It is our passion to design compelling and evocative spaces and places that stir the imagination and stand as precedents of design excellence.
In our approach, we blend innovation, sustainability strategies, ecology and biology, economics, architectural detailing, engineering, and identity of place - all in one discourse.
We work across the globe, conceptualizing and realizing public and private projects of all sizes. These include small intimate gardens, residential developments, private estates, urban master plans, public realms, parks, streetscapes, waterfronts, commercial developments, institutional campuses, the outdoor spaces of museums and recreational facilities, as well as other civic and cultural destinations.
Our attitude is collaborative, positive and optimistic, and we truly work across disciplinary boundaries while embracing unrestrained creativity.
For us, every project deserves a holistic approach in order to achieve the best possible outcome - socially, culturally, economically, and environmentally. We also consider what our design will mean for the adjacent context, as often our projects are found within historic settings. What impact will our design have on the identity of the place as a whole? What is the experience? And most important, how will our design work for people?
As dreamers and pragmatists, we are driven to come up with bold ideas that are rooted in functionality, meticulous detailing, and constructibility.
Our objective is to create designs which have embedded immersive and alluring qualities - that are refreshing, comfortable, and welcoming - spaces that are original and have never been seen before, that exude an inherent positive spirit and carry elements of surprise.
Our goal is always to establish an appropriate and unique character, ultimately resulting in a place that is memorable, frequently used, and loved.
Client: Hackman Capital Partners - Project Partners: SOM, Adamson Associates
Basin Media Studios - Toronto
Project Info
While creating a suite of immersive settings that deliberately references Ontario’s rich native ecosystem, !melk’s overall landscape design for Basin Media Studios establishes a functional and robust framework that caters to the complexity associated with a media and studio campus development.
Within the overall site design, several key spaces are featured. Specifically located at each of the entrances to the site are Bouchette Gate, Heritage Gate, Logan Gate, and Carlaw Gate. At the water’s edge along the Ship Channel is the fifth key space of the campus, the Town Square – a flexible events space that simultaneously serves as the main pedestrian arrival point. The semi-public Town Square connects the site to the Waterfront Promenade which !melk designed to feature a variety of outdoor “rooms” culminating at a “sun deck” located at the bend of the turning basin. There, one finds an active area equipped with F&B and ample seating. The Waterfront Promenade is designed to be accessible by pedestrians but also intended to serve as spill-out space for the campus buildings.
!melk’s design draws from both the ecological and the industrial history of the Port Lands area, with the ambition to establish a relevant and sustainable identity for the place. Drawing from species native to the upland forest, riparian zone, and marshland land typologies, the planting palette features numerous shade trees, shrubs and flowering species that are native to the Ontario region and support pollinators and micro-habitats - all selected with a specific seasonal choreography in mind.
In the Spring and Autumn, several blooming species with interesting flowers and textures, as well as the bright orange and red tones of the oaks and aspens become true attractions. In Summer, a dense, continuous tree canopy offers ample shade for the promenade and the various “pockets” of gatherings areas and picnic lawns. Since Toronto experiences harsh winters, evergreen shrubs are used to shield the winter wind, and bright red osier dogwoods offer a unique, colorful contrast to the Toronto winter scene.
While creating a suite of immersive settings that deliberately references Ontario’s rich native ecosystem, !melk’s overall landscape design for Basin Media Studios establishes a functional and robust framework that caters to the complexity associated with a media and studio campus development.
Within the overall site design, several key spaces are featured. Specifically located at each of the entrances to the site are Bouchette Gate, Heritage Gate, Logan Gate, and Carlaw Gate. At the water’s edge along the Ship Channel is the fifth key space of the campus, the Town Square – a flexible events space that simultaneously serves as the main pedestrian arrival point. The semi-public Town Square connects the site to the Waterfront Promenade which !melk designed to feature a variety of outdoor “rooms” culminating at a “sun deck” located at the bend of the turning basin. There, one finds an active area equipped with F&B and ample seating. The Waterfront Promenade is designed to be accessible by pedestrians but also intended to serve as spill-out space for the campus buildings.
!melk’s design draws from both the ecological and the industrial history of the Port Lands area, with the ambition to establish a relevant and sustainable identity for the place. Drawing from species native to the upland forest, riparian zone, and marshland land typologies, the planting palette features numerous shade trees, shrubs and flowering species that are native to the Ontario region and support pollinators and micro-habitats - all selected with a specific seasonal choreography in mind.
In the Spring and Autumn, several blooming species with interesting flowers and textures, as well as the bright orange and red tones of the oaks and aspens become true attractions. In Summer, a dense, continuous tree canopy offers ample shade for the promenade and the various “pockets” of gatherings areas and picnic lawns. Since Toronto experiences harsh winters, evergreen shrubs are used to shield the winter wind, and bright red osier dogwoods offer a unique, colorful contrast to the Toronto winter scene.