Time lapse video AKDN
https://www.facebook.com/akdn/videos/2239003909712251/
Aga Khan Garden, Alberta (AKGA)
SPEECH DELIVERED BY
His Highness the Aga Khan
Inauguration of the Aga Khan Garden, Alberta
2018, October 16
https://www.akdn.org/speech/his-highnes ... en-alberta
Bismillah-ir-Rahaman-ir-Rahim
Your Honor Lois Mitchell
The Honorable Rachel Notley
Honorable Ministers
Your Worships
Chancellor Stollery
President Turpin
Distinguished Guests
It is always a great pleasure to greet old friends and welcome new friends at a celebration like this. But today’s inauguration stands out for me as particularly joyous.
For one thing, the old friendships we renew today are especially meaningful. We look back, of course, to the welcome in Alberta of members of the Ismaili community who settled here almost a half century ago, often in very difficult circumstances. And those bonds of welcome have been continually renewed through the years, especially through our rewarding partnerships with the University of Alberta.
One of the special gifts that old friends offer is introducing us to wonderful new friends, and that has also happened here. The project we celebrate today – the inauguration of the Aga Khan Garden – is a particularly happy example.
I think all of you have had the pleasure – in your personal life or your professional life – of seeing a fascinating story develop happily from beginning to end. We recall the excitement of a new beginning – as well as that deep sense of grateful satisfaction when the planning works – when the hope is realized, and the vision is achieved.
Well that is exactly how I feel today. I was fortunate to have been part of this project’s conception – and I feel fortunate to be here today to help mark its realisation.
I remember well my visits to the University of Alberta during my Golden Jubilee year – in 2008, and again for the graduation ceremonies in 2009. That was when we first discussed this dream of creating here, together, a new Islamic Garden. I paid my first visit to the proposed Garden site at that time, wondering, even then, just how this dream might come true in practice.
It seemed like an unlikely dream to many. After all, the great tradition of Islamic Gardens has its roots in very different times and places. The symbol of the Garden as a spiritual symbol goes back to the Holy Qur’an itself - where the Garden ideal is mentioned many times. Down through many centuries, Islamic culture has continued to see the Garden as a very special place, where the Human meets further proof of the Divine.
The development of the Garden as a symbol of Islamic ideals flourished most magnificently some 500 to 600 years ago – and that happened, of course, in the warmer climates of Southern Asia. And yet, there we were in Edmonton a decade ago, proposing to extend that lovely Eastern and Southern tradition, at the start of the 21st Century, to the unique natural environment of northern and western Canada. This proposed new Garden, to be precise, would be the northern-most Islamic Garden ever created.
Over the past nine years I have been able to watch the dream come true – as we agreed on the configuration of the site, assembled a Steering Committee, chose an architectural firm, and reviewed development plans. And then, with the planning completed, the building process took just some 18 months – finishing “on time and on budget,” as planners like to point out!
As I look out at this Garden today, what I think about – above all – are the people who made it possible - their dedication, their talent, and their remarkable energy. I want them all to know that in celebrating this new Garden today – we are also celebrating them. Theirs is a highly valued gift to the generations to come, who also must be privileged by experiencing the spirituality and harmony of multiple life forms.
They include construction workers and gardeners, planners and administrators, artists and scholars, architects and designers – including the landscape design firm of Nelson Byrd Woltz. They include dedicated members of the Ismaili and other Muslim communities in Alberta – and other parts of Canada, the remarkable family of the University of Alberta, governmental officials at all levels, and those who serve the Aga Khan Trust for Culture and the Aga Khan Development Network.
At the heart of their efforts, of course, was the inspiring power of the Islamic Garden itself. For a central part of the Garden tradition is the high calling of human stewardship, our responsibility to honor, to protect, and to share the gifts of the natural world.
Gardens in this context can be seen not as imitations of Nature but as humanity’s interpretations of nature, their geometric structures providing a human framework in which we can experience – in this case – the magnificent fluctuations of the Albertan landscape.
The Garden of Islamic tradition is also a place where the flow of refreshing water reminds us of Divine blessing. It is a place for meditation, and quiet renewal. But I would likewise emphasise that the Garden, through history, has also been seen as a social space – a place for learning, for sharing, for romance, for diplomacy, for reflection on the destiny of the human race. And even as we share the Garden experience with one another, we can feel a connection with those who walked through similar Gardens in the past.
I would also mention one additional aspect of the particular Garden we inaugurate today. It symbolises not only the creative blending of the Natural and the Human – but also the beauty of multiple inter-cultural cooperation.
One of the great questions facing humanity today is how we can honour what is distinctive about our separate identities – and, at the same time, welcome a diversity of identities as positive elements in our lives.
This city and this country have been among the world leaders in providing positive answers to that ancient question. The project we inaugurate today is a beautiful extension of that Canadian tradition.
In Canada and in many other places, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture has made a major commitment to creating and renewing important green spaces in recent years. We can look back on ten recent successes in places ranging from Cairo to Zanzibar, from Toronto to Kabul, from Dushanbe in Tajikistan to Bamako in Mali. In 2018 alone, I helped to inaugurate three such Garden projects – in London, in Delhi, and now here in Alberta.
But the story does not end here. In fact, the story of Canadian Islamic Gardens itself is not yet completed. Our plans are now advancing, in fact, for a new Park to be developed a few hundred miles southwest of here, in Burnaby, British Columbia.
Yes – to be sure – it will surpass Edmonton as the western-most Islamic Garden. But, of course, we can be rest assured, that Edmonton’s Garden will still have a lasting claim as the northern-most!
I have talked about the past, today, but I would close by emphasising the future. It is wonderful at a moment like this to think of all those who will visit here in the years to come. Our work now is to sustain this space, to create new experiences and to meet new challenges.
As you walk through these Gardens, you will see evidence of the ways in which future generations will be able to make the most of this site. It is our hope and expectation on this special day that the Aga Khan Garden here at the University of Alberta will truly be a gift that keeps on giving.
Thank you.
His Highness the Aga Khan
Inauguration of the Aga Khan Garden, Alberta
2018, October 16
https://www.akdn.org/speech/his-highnes ... en-alberta
Bismillah-ir-Rahaman-ir-Rahim
Your Honor Lois Mitchell
The Honorable Rachel Notley
Honorable Ministers
Your Worships
Chancellor Stollery
President Turpin
Distinguished Guests
It is always a great pleasure to greet old friends and welcome new friends at a celebration like this. But today’s inauguration stands out for me as particularly joyous.
For one thing, the old friendships we renew today are especially meaningful. We look back, of course, to the welcome in Alberta of members of the Ismaili community who settled here almost a half century ago, often in very difficult circumstances. And those bonds of welcome have been continually renewed through the years, especially through our rewarding partnerships with the University of Alberta.
One of the special gifts that old friends offer is introducing us to wonderful new friends, and that has also happened here. The project we celebrate today – the inauguration of the Aga Khan Garden – is a particularly happy example.
I think all of you have had the pleasure – in your personal life or your professional life – of seeing a fascinating story develop happily from beginning to end. We recall the excitement of a new beginning – as well as that deep sense of grateful satisfaction when the planning works – when the hope is realized, and the vision is achieved.
Well that is exactly how I feel today. I was fortunate to have been part of this project’s conception – and I feel fortunate to be here today to help mark its realisation.
I remember well my visits to the University of Alberta during my Golden Jubilee year – in 2008, and again for the graduation ceremonies in 2009. That was when we first discussed this dream of creating here, together, a new Islamic Garden. I paid my first visit to the proposed Garden site at that time, wondering, even then, just how this dream might come true in practice.
It seemed like an unlikely dream to many. After all, the great tradition of Islamic Gardens has its roots in very different times and places. The symbol of the Garden as a spiritual symbol goes back to the Holy Qur’an itself - where the Garden ideal is mentioned many times. Down through many centuries, Islamic culture has continued to see the Garden as a very special place, where the Human meets further proof of the Divine.
The development of the Garden as a symbol of Islamic ideals flourished most magnificently some 500 to 600 years ago – and that happened, of course, in the warmer climates of Southern Asia. And yet, there we were in Edmonton a decade ago, proposing to extend that lovely Eastern and Southern tradition, at the start of the 21st Century, to the unique natural environment of northern and western Canada. This proposed new Garden, to be precise, would be the northern-most Islamic Garden ever created.
Over the past nine years I have been able to watch the dream come true – as we agreed on the configuration of the site, assembled a Steering Committee, chose an architectural firm, and reviewed development plans. And then, with the planning completed, the building process took just some 18 months – finishing “on time and on budget,” as planners like to point out!
As I look out at this Garden today, what I think about – above all – are the people who made it possible - their dedication, their talent, and their remarkable energy. I want them all to know that in celebrating this new Garden today – we are also celebrating them. Theirs is a highly valued gift to the generations to come, who also must be privileged by experiencing the spirituality and harmony of multiple life forms.
They include construction workers and gardeners, planners and administrators, artists and scholars, architects and designers – including the landscape design firm of Nelson Byrd Woltz. They include dedicated members of the Ismaili and other Muslim communities in Alberta – and other parts of Canada, the remarkable family of the University of Alberta, governmental officials at all levels, and those who serve the Aga Khan Trust for Culture and the Aga Khan Development Network.
At the heart of their efforts, of course, was the inspiring power of the Islamic Garden itself. For a central part of the Garden tradition is the high calling of human stewardship, our responsibility to honor, to protect, and to share the gifts of the natural world.
Gardens in this context can be seen not as imitations of Nature but as humanity’s interpretations of nature, their geometric structures providing a human framework in which we can experience – in this case – the magnificent fluctuations of the Albertan landscape.
The Garden of Islamic tradition is also a place where the flow of refreshing water reminds us of Divine blessing. It is a place for meditation, and quiet renewal. But I would likewise emphasise that the Garden, through history, has also been seen as a social space – a place for learning, for sharing, for romance, for diplomacy, for reflection on the destiny of the human race. And even as we share the Garden experience with one another, we can feel a connection with those who walked through similar Gardens in the past.
I would also mention one additional aspect of the particular Garden we inaugurate today. It symbolises not only the creative blending of the Natural and the Human – but also the beauty of multiple inter-cultural cooperation.
One of the great questions facing humanity today is how we can honour what is distinctive about our separate identities – and, at the same time, welcome a diversity of identities as positive elements in our lives.
This city and this country have been among the world leaders in providing positive answers to that ancient question. The project we inaugurate today is a beautiful extension of that Canadian tradition.
In Canada and in many other places, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture has made a major commitment to creating and renewing important green spaces in recent years. We can look back on ten recent successes in places ranging from Cairo to Zanzibar, from Toronto to Kabul, from Dushanbe in Tajikistan to Bamako in Mali. In 2018 alone, I helped to inaugurate three such Garden projects – in London, in Delhi, and now here in Alberta.
But the story does not end here. In fact, the story of Canadian Islamic Gardens itself is not yet completed. Our plans are now advancing, in fact, for a new Park to be developed a few hundred miles southwest of here, in Burnaby, British Columbia.
Yes – to be sure – it will surpass Edmonton as the western-most Islamic Garden. But, of course, we can be rest assured, that Edmonton’s Garden will still have a lasting claim as the northern-most!
I have talked about the past, today, but I would close by emphasising the future. It is wonderful at a moment like this to think of all those who will visit here in the years to come. Our work now is to sustain this space, to create new experiences and to meet new challenges.
As you walk through these Gardens, you will see evidence of the ways in which future generations will be able to make the most of this site. It is our hope and expectation on this special day that the Aga Khan Garden here at the University of Alberta will truly be a gift that keeps on giving.
Thank you.
Aga Khan visits namesake U of A garden
Video:
https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/aga-khan-vi ... -1.4137011
*****
Aga Khan visits new garden outside Edmonton
Video:
https://globalnews.ca/video/4559760/aga ... e-edmonton
Video:
https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/aga-khan-vi ... -1.4137011
*****
Aga Khan visits new garden outside Edmonton
Video:
https://globalnews.ca/video/4559760/aga ... e-edmonton
Video: Highlights from the Aga Khan Garden inauguration
The Aga Khan Garden, Alberta was inaugurated on 16 October 2018 in Mawlana Hazar Imam's presence. Watch highlights from the event here.
https://the.ismaili/news/video-highligh ... auguration
******
16 October 2018 - Lt Governor of Alberta Lois Mitchell, Premier Rachel Notley and the Aga Khan today inaugurated the new Aga Khan Garden, Alberta, the northern-most Islamic garden in the world, and the first garden of its kind in western Canada.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dC44NaRxa-k
The Aga Khan Garden, Alberta was inaugurated on 16 October 2018 in Mawlana Hazar Imam's presence. Watch highlights from the event here.
https://the.ismaili/news/video-highligh ... auguration
******
16 October 2018 - Lt Governor of Alberta Lois Mitchell, Premier Rachel Notley and the Aga Khan today inaugurated the new Aga Khan Garden, Alberta, the northern-most Islamic garden in the world, and the first garden of its kind in western Canada.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dC44NaRxa-k
Any list of world-renowned parks and gardens is likely to feature the great gardens of the western world.
London’s Hyde Park and New York’s Central Park stand as two iconic examples. Yet the Middle East and Asia would also be well-represented. The gardens of the Al-hambra in Spain, Al-Azhar Park in Cairo, and the gardens of Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi, are all magnificent reminders of the Muslim contribution to the world’s horticultural heritage.
Thanks to His Highness the Aga Khan, the 49th hereditary Imam of the world’s Shia Ismaili Muslims, the University of Alberta Botanic Garden is home to a world-class garden and architectural jewel. And while Edmonton may seem an unlikely addition to this list, it is a project which is underwritten by distinctly Canadian features.
Drawing from the rich heritage of the Mughal tradition, the Aga Khan Garden is situated in a firmly Canadian context. The 4.8-hectare Mughal-inspired garden, was made possible by a generous gift from the Aga Khan to the U of A. The garden features secluded forest paths, granite paved pathways, limestone terraces, rippled waterfalls, streams and still pools that reflect the Alberta sky. Fruit orchards extend around the large Calla Pond, and the garden contains more than 35,000 trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals and wetland plants.
More...
https://edmontonjournal.com/opinion/col ... erent-sort
London’s Hyde Park and New York’s Central Park stand as two iconic examples. Yet the Middle East and Asia would also be well-represented. The gardens of the Al-hambra in Spain, Al-Azhar Park in Cairo, and the gardens of Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi, are all magnificent reminders of the Muslim contribution to the world’s horticultural heritage.
Thanks to His Highness the Aga Khan, the 49th hereditary Imam of the world’s Shia Ismaili Muslims, the University of Alberta Botanic Garden is home to a world-class garden and architectural jewel. And while Edmonton may seem an unlikely addition to this list, it is a project which is underwritten by distinctly Canadian features.
Drawing from the rich heritage of the Mughal tradition, the Aga Khan Garden is situated in a firmly Canadian context. The 4.8-hectare Mughal-inspired garden, was made possible by a generous gift from the Aga Khan to the U of A. The garden features secluded forest paths, granite paved pathways, limestone terraces, rippled waterfalls, streams and still pools that reflect the Alberta sky. Fruit orchards extend around the large Calla Pond, and the garden contains more than 35,000 trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals and wetland plants.
More...
https://edmontonjournal.com/opinion/col ... erent-sort
http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/news/ea ... index.html
The Aga Khan’s 'Garden of Life' gift to Canadian province, a unique statement
Saturday October 20 2018
In Summary
Construction of the Garden, which was recently completed, marked both the 150th anniversary of Canadian confederation and the Aga Khan’s Diamond Jubilee — 60 years since he became Imam (spiritual leader) of the Shia Ismaili Muslim community.
Garden elements from some of the world’s best Muslim architecture — including the Taj Mahal and Humayun’s Tomb in India — are interspersed with distinctively Canadian features, from Alberta’s wild rose beds to Canadian-quarried stonework.
Conceived as a centre for research and learning, the Garden will also play host to a variety of events including educational programs, exhibitions, performances and recitals, film screenings, and cultural events.
-----------------
By The EastAfrican
Alberta Premier Rachel Notley and His Highness the Aga Khan inaugurated the new Aga Khan Garden, Alberta, the northernmost Islamic garden in the world, and the first garden of its kind in western Canada.
The Garden was a gift to the University of Alberta from His Highness the Aga Khan, celebrating over 40 years of partnership between the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) and the University of Alberta.
Construction of the Garden, which was recently completed, marked both the 150th anniversary of Canadian confederation and the Aga Khan’s Diamond Jubilee — 60 years since he became Imam (spiritual leader) of the Shia Ismaili Muslim community.
Stewardship on Earth
The Aga Khan Garden brings to life the principle of pluralism, of which His Highness has been a lifelong advocate.
In the 4.8-hectare Mughal-inspired space, traditional Islamic landscape design takes on strikingly contemporary features.
Garden elements from some of the world’s best Muslim architecture — including the Taj Mahal and Humayun’s Tomb in India — are interspersed with distinctively Canadian features, from Alberta’s wild rose beds to Canadian-quarried stonework.
Ms Notley emphasised the alignment of values between the University and the AKDN, and thanked His Highness for his leadership and generosity.
Calling the Garden “an oasis and a sign of Alberta’s welcome to the world,” she added that, “We stand with you to build a fair and more inclusive world.”
In his remarks at the inauguration ceremony, His Highness spoke of his happiness in seeing the Garden come to fruition, and of the place, throughout history, of the Islamic garden in reminding us of the notion of good stewardship of the earth and “our responsibility to honour, to protect, and to share the gifts of the natural world.”
In considering the role that such green spaces may play, His Highness spoke of the Garden as a social space, “a place for learning, for sharing, for romance, for diplomacy, for reflection on the destiny of the human race.”
Symmetry and serenity
Designed by landscape architect, Thomas Woltz of the world-renowned landscape architecture firm Nelson Byrd Woltz in collaboration with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (an agency of the AKDN), the Garden provides a stunning example of Islamic landscape architecture — exploring the beauty and boundaries of vegetation, light, water, geometry, symmetry, adaptation and human scale.
The serenity of nature is highlighted in each of the design elements including secluded forest paths, granite and limestone terraces, still pools that reflect the prairie sky and a waterfall that tumbles over textured stone.
Fruit orchards extend around the large Calla Pond, and the Garden contains more than 25,000 trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals and wetland plants, selected for fragrance, beauty and the ability to thrive in Alberta’s climate. Twelve water features and fountains are sprinkled around the Garden, which took 18 months to construct.
Conceived as a centre for research and learning, the Garden will also play host to a variety of events including educational programs, exhibitions, performances and recitals, film screenings, and cultural events.
It is expected that the addition of the Aga Khan Garden will more than double the number of annual visitors to the University of Alberta Botanic Garden (from 75,000 to 160,000), benefiting the local economy and adding significantly to the architectural and cultural landscape.
Exceptional leadership
The Garden is one of numerous initiatives developed by His Highness in Canada for the benefit of all Canadians, including award-winning architectural landmarks such as the Aga Khan Museum and Aga Khan Park in Toronto, the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat and Global Centre for Pluralism in Ottawa, and the Ismaili Centres in Burnaby and Toronto. Today, the Aga Khan Park in Toronto has become a hub for innovative cultural programming.
The Aga Khan Garden inauguration event is part of a five-day visit by the Aga Khan to Canada, during which he will also travel to Calgary and Vancouver to be conferred with honorary doctor of laws degrees from the University of Calgary, University of British Columbia, as well as Simon Fraser University, in honour of his contributions to humanity and his exceptional moral leadership in the world.
The Aga Khan’s 'Garden of Life' gift to Canadian province, a unique statement
Saturday October 20 2018
In Summary
Construction of the Garden, which was recently completed, marked both the 150th anniversary of Canadian confederation and the Aga Khan’s Diamond Jubilee — 60 years since he became Imam (spiritual leader) of the Shia Ismaili Muslim community.
Garden elements from some of the world’s best Muslim architecture — including the Taj Mahal and Humayun’s Tomb in India — are interspersed with distinctively Canadian features, from Alberta’s wild rose beds to Canadian-quarried stonework.
Conceived as a centre for research and learning, the Garden will also play host to a variety of events including educational programs, exhibitions, performances and recitals, film screenings, and cultural events.
-----------------
By The EastAfrican
Alberta Premier Rachel Notley and His Highness the Aga Khan inaugurated the new Aga Khan Garden, Alberta, the northernmost Islamic garden in the world, and the first garden of its kind in western Canada.
The Garden was a gift to the University of Alberta from His Highness the Aga Khan, celebrating over 40 years of partnership between the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) and the University of Alberta.
Construction of the Garden, which was recently completed, marked both the 150th anniversary of Canadian confederation and the Aga Khan’s Diamond Jubilee — 60 years since he became Imam (spiritual leader) of the Shia Ismaili Muslim community.
Stewardship on Earth
The Aga Khan Garden brings to life the principle of pluralism, of which His Highness has been a lifelong advocate.
In the 4.8-hectare Mughal-inspired space, traditional Islamic landscape design takes on strikingly contemporary features.
Garden elements from some of the world’s best Muslim architecture — including the Taj Mahal and Humayun’s Tomb in India — are interspersed with distinctively Canadian features, from Alberta’s wild rose beds to Canadian-quarried stonework.
Ms Notley emphasised the alignment of values between the University and the AKDN, and thanked His Highness for his leadership and generosity.
Calling the Garden “an oasis and a sign of Alberta’s welcome to the world,” she added that, “We stand with you to build a fair and more inclusive world.”
In his remarks at the inauguration ceremony, His Highness spoke of his happiness in seeing the Garden come to fruition, and of the place, throughout history, of the Islamic garden in reminding us of the notion of good stewardship of the earth and “our responsibility to honour, to protect, and to share the gifts of the natural world.”
In considering the role that such green spaces may play, His Highness spoke of the Garden as a social space, “a place for learning, for sharing, for romance, for diplomacy, for reflection on the destiny of the human race.”
Symmetry and serenity
Designed by landscape architect, Thomas Woltz of the world-renowned landscape architecture firm Nelson Byrd Woltz in collaboration with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (an agency of the AKDN), the Garden provides a stunning example of Islamic landscape architecture — exploring the beauty and boundaries of vegetation, light, water, geometry, symmetry, adaptation and human scale.
The serenity of nature is highlighted in each of the design elements including secluded forest paths, granite and limestone terraces, still pools that reflect the prairie sky and a waterfall that tumbles over textured stone.
Fruit orchards extend around the large Calla Pond, and the Garden contains more than 25,000 trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals and wetland plants, selected for fragrance, beauty and the ability to thrive in Alberta’s climate. Twelve water features and fountains are sprinkled around the Garden, which took 18 months to construct.
Conceived as a centre for research and learning, the Garden will also play host to a variety of events including educational programs, exhibitions, performances and recitals, film screenings, and cultural events.
It is expected that the addition of the Aga Khan Garden will more than double the number of annual visitors to the University of Alberta Botanic Garden (from 75,000 to 160,000), benefiting the local economy and adding significantly to the architectural and cultural landscape.
Exceptional leadership
The Garden is one of numerous initiatives developed by His Highness in Canada for the benefit of all Canadians, including award-winning architectural landmarks such as the Aga Khan Museum and Aga Khan Park in Toronto, the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat and Global Centre for Pluralism in Ottawa, and the Ismaili Centres in Burnaby and Toronto. Today, the Aga Khan Park in Toronto has become a hub for innovative cultural programming.
The Aga Khan Garden inauguration event is part of a five-day visit by the Aga Khan to Canada, during which he will also travel to Calgary and Vancouver to be conferred with honorary doctor of laws degrees from the University of Calgary, University of British Columbia, as well as Simon Fraser University, in honour of his contributions to humanity and his exceptional moral leadership in the world.
Aga Khan Garden opens at University of Alberta
Excerpt:
“This garden is a testament to a province where differences are valued and diversity thrives,” said Alberta Premier Rachel Notley. “In Alberta, we don’t care who you love, where you worship or what colour your skin is. We respect and celebrate our differences. Alberta’s Ismaili community is a great example of that and so is this wonderful garden.”
More..
https://www.canadianinteriors.com/lands ... 003747633/
Excerpt:
“This garden is a testament to a province where differences are valued and diversity thrives,” said Alberta Premier Rachel Notley. “In Alberta, we don’t care who you love, where you worship or what colour your skin is. We respect and celebrate our differences. Alberta’s Ismaili community is a great example of that and so is this wonderful garden.”
More..
https://www.canadianinteriors.com/lands ... 003747633/
Video: Aga Khan Garden inauguration
Lt Governor of Alberta Lois Mitchell, Premier Rachel Notley and Mawlana Hazar Imam inaugurated the new Aga Khan Garden, Alberta, the northern-most Islamic garden in the world, and the first garden of its kind in western Canada.
https://the.ismaili/news/video-aga-khan ... auguration
Lt Governor of Alberta Lois Mitchell, Premier Rachel Notley and Mawlana Hazar Imam inaugurated the new Aga Khan Garden, Alberta, the northern-most Islamic garden in the world, and the first garden of its kind in western Canada.
https://the.ismaili/news/video-aga-khan ... auguration
https://www.reminetwork.com/articles/ag ... -edmonton/
Aga Khan officially opens garden in Edmonton
Wednesday, October 24, 2018
His Highness the Aga Khan officially opened the Aga Khan Garden this month in Edmonton. The Aga Khan Garden, located at the University of Alberta Botanic Garden, features an idyllic expanse designed for education, reflection and the promotion of intercultural understanding and harmony. The garden was opened to the public for the first time on June 29, 2018, following 18 months of construction.
Designed by world-renowned landscape architectural firm Nelson Byrd Woltz, the Aga Khan Garden, Alberta features secluded forest paths, granite and limestone terraces, still pools that reflect the prairie sky and a waterfall that tumbles over textured stone. Fruit orchards extend around the large Calla Pond, and the garden contains more than 25,000 trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals and wetland plants, selected for fragrance, beauty and the ability to thrive in Alberta’s northern climate.
The 4.8-hectare Aga Khan Garden is a stunning contemporary interpretation of Islamic landscape architecture. A gift from the Aga Khan to the University of Alberta and all Canadians, it joins a network of 11 gardens around the world built or restored by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture — and is the northernmost in the world.
“Our responsibility to be good stewards of the earth extends to cultural heritage, whether in the form of parks or monuments. I believe this stewardship is even more critical today than ever before,” said His Highness the Aga Khan.
The gift of the Aga Khan Garden is a symbol of the continued intellectual, educational and cultural collaboration between the University of Alberta and the Aga Khan Development Network. In 2017, the University of Alberta and the Aga Khan University renewed a memorandum of understanding, originally signed in 2006, to move forward their respective goals of increasing global engagement and promoting equitable human development for citizens around the world.
During the inauguration ceremony, the future site of a pavilion, named the Diwan, at the Aga Khan Garden was also dedicated. The Diwan will provide a much-needed indoor space at the University of Alberta Botanic Garden. The signature building will complement the beauty and function of the botanic garden and maximize opportunities for programs and events that will benefit the entire community.
A public celebration of the Aga Khan Garden will take place in 2019.
Tags:
Aga Khan,
Aga Khan Garden,
Islamic landscape architecture,
Nelson Byrd Woltz,
Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects,
University of Alberta
Aga Khan officially opens garden in Edmonton
Wednesday, October 24, 2018
His Highness the Aga Khan officially opened the Aga Khan Garden this month in Edmonton. The Aga Khan Garden, located at the University of Alberta Botanic Garden, features an idyllic expanse designed for education, reflection and the promotion of intercultural understanding and harmony. The garden was opened to the public for the first time on June 29, 2018, following 18 months of construction.
Designed by world-renowned landscape architectural firm Nelson Byrd Woltz, the Aga Khan Garden, Alberta features secluded forest paths, granite and limestone terraces, still pools that reflect the prairie sky and a waterfall that tumbles over textured stone. Fruit orchards extend around the large Calla Pond, and the garden contains more than 25,000 trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals and wetland plants, selected for fragrance, beauty and the ability to thrive in Alberta’s northern climate.
The 4.8-hectare Aga Khan Garden is a stunning contemporary interpretation of Islamic landscape architecture. A gift from the Aga Khan to the University of Alberta and all Canadians, it joins a network of 11 gardens around the world built or restored by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture — and is the northernmost in the world.
“Our responsibility to be good stewards of the earth extends to cultural heritage, whether in the form of parks or monuments. I believe this stewardship is even more critical today than ever before,” said His Highness the Aga Khan.
The gift of the Aga Khan Garden is a symbol of the continued intellectual, educational and cultural collaboration between the University of Alberta and the Aga Khan Development Network. In 2017, the University of Alberta and the Aga Khan University renewed a memorandum of understanding, originally signed in 2006, to move forward their respective goals of increasing global engagement and promoting equitable human development for citizens around the world.
During the inauguration ceremony, the future site of a pavilion, named the Diwan, at the Aga Khan Garden was also dedicated. The Diwan will provide a much-needed indoor space at the University of Alberta Botanic Garden. The signature building will complement the beauty and function of the botanic garden and maximize opportunities for programs and events that will benefit the entire community.
A public celebration of the Aga Khan Garden will take place in 2019.
Tags:
Aga Khan,
Aga Khan Garden,
Islamic landscape architecture,
Nelson Byrd Woltz,
Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects,
University of Alberta
Popular Luminaria inspires ‘audible gasp’ among first-time attendees
A behind-the-scenes look at the seasonal light show at the U of A Botanic Garden.
The year Kerry Mulholland saw cars lined up for miles down highway 60 waiting to get into Luminaria, she realized the event had become a seasonal favourite for people from all over central Alberta.
The annual celebration of light at the University of Alberta Botanic Garden had grown so popular by 2013, selling advance tickets was the only solution to the overflow.
"It has proven to be the biggest event of the year for us,” said Mulholland, the garden’s marketing and communications co-ordinator.
About 10,000 people now attend the seasonal light show over three evenings, typically in early December.
A southern tradition for the North
Luminaria was first put on by Friends of the Garden, a volunteer organization, in 2000 and 2001 as part of celebrations to ring in the new millennium. Right off the mark it proved too popular for volunteers to run alone.
The light display consists of some 2,000 candles in paper lanterns lining the paths of the Kurimoto Japanese Garden and this year, for the first time, the new Aga Khan Garden, which contains lights in some of its structures, was also open for viewing.
"Around the world there are many festivals of light in the season of darkness,” said Mulholland. “Luminaria was inspired by those in the Southwestern states, such as New Mexico and Arizona.”
Doing it in the North, however, has a character all its own, she said.
"We set up candles in the cold and snow,” said special event co-ordinator Georgina Gull. “There have been some extreme challenges here and it adds a real beauty, and makes it even more special."
Also featured at Luminaria are ice sculptures, luminescent "snow sprites" played by drama students from John Maland High School in Devon, and strolling carol singers.
It takes 100 volunteers working weeks ahead to pull it all together.
"We start heading towards Luminaria in the fall,” said Bull. “It's a massive undertaking."
Each afternoon before the evening display, volunteers rush around lighting all 2,000 candles.
"The biggest thing is snow removal, and we also hold a work bee a couple of weeks before the event,” during which volunteers make lanterns for the candles, she said.
When the crowds show up, staff members take a moment to observe the reaction as first-time attendees pass through the entrance gates.
“There's a universal, audible gasp,” said Mulholland. “Photos just don’t do it justice.”
https://www.folio.ca/popular-luminaria- ... attendees/
A behind-the-scenes look at the seasonal light show at the U of A Botanic Garden.
The year Kerry Mulholland saw cars lined up for miles down highway 60 waiting to get into Luminaria, she realized the event had become a seasonal favourite for people from all over central Alberta.
The annual celebration of light at the University of Alberta Botanic Garden had grown so popular by 2013, selling advance tickets was the only solution to the overflow.
"It has proven to be the biggest event of the year for us,” said Mulholland, the garden’s marketing and communications co-ordinator.
About 10,000 people now attend the seasonal light show over three evenings, typically in early December.
A southern tradition for the North
Luminaria was first put on by Friends of the Garden, a volunteer organization, in 2000 and 2001 as part of celebrations to ring in the new millennium. Right off the mark it proved too popular for volunteers to run alone.
The light display consists of some 2,000 candles in paper lanterns lining the paths of the Kurimoto Japanese Garden and this year, for the first time, the new Aga Khan Garden, which contains lights in some of its structures, was also open for viewing.
"Around the world there are many festivals of light in the season of darkness,” said Mulholland. “Luminaria was inspired by those in the Southwestern states, such as New Mexico and Arizona.”
Doing it in the North, however, has a character all its own, she said.
"We set up candles in the cold and snow,” said special event co-ordinator Georgina Gull. “There have been some extreme challenges here and it adds a real beauty, and makes it even more special."
Also featured at Luminaria are ice sculptures, luminescent "snow sprites" played by drama students from John Maland High School in Devon, and strolling carol singers.
It takes 100 volunteers working weeks ahead to pull it all together.
"We start heading towards Luminaria in the fall,” said Bull. “It's a massive undertaking."
Each afternoon before the evening display, volunteers rush around lighting all 2,000 candles.
"The biggest thing is snow removal, and we also hold a work bee a couple of weeks before the event,” during which volunteers make lanterns for the candles, she said.
When the crowds show up, staff members take a moment to observe the reaction as first-time attendees pass through the entrance gates.
“There's a universal, audible gasp,” said Mulholland. “Photos just don’t do it justice.”
https://www.folio.ca/popular-luminaria- ... attendees/
https://www.architecturalrecord.com/art ... architects
Aga Khan Garden by Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects
Edmonton, Alberta
The new Aga Khan Garden, near Edmonton, in the Canadian province of Alberta, is the largest garden in North America to interpret the landscape traditions of Islam. At a latitude above 53 degrees, it is also the world’s northernmost, translating the desert-based horticultural traditions of Islam for Alberta’s short summers and cold winters.
For centuries, gardens have symbolized a spiritual ideal in Muslim culture. They are places “where the human meets further proof of the divine,” the Aga Khan, spiritual leader of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, has said in speeches on the subject, “and where the ingenuity of humanity and the beauty of nature are productively connected.” Sponsored by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, the 12-acre project within the University of Alberta Botanic Garden (UABG) is intended to foster intercultural dialogue and understanding.
“It was a tall order to imagine what a garden inspired by Islamic landscapes would look like in Alberta in the 21st century,” says Breck Gastinger, a senior associate at Nelson Byrd Woltz (NBW), the project’s New York– and Charlottesville, Virginia-based landscape architect. In a remarkable fusion, the design uses the formal structure of the Islamic garden as a frame for the Canadian parkland biome’s dramatic seasonal shifts. Drawing on the landscape firm’s award-winning research into historic precedents, the $19 million project comprises forest walks, a central court of granite and limestone terraces, a dozen pools and fountains that express the manifold nature of water, and an informal orchard of locally adapted trees, all linked by views across a naturalis tic wetland.
From the garden’s entry court, a woodland walkway makes a quiet beginning, passing a lozenge-shaped black granite pool that reflects the sky, and stands of wild roses, Alberta’s emblematic flower, that bloom among the trees. Emerging from the forest, the path climbs to a shaded terrace, or talar, that overlooks a four-part court, or chahar bagh, together forming the most structured and identifiably Islamic part of the garden. A limestone colonnade the length of the talar supports a series of orange tensile canopies, whose vibrant glow contrasts with the forest backdrop.
Water, precious in desert cultures (and increasingly so elsewhere), wells up out of a massive block of polished granite on the talar, seemingly the source for a waterfall and rippled chute that flow to the channels of the chahar bagh. In addition to the plays of texture, illumination, and pattern that celebrate water, the garden’s formal geometry seamlessly integrates a series of stepped and calibrated beds for wetland plant nurseries, seed production, and botanic research. Beyond, a restored wetland surrounded by fruit trees expresses the theme of stewardship.
At opposite corners of the chahar bagh—where the formal garden opens to paths encircling the pond—a rose garden and an “ice garden” symbolize the Alberta setting. The rose garden centers on a five-petaled fountain, with a paving pattern based on the rose’s fivefold symmetry. The ice garden’s paving pattern is based on sixfold symmetry, the structure of ice crystals and snowflakes, and includes openings for fog jets to mist the small space on summer days.
Throughout the garden, the use of precise geometry at multiple scales, from layout to detailing, refers to the mathematical order underlying nature. “Geometry is scaleless, both infinitely small and infinitely large,” says Gastinger, “so tapping into it offers a pathway to greater understanding of the natural world.” The design team wanted the garden’s Islamic sources to be legible, he says, “but we definitely wanted to avoid falling into the trap of pastiche.” Photography highlighting the project’s geometric motifs may give the impression that it teeters on the edge of that trap, but in person the experience of scale within the garden’s expanse creates a much more subtle effect.
The exception, arguably, is a series of decorative panels that form the court’s guardrails. A riff on jali window screens, which traditionally are carved from stone, the panels are executed in ultra-high-performance concrete. Seen in a desert or urban garden, their ornate tracery would have supplied a welcome layer of texture, play of light, intimacy of scale, and permeability to spaces beyond. Here, however, the filigreed curtain of woodland that surrounds the garden suggests a missed opportunity: a simpler, more contemporary panel design would have let the natural intricacy of the parkland forest shine.
Swaths of flowering annuals, climate-adapted perennials, and pollinator-friendly plants fill sunken gardens edging the chahar bagh’s quadrants. Historically, sunken gardens brought the scent and fruit of citrus trees to the visitor’s level, but here they set the flowers at a greater remove. At first this seems a puzzling choice—until you remember the garden’s primary goal is to create a public space for dialogue and understanding. The sunken beds support this goal by seeming to elevate the shared domain and make it more open.
The result is an elegant public forum where one can imagine—as the garden’s sponsor, host institution, and designers hoped—that local and global communities will gather in the presence of nature to advance their mutual understanding. In the Koran, the garden is a metaphor for paradise.
https://www.architecturalrecord.com/art ... architects
Aga Khan Garden by Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects
Edmonton, Alberta
The new Aga Khan Garden, near Edmonton, in the Canadian province of Alberta, is the largest garden in North America to interpret the landscape traditions of Islam. At a latitude above 53 degrees, it is also the world’s northernmost, translating the desert-based horticultural traditions of Islam for Alberta’s short summers and cold winters.
For centuries, gardens have symbolized a spiritual ideal in Muslim culture. They are places “where the human meets further proof of the divine,” the Aga Khan, spiritual leader of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, has said in speeches on the subject, “and where the ingenuity of humanity and the beauty of nature are productively connected.” Sponsored by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, the 12-acre project within the University of Alberta Botanic Garden (UABG) is intended to foster intercultural dialogue and understanding.
“It was a tall order to imagine what a garden inspired by Islamic landscapes would look like in Alberta in the 21st century,” says Breck Gastinger, a senior associate at Nelson Byrd Woltz (NBW), the project’s New York– and Charlottesville, Virginia-based landscape architect. In a remarkable fusion, the design uses the formal structure of the Islamic garden as a frame for the Canadian parkland biome’s dramatic seasonal shifts. Drawing on the landscape firm’s award-winning research into historic precedents, the $19 million project comprises forest walks, a central court of granite and limestone terraces, a dozen pools and fountains that express the manifold nature of water, and an informal orchard of locally adapted trees, all linked by views across a naturalis tic wetland.
From the garden’s entry court, a woodland walkway makes a quiet beginning, passing a lozenge-shaped black granite pool that reflects the sky, and stands of wild roses, Alberta’s emblematic flower, that bloom among the trees. Emerging from the forest, the path climbs to a shaded terrace, or talar, that overlooks a four-part court, or chahar bagh, together forming the most structured and identifiably Islamic part of the garden. A limestone colonnade the length of the talar supports a series of orange tensile canopies, whose vibrant glow contrasts with the forest backdrop.
Water, precious in desert cultures (and increasingly so elsewhere), wells up out of a massive block of polished granite on the talar, seemingly the source for a waterfall and rippled chute that flow to the channels of the chahar bagh. In addition to the plays of texture, illumination, and pattern that celebrate water, the garden’s formal geometry seamlessly integrates a series of stepped and calibrated beds for wetland plant nurseries, seed production, and botanic research. Beyond, a restored wetland surrounded by fruit trees expresses the theme of stewardship.
At opposite corners of the chahar bagh—where the formal garden opens to paths encircling the pond—a rose garden and an “ice garden” symbolize the Alberta setting. The rose garden centers on a five-petaled fountain, with a paving pattern based on the rose’s fivefold symmetry. The ice garden’s paving pattern is based on sixfold symmetry, the structure of ice crystals and snowflakes, and includes openings for fog jets to mist the small space on summer days.
Throughout the garden, the use of precise geometry at multiple scales, from layout to detailing, refers to the mathematical order underlying nature. “Geometry is scaleless, both infinitely small and infinitely large,” says Gastinger, “so tapping into it offers a pathway to greater understanding of the natural world.” The design team wanted the garden’s Islamic sources to be legible, he says, “but we definitely wanted to avoid falling into the trap of pastiche.” Photography highlighting the project’s geometric motifs may give the impression that it teeters on the edge of that trap, but in person the experience of scale within the garden’s expanse creates a much more subtle effect.
The exception, arguably, is a series of decorative panels that form the court’s guardrails. A riff on jali window screens, which traditionally are carved from stone, the panels are executed in ultra-high-performance concrete. Seen in a desert or urban garden, their ornate tracery would have supplied a welcome layer of texture, play of light, intimacy of scale, and permeability to spaces beyond. Here, however, the filigreed curtain of woodland that surrounds the garden suggests a missed opportunity: a simpler, more contemporary panel design would have let the natural intricacy of the parkland forest shine.
Swaths of flowering annuals, climate-adapted perennials, and pollinator-friendly plants fill sunken gardens edging the chahar bagh’s quadrants. Historically, sunken gardens brought the scent and fruit of citrus trees to the visitor’s level, but here they set the flowers at a greater remove. At first this seems a puzzling choice—until you remember the garden’s primary goal is to create a public space for dialogue and understanding. The sunken beds support this goal by seeming to elevate the shared domain and make it more open.
The result is an elegant public forum where one can imagine—as the garden’s sponsor, host institution, and designers hoped—that local and global communities will gather in the presence of nature to advance their mutual understanding. In the Koran, the garden is a metaphor for paradise.
https://www.architecturalrecord.com/art ... architects
https://canada.constructconnect.com/joc ... ry-council
Princess Patricia’s military memorial, Aga Khan garden, honoured by Alberta Masonry Council
Peter Caulfield July 31, 2020
Because the AMC presents its design awards every four years, the organization’s most recent honours were made in 2019. Two of the winners are the Griesbach Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Association (PPCLI) memorial (for artistic use of masonry) and the Aga Khan Garden at the University of Alberta Botanic Garden (award of merit).
The Griesbach (“Grease-bah”) memorial uses granite in a number of ways.
It has granite radius pieces for the stairs leading up to the memorial, granite paving at the top of the stairs around the memorial and radiused granite cladding and copings to the memorial.
The memorial also has 22 granite pedestals where brass battle honour ribbons can be installed, as well as two granite walls with brass plaques for each campaign the PPCLI fought in, and the names of the killed-in-action soldiers listed on the plaques.
On top of the memorial is a brass domed cap that includes the PPCLI logo.
The main central circular component of the memorial replicates the one in Frezenburg, France that marks Canada’s participation in the Second Battle of Ypres in the First World War.
The memorial was designed for the Canada Lands Group by the Edmonton office of IBI Group Inc.
It is located on a one-square mile urban infill development on a former army base in the north end of Edmonton.
“It was complicated work, because it’s a small-radius memorial,” said IBI director Mark Nolan. “To install the granite required a high level of precision.”
The total amount of granite used on the project was approximately 316 cubic feet or 57,000 lbs., says Jaret Jahner, project manager of Scorpio Masonry (Northern) Inc., the masonry and general contractor.
The project had a challenging schedule.
“We didn’t get started until early September and the project needed to be completed by Remembrance Day (November 11),” said Jahner. “And while we were working on it winter kept getting closer.
“The crew worked extended hours and on weekends. We finished just in time. Winter arrived early and it was a very cold Remembrance Day.”
The Aga Khan Garden, in Spruce Grove, AB, is a contemporary interpretation of the landscape traditions of Mughal India, adapted to the plants, climate and culture of Alberta.
The garden makes extensive use of Canadian masonry to create the garden beds, walks, terraces.
In addition to the extensive paving and walls, there are multiple garden features, fountains and stone elements.
The garden contains granite from Quebec and limestone from Ontario and Portugal.
The job had some logistical and weather-related challenges, says Jaret Jahner of Scorpio Masonry, which, like the PPCLI memorial, was the masonry contractor on this project.
“It was in a remote location, 25 minutes outside Edmonton city limits, with no overnight winter heater watch,” he said. “We had a harsh winter, with high winds and occasional heavy snowfall.”
Jahner says winter is not “the ideal season” to be doing flatwork (paving stones on a flat surface).
“In order to be efficient, we need large areas with long site lines, to ensure that everything lines up and ties together properly without any deviations,” he said. “In this type of flatwork paving, the untrained eye could easily pick out and notice any errors or flaws.”
The organization that made the design awards, the AMC, is a not-for-profit association that was founded in 2011 by the supplier and installer members of the Masonry Contractors Association of Alberta, to encourage the use of masonry in the province.
Masonry has played an important part in Alberta’s construction history, says
AMC director of marketing and communications Nicholle Miller.
“Most of Alberta’s original settlements were built from brick, which came from the brick factory in Medicine Hat,” she said. “Almost every settlement along the rail line has downtowns built of brick.”
In addition, Calgary’s oldest building stock is clad with the sandstone that is local to the area.
“The limestone cladding is due to a fire that broke out in 1886 and burned down 18 buildings in the downtown,” said Miller. “The city then passed an ordinance requiring the downtown to be built with only non-combustible structures.”
In the present day, locally produced concrete brick and pavers are becoming more popular.
“Masonry pavers contribute to storm water management and are even becoming mandated in some municipalities in Canada,” she said.
There are also hempcrete block producers starting to appear in Alberta.
“Although they are not yet at the structural stage, they are optimistic the technology will enter Alberta and will soon be used for cladding and structural purposes,” Miller said.
Princess Patricia’s military memorial, Aga Khan garden, honoured by Alberta Masonry Council
Peter Caulfield July 31, 2020
Because the AMC presents its design awards every four years, the organization’s most recent honours were made in 2019. Two of the winners are the Griesbach Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry Association (PPCLI) memorial (for artistic use of masonry) and the Aga Khan Garden at the University of Alberta Botanic Garden (award of merit).
The Griesbach (“Grease-bah”) memorial uses granite in a number of ways.
It has granite radius pieces for the stairs leading up to the memorial, granite paving at the top of the stairs around the memorial and radiused granite cladding and copings to the memorial.
The memorial also has 22 granite pedestals where brass battle honour ribbons can be installed, as well as two granite walls with brass plaques for each campaign the PPCLI fought in, and the names of the killed-in-action soldiers listed on the plaques.
On top of the memorial is a brass domed cap that includes the PPCLI logo.
The main central circular component of the memorial replicates the one in Frezenburg, France that marks Canada’s participation in the Second Battle of Ypres in the First World War.
The memorial was designed for the Canada Lands Group by the Edmonton office of IBI Group Inc.
It is located on a one-square mile urban infill development on a former army base in the north end of Edmonton.
“It was complicated work, because it’s a small-radius memorial,” said IBI director Mark Nolan. “To install the granite required a high level of precision.”
The total amount of granite used on the project was approximately 316 cubic feet or 57,000 lbs., says Jaret Jahner, project manager of Scorpio Masonry (Northern) Inc., the masonry and general contractor.
The project had a challenging schedule.
“We didn’t get started until early September and the project needed to be completed by Remembrance Day (November 11),” said Jahner. “And while we were working on it winter kept getting closer.
“The crew worked extended hours and on weekends. We finished just in time. Winter arrived early and it was a very cold Remembrance Day.”
The Aga Khan Garden, in Spruce Grove, AB, is a contemporary interpretation of the landscape traditions of Mughal India, adapted to the plants, climate and culture of Alberta.
The garden makes extensive use of Canadian masonry to create the garden beds, walks, terraces.
In addition to the extensive paving and walls, there are multiple garden features, fountains and stone elements.
The garden contains granite from Quebec and limestone from Ontario and Portugal.
The job had some logistical and weather-related challenges, says Jaret Jahner of Scorpio Masonry, which, like the PPCLI memorial, was the masonry contractor on this project.
“It was in a remote location, 25 minutes outside Edmonton city limits, with no overnight winter heater watch,” he said. “We had a harsh winter, with high winds and occasional heavy snowfall.”
Jahner says winter is not “the ideal season” to be doing flatwork (paving stones on a flat surface).
“In order to be efficient, we need large areas with long site lines, to ensure that everything lines up and ties together properly without any deviations,” he said. “In this type of flatwork paving, the untrained eye could easily pick out and notice any errors or flaws.”
The organization that made the design awards, the AMC, is a not-for-profit association that was founded in 2011 by the supplier and installer members of the Masonry Contractors Association of Alberta, to encourage the use of masonry in the province.
Masonry has played an important part in Alberta’s construction history, says
AMC director of marketing and communications Nicholle Miller.
“Most of Alberta’s original settlements were built from brick, which came from the brick factory in Medicine Hat,” she said. “Almost every settlement along the rail line has downtowns built of brick.”
In addition, Calgary’s oldest building stock is clad with the sandstone that is local to the area.
“The limestone cladding is due to a fire that broke out in 1886 and burned down 18 buildings in the downtown,” said Miller. “The city then passed an ordinance requiring the downtown to be built with only non-combustible structures.”
In the present day, locally produced concrete brick and pavers are becoming more popular.
“Masonry pavers contribute to storm water management and are even becoming mandated in some municipalities in Canada,” she said.
There are also hempcrete block producers starting to appear in Alberta.
“Although they are not yet at the structural stage, they are optimistic the technology will enter Alberta and will soon be used for cladding and structural purposes,” Miller said.