Arrand Block

Formative chapters are marked clearly in the overall story of Common Ground. This project brings back the bittersweet feelings of new beginnings. Arrand Block is an iconic heritage building located just off of Broadway Avenue in the heart of Saskatoon. The site carried both history and neglect. Years of limited care had left the front and backyards overgrown and the landscape largely disconnected from the character of the building itself. As a full design and build project, the work centered a clear transformative goal, reshaping the majority of lawn into perennial gardens. The landscape honors the place of the building within the city and increases the ecological function within the urban fabric. In totality, it offers a living expression of the values that have guided Common Ground since its inception. Care for the land, consideration of context and the experience of breathing new life into overlooked ground.