Rules + Resources
Rules
Competition Format:
Three teams will be selected as winners of the WARMING HUTS COMPETITION: Arts + Architecture Competition on Ice from submissions of designs for a warming hut or an art installation. Winning entries will be placed along the Nestaweya River Trail located on the Assiniboine and Red rivers in Winnipeg, Manitoba. A jury will select the winning designs based on their creativity in use of materials, providing shelter, poetics of assembly and form, integration with the landscape, and ease of construction.
Deadline for Submission:
Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025 at 2:00pm CST.
Further Information:
Peter Hargraves, MAA, OAA, RAIC Event Producer
p. 204.415.3906
e. [email protected]
w. www.warminghuts.com
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 historically 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 any safety concerns. There will also be extra security at night in an attempt to prevent people from loitering or 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. The depth of the ice on the Assiniboine and Red River at the end of January can be as deep as 1 meter thick.
Competition Jury
The jury reviews every project and through a process of elimination selects ten projects for scrutiny. From the list of ten finalists, the top five will be ranked in order and the three highest ranking projects will then undergo a technical review. Based on the outcome of the technical review, the winners will be declared. NB: Team information is not provided to the jury until after the projects are ranked. This is referred to as a “blind” jury.
The jury comprises of a rotating group of five of the original jurors who include professional architects, designers, and artists. Three 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.
Winning entrants will be notified and requested to develop construction drawings for submission to a technical committee. Design development will involve input from the technical committee to ensure that construction is feasible and within budget.
Project Delivery
The Forks Renewal Corporation will provide construction teams, directed by a Project Manager hired by The Forks to construct and fabricate the winning projects. Teams are asked to submit final construction drawings at the beginning of November so that the construction teams may begin the fabrication process as early as possible.
Winning teams will be invited to Winnipeg to help complete their projects and install their project on the Nestaweya River Trail. Several days of activities will be planned around the celebration of the new huts with the design and construction teams.
These events include speaking engagements, to both members of the public and students at the University of Manitoba School of Architecture, a game of shinny hockey at The Forks against local architects, a field trip to Lake Winnipeg, and a party hosted by The Forks celebrating the winning teams. These events are intended to provide the opportunity for visitors of The Forks to engage directly with the design teams. Members of the design team will be expected to meet with media and explain their designs.
Eligibility for the 2026 Competition
This call for entries is open to all architects, students of architecture, landscape architects, interior designers, artists and industrial designers who have a proven portfolio of design work. It is the intention of this competition to foster and encourage the formation of multi-disciplinary teams.
Submission Requirements
Teams are asked to login into the competition site at: www.warminghuts.com
Teams are required to register by following the prompts at www.warminghuts.com/competition/current-year. A unique registration number will be generated by the warminghuts.com server and a confirmation email with the registration number will be send to contact person of the team.
The unique registration number must be clearly located on each page that is submitted to the competition. The entries must be sent electronically as PDF files not exceeding 5MB each. Entries must be submitted in English. Entries shall include TWO (2) documents as follows:
- Design Submission Sheets:
- Page One (11” x 17” or A3): Project Summary (include registration number)
- A 150-word text describing the concept and presenting the experience offered to the visitors
- Layout of selected images & drawings describing the project
- Page Two (11” x 17” or A3): Images & drawings (include registration number)
- Four main views or elevations of the hut indicating size and specific indication of materials (entrant is free to choose the scale)
- A perspective showing the hut in its entirety
- Page One (11” x 17” or A3): Project Summary (include registration number)
- Team Information Sheets: Four (4) page maximum, (8.5”x11” or A4)
- Name of the project followed by your unique registration number (this number must also appear on each Design Proposal Sheet)
- Design team member names with brief CV
- Name of contact person, including contact coordinates
- A 100-word description of the team, highlighting the strength of this multidisciplinary association
- Artist Information: Name, location, and date of recent publications, exhibits, or performances
- Architect Information: Name of Professional Association to which the architect or intern member is registered
- Four images of selected projects for which team members have been responsible, followed with a brief description of each project
- This information will be withheld from the jury until the final selection of winners. It will only be used to verify that winning teams include artists and registered architects or interns
To submit your design proposal, go to www.warminghuts.com/competition/current-year.
The deadline to receive proposals electronically is Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025, 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.
Selection Criteria:
- Creativity of response to creating the shelter or installation on the prefabricated skids
- The originality, coherence and clarity of the design
- Durability of the project
- Cost and ease of fabrication
Project Oversight and Design
The architect or designer will oversee the design and construction of the project in collaboration with the Project Manager assigned by The Forks Renewal Corporation. 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 (CAN). 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 designer
- 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. All travel expenses are only applicable to foreign teams.
Schedule
- Oct. 7, 2025 2:00pm CST - Deadline for submissions
- Oct. 13, 2025 - Selected Teams Notified
- Oct. 13 – 28, 2025 - Technical Review
- Nov. 21, 2025 - Construction Documents Due
- November 21, 2025 - January 27, 2026 - Construction Period
- Jan. 28 - 30, 2026 - Teams arrive in Winnipeg for the launch of the huts and participate in speaking engagements
Download this Call for Proposals information - PDF (343 KB)
Winner Announcement
The selected Warming Huts competition winners will be announced to the public throughout the month of December on The Forks' social media at @theforkswinnipeg and on the Warming Huts website.
The Forks reserves the right not to follow up on this call for entries.
