Niagara College NextGen Greenhouse, Niagara on the Lake, ON

The Niagara College NextGen Greenhouse is a cutting-edge facility designed to be the new research hub within the College’s Horticultural & Environmental Sciences Innovation Centre (HESIC). In partnership with mcCallumSather, who took the lead on greenhouse design, SpruceLab was responsible for landscape design and development.

The final concept plan was informed by a design workshop that SpruceLab led with the Niagara College staff responsible for facilities management, horticultural design, and operations & maintenance. Plantings were placed as large mass plantings of seasonal interest, carefully selected to be drought tolerant and low maintenance. Native plant species were included to enhance biodiversity and support pollinators.

Special art elements were proposed and included large raised metal planters of modern design, to complement the architecture and provide opportunities for ties to curriculum and programming. Additionally, suggestions for Indigenous placekeeping through the design of art elements were proposed as future considerations by the College’s Indigenous community.