Arrival Courtyard

Dutch plantsman and nurseryman, Piet Oudolf,and local Toronto Landscape Architect, Martin Wade,collaborated on the design of the Arrival Courtyard.

Bold and contemporary, geometric lines of the metal cages form the outline of a living sculptural hedge of Fagus sylvatica (European beech), and Cornas mas (Cornelian cherry), punctuated by Fagus sylvatica forma purpurea (Purple beech).  The lines of this ‘living sculpture’ reflect the rigid angled line of the front of the building.  The hedges also provide a counterpoint to the flowing lines of the perennials and grasses in the Entry Garden Walk.  At night, these living sculptures are illuminated with subtle, energy-efficient LED lighting.

The sculptural cages also reflect the seasonality of the entire garden as the plantings change from Spring, Summer, Autumn, & Winter.  The trellises along the front of the building are planted with a variety of perennial vines which along with the passive solar heating and cooling system of the windows, provide either shade or warmth to the building depending on the season.

To conserve water, storm water runoff is collected and filtered through a strip in the pavement, recycled into the soil and down to the water table through an extensive subdrain system.