This call for a competition in Winnipeg asked designers to create comfortable warming hut for skaters moving through the park network in Winter. The design call was to use design to create thermal comfort outdoors.
This design response provides a provocative and memorable image in the landscape while with providing comfort and function. A steel structure anchors to the landscape; on top of this structure is a lavender-colored felt in a strategically random pattern. The resulting form is an unusual image in the landscape formally; the color may blend with the light of the season and give a buoyancy to the hut. The folds may create opportunities for a changing appearance depending upon how snow collects on the rugose surface.
For installation, the structure may be placed on the skids upside down and be slid to the site, where it can be turned over.
The experience offered to the visitors by this design is a comfortable shelter with tactile interest. The structure of the hut is angled to provide shelter from the wind. The mass of the felt should shield wind and retain heat in addition to being a comfortable surface that people can nest within.
Esther Garcia, Nasar (Tony) Saghafi, Ken McCown, Phil Zawarus, Jonathon Anderson, Joshua Vermilion and Eric Weber participated on the design team.