Gingerbread City 2023: Call for Submissions

Calling all makers and bakers! Get those ovens ready because the TSA’s fourth annual Gingerbread City is back for another year of delicious structures and edible creations! This community building event brings together architects, designers, and gingerbread lovers alike to create whimsical and unique edible creations that inspire and delight. 

Gingerbread City will be a hybrid program again this year, with both a virtual showcase on our website and a small in-person display at the Maker Bean Café (1052 Bloor St W). Whether you’re an individual submission or a team, Gingerbread City is open to all and free to enter, so we invite everyone to participate in this year’s festivities!

The TSA is also excited to be bringing back its Kids’ Main Street workshops as part of the TSA’s Gingerbread City, where the youngest designers in the family are invited to design and decorate their very own Main Street façades. You can learn more about this program here.

Submission Guidelines

Gingerbread City is all about having fun, so we won’t bog it down with a lot of rules. We only ask that all visible elements in your creations are edible! For In-Person displays, we also ask that you keep your creation’s bases to no larger than 2’x2’. 

For In-Person Display Submissions

Please register here prior to December 4 so we can plan for the exhibit! We have limited space for this in-person display, so submissions will be approved on a first-come, first-serve basis, and you will receive confirmation from the TSA Team if your submission is able to be displayed in-person. These submissions will need to be dropped off on Dec. 12 between 9:00 AM and 7:00 PM at Maker Bean Café (1052 Bloor St W). If you are unable to drop off your gingerbread structure on that day, please let us know by emailing us at tsa@torontosocietyofarchitects.ca. If you would also like your creation featured in our virtual showcase, in addition to in-person, please follow the below instructions.

Registration is required by December 4 if you wish to display in the storefront, and all digital submissions are required by December 12.

For Digital Submissions

No pre-registration is required – we’ll just need some photos for the showcase! Please submit by December 12, 2023, the below deliverables:

• A completed Submission Form
• A description of your creation
• Up to 5 images (a mix of vertical and horizontal formats works best)
• Optional: Want to send us something extra special? Your submissions can include up to two bonus elements. So whether it be a video, flythrough, architectural plans, instructions on how to replicate them or a whimsical collage, get creative and surprise us!

FAQ

Are there any size restrictions?

There are no height restrictions in our Gingerbread City! For physical submissions that will be displayed at the storefront, we ask that bases are no larger than 2’x2’ – this makes it easier for us to plan for the display layout! However, if you would like to make your gingerbread creation another size for in-person display, please let us know in the registration form.

If you are planning to submit only online, there are no size restrictions to your gingerbread creations.  That being said, if you are new to gingerbread we recommend keeping your creations to no bigger than 24”x24”x24” – this will make the spans a bit easier to deal with and make sure it fits in your oven! 

Can I only use gingerbread and do I have to bake it myself?

Not at all! Whether prefab or custom build, gingerbread or another sweet creation, the choice is yours! Whatever you decide to do, just make sure your creation is reflective of your design intent and that it is edible. We highly encourage material explorations so while gingerbread is a strong and reliable structural material, feel free to explore alternatives! 

I’m not an architect, can I still submit? 

Everyone is invited to take part—you don’t have to be a TSA Member (or an architect) to participate! 

Are team submissions acceptable? 

We’ve designed this year’s showcase for maximum flexibility, so whether you are an individual or a team (perhaps a studio or a family?), all submissions are welcome. Just make sure to let us know when you complete the submission form!