Ciao! February March 2020 CIAO_FebMar2020 | Page 46

last bite
winter
warm up
Peter Hargraves, architect and
mastermind of the Warming Huts
competition, tells how winter
sparks creativity.
What prompted you to mount a global
design competition for warming huts?
When we moved into Osborne Village our
kids started to skate on the river trail.
They would plop down into a snow bank
and we would tie skates – it just seemed
practical that there should be shelters.
When I thought about the idea, I knew
they needed to have an art component.
When world renowned architect, Antoine
Predock (CMHR) volunteered to do one the
first year, we knew we had something.
Why was this important to you? It matters
that you are proud of where you live.
What's the wackiest idea that worked?
The golden bison (now displayed at The
Leg). It's quirky and iconic and not just an
object to look at. You can actually climb
inside and often little kids discover this.
What makes Winnipeg a good place for
architects? Due to climate extremes, we
have to come up with creative solutions
to problems other parts of the world don’t
even have to think about! You have to
be very good at what you do here to pull
things off. If you can make it here you can
make it anywhere!
As a champion of creativity, how do you
build appreciation for great design?
You must demonstrate function! You can't
create something that doesn’t work.
What are your favourite spaces in
Winnipeg? Manitoba Hydro Atrium, the
inside of Precious Blood Church, and I
really really love the underside of the
Norwood Bridge, a place only available to
us in winter when the river is frozen.
What practice do you have that anyone
can apply in their own life? We often
get overwhelmed by the complexity of
a problem or scale of a task. Accomplish
your goals one step at a time.
What do you see in Winnipeg's future?
I'd like to see public art play a bigger role
in how downtown develops. I think it
can be a powerful component to getting
people to engage in outside spaces.
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ciao! / feb/mar / two thousand twenty
Why did you choose the Village as your
home? It's very diverse and walkable and
close to things we love. When we were in
Montreal, we learned the value of living
close to where you work.