Canadian Canoe Museum
Foggy River Design is the Landscape Architect for the new Canadian Canoe Museum, working with Heneghan Peng, Dublin and Kearns Mancini Architects, Toronto. Now in production, this design was selected in a two stage process from an international line up of architects.
Located in Peterborough, the building program combines the Canoe Museum collection and the Liftlock Visitor Centre with a new revenue generating, hospitality program. The design will provide a suitable environment for the preservation and display of the collection, provide an exciting venue for visitors to enjoy and will operate in a sustainable manner.
The 80,000 sf museum is designed to engage visitors, display the museum's collection and provide an educational and thought provoking experience. The building engages the surrounding landscape, making the arrival and approach part of the experience. An extensive landscaping program on the roof and activity programs at the water's edge and adjacent to the building animate the outdoor spaces.
The organic, serpentine building is semi-recessed into the natural contours of the landscape with the north end of the building completely recessed into the ground, before gradually emerging as the ground falls away as one travels to the south end of the building. The green roof will assist in minimizing the transfer of solar gain to the internal spaces while providing superior insulation levels to the building.
Careful consideration is given to the building form to employ passive, sustainable techniques including Geothermal heating and cooling and a green roof to minimizing the transfer of solar gain and provide superior insulation.
In 2020, the site for the project changed and the client abandoned the original design.
Durham Catholic District School Board
The Durham Catholic District School Board (DCDSB) and Foggy River Farm have been working together to co-create outdoor learning environments with students at several schools. Working from an experiential outdoor education approach, the team at Foggy River plays, designs and builds with students, all the while peaking curiosity so that students become the stewards of their own schoolyards.
Education Intentions
To distil student connection to the landscape through direct experience, hands-on projects, observation and exploration
To help students understand their role in their local ecosystem, which includes their classroom, their entire school, the schoolyard and the larger landscape
To foster a deep sense of stewardship through helping students design and build outdoor environments where they can explore their curiosity
To encourage self-awareness through the sharing of this curiosity and land-based action with others
Project Features
Small food forest/perennial gardens
Annual vegetable gardens
Cultural/spiritual gardens specific to each school
Student-led design processes, reflected through storytelling and maps, graphics and anecdotes
Constructed areas completed with mainly raw and local materials, where possible
FRF Role
Custom creation and development of student workshops
Creation of content for curriculum-based learning
Project Management (tracking budgets, material sourcing and sharing this process with the students)
Direct facilitation of workshops with the students
Responsible for the physical safety of the students during the construction phases
Lead the creation of safe and functional designs
The Second Wedge Brewing Co.
After a few too many beers one night, co-founders Rob and Joanne from The Second Wedge hired Foggy River to design and install a beer garden, converting an old gravel parking lot into an accessible and welcoming outdoor oasis.
Location: Uxbridge, Ontario
Design Intentions
Represent the culture of Second Wedge by utilizing local artists, contractors and materials
Create comfortable social gathering opportunities for groups up to 25
Design planting solutions that support brewery activities and functions
Be accessible and create privacy from adjacent road
Project Features
Raised planters using all reclaimed and re-purposed materials
Woodworking by Jeff Baker Woodworks
Hardscaping by Valleyview Landscapes
A living wall, with cedar post and cable trellising for beans, grapes and kiwis
A naturalized cedar hedge showcasing various berries, herbs and hops
FRF Role
Concept design facilitation
Project management for design & build (budgets, material sourcing, integrating contractors and artists, scheduling)
Testing beer, frequently
Foggy River Farm North
Foggy River Farm North, is a homestead, experimental permaculture farm, and design studio located on 12 acres of land in Sunderland, Ontario.
Location: Sunderland, ON
Design Intentions
To be a flexible space that can support a family home, design studio, workshop venue, and permaculture farm.
To create a financially sound model for perennial crops on small acreage
Project Features
Ecosystem remediation using experimental methods of hugelkultur style planting and polyculture design with medicinal and nutrient dense crops
Restorative woodlot management
Forest mushroom production
FRF Design Role
Site Analysis and Goals Articulation
Concept Development
Zoning and Phasing
Planting Plan
Landscape Amenity Details
Project Management and Construction
Tycoed Restorative Farm & Family Ecovillage
Located in Uxbridge, the Tycoed project has been a great source of inspiration and delight for the Foggy River Farm Design team. This 17 acre property has forests, ponds and creeks, diverse plant and animal life and amazing views to the north and the Lake Simcoe Watershed. The space is shared between three families living in “recycled” log homes from the 1840’s. Foggy River Farm Design has worked with the Tycoed family to undertake a multi-phase restorative farm project.
The master plan of this property now includes both annual and perennial vegetable garden spaces, a large terraced hillside orchard, a small apiary and accompanying pollinator garden, mushroom production, woodlot management and successional strategies, and a greenhouse and yoga studio.
Location: Uxbridge, ON
Design Goals & Intentions
Create a beautiful landscape
Create a master plan for the 17 acre property
Become a teaching space to showcase the broader concepts of ecovillage and intentional community living, inspiring others to take action
Create a sustainable business model
Project Features:
Annual and perennial vegetable gardens
3-acre terraced hugelkultur hillside polyculture orchard
Mushroom production
Small apiary with accompanying pollinator garden
Woodlot management and successional planning
Freshwater pond to accomodateskating and stand up paddleboarding
FRF Design Role:
Site Analysis and Goals Articulation
Concept Development
Zoning and Phasing
Planting Plan
Landscape Amenity Details
Project Management and Construction
Community Farm & Garden
The Nourish and Develop Foundation ‘TNDF’ brought in Foggy River to enhance the scope of the Maple Tree Community Garden through the development of a small ‘mother orchard’. This small collection of 75 fruit trees and berry shrubs will be used to propagate thousands of new plants, eventually transforming this 5 acre community farm into an edible oasis over the years to come.
Location: Cannington, Ontario
Design Intention
Design a small for the community farm that will serve as a foundation for future propagation and expansion
Features
A unique collection of 75 cold-hardy, disease resistant trees and shrubs
FRF Design Role
Site Observations and Analysis
Mother Orchard Planting Plan
Community engagement and empowerment
Urban Edible Ecosystem
This small urban backyard in North York, Toronto, will soon be a lush temperate jungle of edible plants. The client approached FRF with a vision of turning her backyard into a productive space that she could enjoy with her family. She is now surrounded by over 100 edible shrubs, trees and vines and has since opened a dessert catering company, Desserts Studio, which will soon be able to serve delicious treats made from the fruit grown right in her backyard.
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Design Intentions
Create an entirely edible urban ecosystem
Create opportunities for youth to experience and learn about plants
Create opportunities to propagate additional plants in the future
Create a beautiful space for leisure and relaxation
Features
Herb Spiral
Dwarf Food Forest Ecosystem
Annual Vegetable Garden
Clover pathways
Stone Seat Benches with overhead Pergolas for vines
Permeable Patio (maximum water infiltration)
Rainwater collected and filtered through garden or store
FRF Design Role
Site Analysis and Goals Articulation
Concept Development
Planting Plan
Landscape Amenity Details
Project Management and Construction
Ongoing Suppor
Uxbridge Rural Homestead
Inspired by a workshop on Orchard Design with Foggy River Farm, FRF Design assisted this young family in creating an edible landscape to surround their rural homestead. Installed in 2014, this property is bound to look and taste incredible in years to come as the plants and family mature together.
Location: Uxbridge, Ontario
Design Intentions:
Plant a diversity of fruit and nut trees
Design areas for smaller shrubs and vegetable gardens closer to the home
Features:
Orchard inspired landscaping
Nut tree lined driveway
FRF Design Role:
Site observations and analysis
Concept plan
Planting plan
Garden bed and soil preparation
Sourcing and installation of plants
