Competition entry for a ‘warming hut’, a temporary shelter for skiers braving Winnipeg’s frozen Assiniboine River, a welcoming beacon inviting travellers to meet under the warm sheltered glow of a lantern nestled amongst the crisp snow.

The first impression when entering is a ship cradled by the ice, decorated with stories throughout history from those whose voices may have once been harder to hear; the native Assiniboine, poor dockworkers, ethnic minorities, women and children. Upon sitting the timber ribs recede, allowing for an open space where new stories can be shared in incidental meeting reminiscent of sheltering around a crackling bonfire.

The design has a care for buildability, with repeated junctions determined by readily-available sizes of timber, albeit combined in an unexpected fashion. The overhead lighting comes from a string of solar-powered garden lights, bringing a sense of jubilation with minimal upkeep from an off-the-shelf product.