Conestoga College - Kitchener, ON
Aboud & Associates, in collaboration with Landplan Studio Inc., developed a forward-thinking Landscape Visioning Plan for Conestoga College's Doon and Fountain Street campuses.
The ten-year strategic framework created by our skilled Landscape Architects reimagines campus landscapes, focusing on connectivity, sustainability, and wellness. The plan emphasizes creating vibrant, inclusive spaces that enhance the campus identity and foster learning, community, and ecological stewardship. The integration of Indigenous perspectives and environmentally sustainable practices are central to this vision, alongside innovative approaches to enhancing pedestrian experiences, outdoor learning environments, and climate resilience.
The plan aims to create a cohesive and dynamic campus environment by using a series of landscaping features, including gateways, pedestrian pathways, urban plazas, naturalized open spaces, and athletic fields. Each feature contributes to the guiding principles of the plan, from natural landscapes designed to increase biodiversity and ecological function to urban spaces offering flexible gathering areas for academic and social activities. The athletic fields and recreational spaces are reimagined to better serve student and community wellness, with enhanced edges and improved functionality.
Site-specific landscape initiatives further detail the transformation of key campus areas. Highlights include a welcoming pedestrian gateway, the revitalization of the Centre Pond landscape as an outdoor hub, and the creation of a Celebration Garden for reflection and ceremonies. The Indigenous Garden is expanded and integrated more deeply into the campus, fostering cultural and educational opportunities. Each initiative incorporates sustainable design features, such as low-impact development strategies, accessible pathways, and thoughtfully curated plantings.
A signature feature of the Fountain Street Campus is the pollinator garden, a collaborative effort with Wild by Design, installed using an experimental gravel garden methodology. This innovative approach reduces maintenance needs while supporting biodiversity, offering a resilient model for sustainable planting. At the Doon Campus, the slopes of the Recreation Centre feature traditional pollinator plantings, where native species stabilize the terrain and enhance ecological value. Together, these projects highlight a commitment to sustainability and creativity in landscape design.
In addition, our landscape architects also provided design and contract administration services for the landscape revitalization at the Guelph Campus. This project focused on creating inviting, functional, and ecologically sensitive outdoor spaces that reflect the broader objectives of Conestoga College’s campus-wide landscape strategy. The revitalization incorporated improved pedestrian pathways, native plantings, and enhanced gathering areas to support a vibrant and connected campus community.
