We were approached to conceive of a garden at this spectacular private residence in Lorne Park in Mississauga. A midcentury bungalow with a walkout lower level, the space originally housed a koi pond at the centre of the spiral stairs. When we were consulted on what should occupy this area at the bottom of the new stairs, we immediately said, ‘koi pond!’ We set out to create a modern design that better reflected the aesthetics of the space while still bringing life and natural elements into the space.
A custom sized aquarium allowed us to create the impression of a section of pond, with the water column viewable from the front and top. We created a sloped background of sandy soil and tangled roots and installed a soil bed behind to create a garden that looks like a slice of forest in the lower level, complementing the natural landscape visible from the staircase landing.
The large mixed school of tetra and rasboras feed both the aquatic plants and the approximately 140 ft2 vertical garden which uses the pond as its water source, further blending the interior of the space with the natural landscape outside.
An article on this space can be found here.
