competition.

The contest drew nine teams representing several dozen employees. Each group was given a kit consisting of the basic pieces and encouraged to let their imaginations run wild.

A panel was invited to judge the entries. Judges included Ken Turgen of Wald, Runke and Dost architects, and chair of the Marina Planning Commission; Julie Ann Lozano of Monterey Bay Office Systems; Charles Wesley of Sodexo catering; and former CSUMB staff member Courtney Kuhn of Quail Lodge.

The judges selected the top three finishers. Those who attended the staff and faculty holiday party on Dec. 10 were invited to cast their vote for the People’s Choice Award. The team representing Student Housing and Residential Life took that honor with their model of Chocolate Mountain from the CandyLand board game.

All nine entries were displayed in the lobby of the University Center during the party, and then went to local community organizations for display.

(Note: More photos can be viewed here.)

Winning teams:

• First-place: Team CandyLEED Campus; team leader Dan Fernandez, team members Brad Barbeau, Duane Lindsay, Kevin Miller, Laura Lee Lienk, Mark Lasnik, Megan Tolbert, Rebecca Kersnar and Sarah Dahlen.

• Second-place: Team Big Daddy Canes from Facilities Services and Operations; team leader Susie Hernandez, team members Wendy Rutledge, Jennifer Benallal, Alfredo Corona, Doug Lazzaroni, Andy Sierra, Benny Sanchez, Tony Cabeca, Augie Eclarin, Lloyd Eads

• Third-place: University Police Department; team leader Claudia Velazquez, team members Lupe Cabeca, Maria Amezquita, Nicki Hodges, Stacie Russo, Christine Pressas Cesar Velazquez

People’s Choice Award: Student Housing and Residential Life; team leader Melody Rico, team members Alexandra Froehlich, Andrea Dominguez-Blanco, Antoinette Olano-Defensor, Gayleene Badiango-Rullan, Jennifer Plueard, Priscilla Alvarez, Tom Burns