Call for Proposals School Edition

Call for Proposals - School Edition

Enter your school for a chance to be part of this year's WARMING HUTS COMPETITION!

Why Submit?

It’s easy! - complete the 1-page form (attached) and submit 1 page that illustrates a schematic design idea.
Be part of something special – the warming huts receive international attention, with over 4 million visitors to The Forks each year.
The experience – provide your students with a one-of-a-kind opportunity to turn their ideas into reality.
Knowledge – provide your students with practical, hands-on experience.
Bragging rights – promote your school and show the world how much talent you have.
Cash – honorarium included – replace that old couch in the library!

Competition Format

Warming Huts + Art Installation

We’re inviting schools from all around Manitoba to enter the WARMING HUTS COMPETITION: Arts + Architecture Competition on Ice. One school will be chosen based on their submission describing a process for designing and constructing a warming hut or art installation. The winning entry will be placed along the Nestaweya River Trail located on the Assiniboine and Red rivers in Winnipeg, Manitoba. A jury will select the school based on criteria set out below: Completeness, Engagement, Originality, Representation and Feasibility.

Deadline for Submission

The deadline for submission to the Warming Huts Competition: Tuesday, October 6, 2026 at 2:00pm CST.

Further Information:

Peter Hargraves, MAA, OAA, RAIC Event Producer
p. 204.415.3906
e. [email protected]
w. www.warminghuts.com

Warming Huts: An Art + Architecture Competition on Ice

Eligibility for the 2027 Competition

This call is open to all schools throughout the province of Manitoba. One intention of this competition is to connect students with members of the design and construction industry to gain knowledge and hands on experience.

Aim

To engage the public in the enjoyment of architecture, the arts, and public spaces in Manitoba’s most exciting season. Culture matters when it comes to our social and physical wellbeing; it can be fun and meaningful, and this is what we hope to promote. This call for proposals aims to bring these values to students across the province, and to connect them with the creative and construction industries.

Site

The huts or installations are placed along the Nestaweya River Trail at The Forks in Winnipeg, Manitoba (www.theforks.com). The Forks is located in downtown Winnipeg, at the junction of the Red River and the Assiniboine River. The intersection of the two rivers has made the area a popular meeting place for over 6,000 years. In recent times, the site has developed into a popular destination for tourists and locals alike, with over four million visitors annually.

In winter, the rivers are also used as an alternate route to access downtown by foot, bike, skates, and skis. There are opportunities for curling, hockey and much more. With many access points, the Nestaweya River Trail is a link between communities in Winnipeg. The River Trail is regularly groomed and monitored for safety concerns. There will also be extra security at night to discourage people from damaging the huts.

Weather in Winnipeg during the months of January and February can be extremely cold with temperatures reaching below – 30C. Teams are encouraged to engage the effects of solar radiation, wind chill, and the constantly shifting landscape of the snow-covered river in their thinking. The ice on the Assiniboine and Red River at the end of January can be as deep as one meter thick.

Competition Jury & Selection Process

The jury is comprised of a rotating group of five of the original jurors who include professional architects, designers, and artists. Four guest jurors representing the broader local community and one student from the University of Manitoba Faculty of Architecture or Fine Arts who was previously involved in the Warming Huts will be selected each year.

The schools will be judged and selected based on the teaching and learning process proposed to develop the design which is to be described and filled out in the School Process and Team Information Sheet. Though the jury is not judging the design of the hut, schools are asked to submit a preliminary design idea in the form of a sketch, picture, collage, painting, etc. to kick-off their design process and exploration.

Selection Criteria

Completeness: All parts of the submission are included, and the process description is comprehensive
Engagement: A proposed process that involves students and their communities
Originality: New and fresh ideas- pedagogy and community outreach
easibility: Can the entrant carry out their process as described?
Representation: Bringing new voices and perspectives to the Warming Huts project

The selected school will be announced to the public in December 2026.

Project Delivery

Design: The Warming Huts organizers will work with the selected school through a design development process that involves producing drawings, models, or other means to convey their design which will then be submitted for technical review. The technical review is to get input on the design and materials to ensure that construction is feasible and within budget, and to assist in producing construction documents.

Build: The winning school is asked to provide a team to construct and fabricate the winning project. Sputnik Architecture and The Forks Renewal Corporation can assist with preparing construction documents and help connect the school with members of the construction industry as required. The school is asked to submit final construction drawings by Friday, November 20 to ensure that you and/or the construction team may begin the fabrication process as early as possible. The winning school will be invited to help complete and install their project on the Nestaweya River Trail in Winnipeg, MB. Support is available for student and teacher transport.

Launch: Students and teachers of the selected school team will be required to attend events on Thursday, January 28 th, and Friday, January 29 th outlined in the schedule of this document. These events are intended to connect the Warming Huts teams with the local design community and provide the opportunity for visitors of The Forks to engage directly with the design teams. Members of the design team (students and school representatives) will be expected to meet with media and explain their design.

Submission Requirements

Entries must be submitted in English or French, or if in another language, please include a French or English translation. Entries shall include the following in their submission:

Process and Team Information Sheet One (1) page maximum. Please fill out PDF file provided with the following;
- List the name and location of the school.
- List the faculty members to be involved, and students. Describe student group, grades, and ages. (The number of students and their individual names are not required).
- Name of contact person, including contact coordinates.
- Briefly describe your interpretation of the project goals.
- Briefly describe your process of designing a hut.
  - Who would you involve?
  - How would you involve them?
  - Why is this process is meaningful to you and the school?
    - Examples include: “involving the students’ grandparents in community history” or “looking for examples of climate change from your community”
- Briefly describe how you imagine the hut would be constructed and installed.
  - Who would be the potential construction team?
  - What facilities would be used?
- Briefly describe your expected schedule in relation to the proposed time frame described in this document.
- Briefly describe why you would like to be involved with the competition and why your group should be selected.
Preliminary Design Sheet One (1) page maximum.
- A preliminary idea in the form of sketches, pictures of a model, a collage, a painting, etc. about your design.

Schools are asked to email their documents to: [email protected] The deadline to receive the documents is Tuesday, October 6, 2026 at 2:00pm CST.

Proposals may be presented as part of an online exhibition. By taking part in this call for proposals, entrants authorize Warming Huts: Art & Architecture Competition on Ice, to make public, exhibit and disseminate their proposals.

Project Oversight and Design

The school representative will oversee the design and construction of the project in collaboration with the Project Manager assigned by The Forks. The entrants chosen to participate in the competition agree to work to the schedule established by The Forks.

Honoraria and Budget

The budget for the creation and construction of each project is $16,500 (CAD). This budget is divided in the following fashion:

up to $3,500.00 for the designers' honorarium
up to $7,500.00 (including taxes) for the purchase of materials and/or the employment of consultants necessary for the realization of the project. This budget is managed jointly by The Forks and the school representative
up to $4,000.00 for labour costs for the construction of the project
up to $1,500.00 for Construction Management conducted by The Forks

Up to $1,000.00 is available for accommodation expenses and up to $2,500.00 is available for airfare.

Schedule

Oct. 6, 2026 2:00pm CST - Deadline for submissions
Oct. 9, 2026 - Jury Review
Oct. 12, 2026 - Selected Teams Notified
Oct. 13 – 29, 2026 - Design Documents Produced
Oct. 30, 2026 - Design Documents Due
Nov. 20, 2026 - Construction Documents Due
Nov. 23, 2026 - January 26, 2027 - Construction Period
December 2026 - Winner Announcement (The Forks Social Media)
Jan. 27, 2027 - Deliver Hut to The Forks
Jan. 28, 2027 - Orientation, Food for Thought Presentation at Faculty of Architecture, 10x20x20 Presentation
Jan. 29, 2027 - Morning TV interviews, Press Conference, Luncheon

The Forks reserves the right not to follow up on this call for entries.

School Edition Resources

Please reach out to Peter Hargraves [email protected] for any questions.