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Nice Looking Gingerbread House You Got There... But Can It Withstand An Earthquake?
Structural engineers gather this weekend to make the best and most stable gingerbread house in Tustin.
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Courtesy of SoCal Gingerbread Challenge
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Gingerbread houses have become a Christmas tradition the world over since they appeared in Germany in the 16th century. And it is only appropriate that in Southern California, their construction would come with an extra nod toward structural integrity.
At least that's the idea behind the Southern California Gingerbread Challenge, a competition held by — and features — structural engineers from around the region that takes place this weekend in Tustin.
"Most of us are practicing structural engineers. We make sure that a building has all the components it needs to withstand various forces throughout its lifetime," said Maria Mohammad, a structural engineer and one of the organizers behind the challenge. "This is what we do in real life, and now we get to do it in gingerbread."
The challenge
The challenge started in 2022, Mohammad said, as a way to bring together the nearly one thousand or so members of the Structural Engineers Association of Southern California during the holiday season for a good-nature competition.
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2023 game day
A participant uses a handheld saw to cut gingerbread pieces.
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Courtesy of SoCal Gingerbread Challenge
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Making sure the frosting that holds gingerbread pieces is steady and dry is one secret to a stable gingerbread house.
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Courtesy of SoCal Gingerbread Challenge
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Rules include a size limit of a 3-feet diameter for the structure, and that all material used in its construction — including for structural support — must be edible.
"Rice Krispie Treats were used a lot to help support the gingerbread," said Mohammad.
Submissions are evaluated for creativity, flashiness, and of course, structural soundness among a variety of categories. Last year, the nation's premier earthquake expert Lucy Jones was among the panel of judges.
"There are no specific aesthetic requirements, but looking at the structures that were built last year, aesthetics was not lacking in all of the structures that were built," Mohammad said.
Bragging rights asides, the event also raises money for good causes. For every vote cast by the public, a dollar is automatically donated to a participating local charity.
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Gingerbread Union Station
The award-winning Union Station replica by Structural Focus and Architectural Resources Group at the SoCal Gingerbread Challenge in 2022.
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Courtesy of SoCal Gingerbread Challenge
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One of the big winners at last year's inaugural challenge was a gingerbread house version of Union Station, built by the structural engineering firm Structural Focus and the architecture firm Architectural Resources Group.
"Union Station is pretty close to most of our hearts," said Taylor Funk with Structural Focus.
Funk said the two firms had partnered up before to conduct renovations work on the real-life Union Station in downtown, so to build a gingerbread homage was a no brainer.
"We started with kind of a virtual model and then that became paper cutouts," Funk said of the process, which involved a team of about a dozen members, including Mohammad.
Then they went about getting the details down.
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"We wanted to make sure that we got all of the storefront doors correct," Funk said. "We made small molds that you had to pour the sugar glass into. And then one of the architects very carefully painted on top of it so that it looked like the true Union Station doors."
The clock tower, Funk noted, was made with a stack of Rice Krispies Treats with gingerbread pieces glued with frosting to the outside.
Next, the two firms got together for a pre-competition test run. "We tried some decorating tips, tried to make sure that the structure would stand up before we actually got there and built it," Funk said.
Finally, on "build" day, the different teams gathered for a multi-hour closed-door session to construct their respective entries live and in person.
Gingerbread Union Station took home the President's Award, as well as the People's Choice Award, at last year's challenge.
The 2023 entries
Van de Kamp's Bakery by Architectural Resources Group and Structural Focus
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Courtesy of SoCal Gingerbread Challenge
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Monster House by CalPoly Pomona
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Courtesy of SoCal Gingerbread Challenge
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Happiest Team on Earth by Degenkolb Engineers
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Courtesy of SoCal Gingerbread Challenge
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Super ES World by ICC Evaluation Service
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Courtesy of SoCal Gingerbread Challenge
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Mission San Juan Capistrano by Mott McDonald
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Courtesy of SoCal Gingerbread Challenge
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The Bite Sized Grand (Wilshire Grand Center) by Brandow & Johnston and AC Martin
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Courtesy of SoCal Gingerbread Challenge
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The McCallister House by Cal State University Los Angeles
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Hogwarts Castle by PBK and Kubala
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Courtesy of SoCal Gingerbread Challenge
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Gru’s Residence by Grimm & Chen
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Courtesy of SoCal Gingerbread Challenge
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House From Up by MHP Structural Engineers, HPI Architects, and P2S Engineering
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Courtesy of SoCal Gingerbread Challenge
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A BarbenHeimer Christmas by Holmes
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Courtesy of SoCal Gingerbread Challenge
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Merry Griffith Observatory by Hohbach Lewin and HMC Architects
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Courtesy of SoCal Gingerbread Challenge
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The Burrow (Harry Potter) by Simpson Gumpertz & Heger
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Courtesy of SoCal Gingerbread Challenge
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Barbie Dreamhouse by MiTek
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Courtesy of SoCal Gingerbread Challenge
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Santa's Surf Shack by Hilti
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Courtesy of SoCal Gingerbread Challenge
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Winter in San Francisco by Walter P Moore
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Courtesy of SoCal Gingerbread Challenge
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The Van de Kamp windmill
This year, the team is at it again with another iconic entry: a replica of the Van de Kamp windmill, with blades spun by a teeny tiny motor smaller than the size of someone's fist.
"[That's] the only inedible thing on our structure, which we've passed by the Board," said Funk.
For the blades, the team is going stringy.
"The windmill itself, we have to make sure is very light," said Mohammad. "So we're using spaghetti."
The windmill is going up against more than a dozen other submissions. All in all, it's a more structurally ambitious project, and Funk and Mohammad are hopeful that the team's engineering and gingerbread construction chops will pay off.
"It is vertical, so the foundation, it's even more important for it to hold," said Funk. "I'm 90 percent confident that it's going to stand up and move."
Pro tips on construction
- "Make sure that all the icing holds before you let go of anything," said Funk. For example, when you put the roof on, be sure to hold it there for as long as it takes for the icing to dry.
- "Be smart with the geometry," said Mohammad. "Pick geometries that are stable on their own. Like a triangle, the base is wider than the top. So you have more support at the bottom than the weight you have at the top."
- "Use lighter materials," said Mohammad, like the spaghettis in their Van De Kamp gingerbread windmill.
Event and voting details
2023 Southern California Gingerbread Challenge
Public Exhibition Viewing Dates:
- Dec. 1 - Dec. 2, 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.
- Dec. 3, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Location: The District at Tustin Legacy, 2437 Park Ave., Tustin
Admission: Free
Cast your vote for this year's winners here
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