Christopher Loofs and Jordan Loofs, faculty in the divisions of Architecture and Interior Design, were recently selected as winners of Warming Huts v.2024: An Arts + Architecture Competition on Ice, hosted by The Forks. Supported by the Manitoba Association of Architects, this annual competition combines world-class design and art with the famous winters of Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Each winter, the competition calls for warming hut designs from architects, designers, artists and Architecture students from around the world. Each submission is reviewed anonymously by a jury made up of founding members, community jurors and a student guest juror. The winning designs are selected based on their creativity, ability to provide shelter, poetics of assembly and form, integration with the landscape and ease of construction.
A rendering of Murky Waters, designed by Christopher Loofs, Jordan Loofs and Kaci Marshall.
Alongside designer Kaci Marshall, the Loofs were awarded for their design entry, Murky Waters. Built in the shape of a catfish, Murky Waters includes two long benches — one inside the hut and one outside at the end of the catfish’s “tail” — for people to sit and take a break. The presence of the catfish brought to the river surface seeks to shelter visitors from the wind while also providing a place to reflect on the ecologies humans interact with in different cultures and contexts.
This year, six winners were selected out of the 200 unique warming hut submissions from around the world. These designs will be placed along the Nestaweya River Trail located on the Assiniboine and Red rivers in Winnipeg. Learn more about Warming Huts v.2024 and see the full list of award recipients here.
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