Turning Houston Traffic into a Holiday Treat at Gingerbread Build Off
Nothing says holiday spirit like a little sugar! REES Houston recently participated in the annual Gingerbread Bake Off hosted by AIA Houston. The festive competition brought over 30 design teams from the greater Houston area to design a completely edible display. Building in the Houston-centric category, our team’s “Houston Traffic Jam” brought everyday living in Houston with a fun twist into the competition.
Designing with Dessert
The team’s concept, “Houston Traffic Jam”, was inspired by everyday life in the city—specifically, the familiar experience of navigating Houston’s highways. The design playfully references the I-45 ramp near the iconic “Be Someone” sign. While diving the ramp, a Smuckers truck gets turned over, with jelly spreading across all the lanes of traffic, causing a jam.
Turning that idea into an entirely edible structure was the real challenge. Designing with candy required balancing creativity with structural integrity. The team tested various types of materials and experimented with edible construction methods, since the two aspects of the display would be elevated in the air. To keep the build day as efficient as possible, the team prepared stencils and plotted the design ahead of time. The preparation made it easy for everyone to participate and contribute design ideas creatively.
Build Day
Build day began with a focus on the structure’s gingerbread portions. Once the foundation and ramp was secure, the team split into smaller groups to work on the individual components like the roads, buildings and landscaping. The final build featured a variety of creative edible elements:
- A gingerbread ramp anchored by peppermint sticks
- A train bridge made of graham crackers
- Cars made from mini-Snickers, life savers and M&Ms with Teddy Graham Drivers
- The semi-truck and buildings constructed from rice crispy treats and fondant
- Trees crafted from colored rice Krispies and Reese’s cups
- Roads built from fondant and Tic Tacs
A Sweet Takeaway
After the builds were complete, our team had the opportunity to connect with firms, industry partners and local students interested in architecture. Most of all, our build reflected what REES does best: bringing people together to create something memorable. With one Gingerbread Build Off under their belts, the Houston team is already thinking bigger, bolder and sweeter for next year’s competition. Special thanks to Peyton Thomas for leading the team in their first Gingerbread Build Off!