Local Warming: A Warming Hut Pilot Project for Edmonton

The project

Local Warming is all about embracing our winter! By placing warming huts strategically throughout the River Valley, we aim to help Edmontonians reconnect with their community, the city, and nature year round.

How do they work?

The huts gather and retain heat from the sun using passive solar principles for heating – like a greenhouse! This means that they can gather and retain heat from the sun without the need for electricity. The huts’ main windows are oriented south so that they capture the heat and retain it in the thermal mass of their concrete floors, and their insulation prevents the heat from escaping.

Where are they?

Each winter we experiment with different locations. Winter 2018/19, you can find one in Hawrelak Park by the sheet ice and in Victoria Park by the Cricket Club House.

What do you think?

This pilot project is testing the idea of having warming huts in Edmonton’s River Valley parks on a more permanent basis. But before we’re able to secure funding and commit to adding more huts along walking and cross-country ski trails, we need to hear from you! Let us know what you think about the warming huts, and how you used them. While you sit and warm up, share your thoughts on social media using #yegwarminghuts and tagging the accounts below.

Twitter: @WinterCityYEG  @CityofEdmonton  @daniellesoneff

Instagram: @wintercityyeg  @cityofedmonton  @dsoneff

Local Warming was created by Danielle Soneff, an Edmonton-based designer, and is funded by the City of Edmonton’s WinterCity Strategy.