Organizer: Warming Huts / The Forks, operated by Forks North Portage Partnership and supported by the Manitoba Association of Architects.

Deadline: 6 October 2026 at 2:00 pm CST.

Submission Categories: International Edition and School Edition. The International Edition invites proposals for a warming hut or art installation to be placed on the Nestaweya River Trail at The Forks in Winnipeg, Canada. Submissions include a 2-page design proposal PDF and a team information PDF of up to 4 pages. The School Edition is for schools in Manitoba and requires a 1-page process/team sheet plus a 1-page preliminary design idea.

Eligibility: The International Edition is open worldwide to architects, architecture students, landscape architects, interior designers, artists, and industrial designers with a proven portfolio of design work. Multidisciplinary teams are encouraged, individuals may enter, and architectural interns are eligible. The School Edition is open to schools throughout Manitoba and focuses on student participation in the design and construction process.

Entry Fee:  free to enter

Awards & Benefits: Three winning teams will be selected for the International Edition, and their projects will be built and installed on the Nestaweya River Trail. Each project has a creation and construction budget of CAD $16,500, including up to CAD $3,500 for the designers’ honorarium, up to CAD $7,500 for materials and consultants, up to CAD $4,000 for labour, and up to CAD $1,500 for construction management. Foreign teams may also receive up to CAD $1,000 for accommodation and up to CAD $2,500 for airfare. Winning teams will be invited to Winnipeg to help install their projects and participate in launch events, public talks, media engagement, and design-community activities.

Core Introduction: Warming Huts V.2027: Arts + Architecture Competition On Ice is an international public-space competition that brings together architecture, art, and extreme winter conditions. Started in 2009, it invites designers to create buildable warming huts or art installations for Winnipeg’s frozen river trail, responding to solar radiation, wind chill, snow, ice, and public interaction. It is especially relevant for architects, artists, and multidisciplinary teams interested in temporary architecture, public art, cold-climate design, and site-specific experience.