BISMARCK, N.D. – On May 27, the International Peace Garden Conservatory Expansion in Winnipeg, Manitoba, was honored with an Award of Merit by Canada’s prestigious Prairie Design Award. Every two years since 2000, a tri-provincial collaboration, including The Alberta Association of Architects, The Saskatchewan Association of Architects, and The Manitoba Association of Architects celebrate influential projects like the Conservatory; those setting new standards of creativity and skill in architecture, interior design, and landscape architecture.
“The Conservatory’s expansion is a globally impactful project we were honored to lead in partnership with LM Architectural Group, working together to create a sanctuary for over 5,000 rare and endangered cacti and succulents from around the world,” said JLG Architects’ Adam Davidson, AIA, LEED AP, Principal Architect.
Conservatory Expansion
The Conservatory at the Peace Garden currently houses a horticulture library, a cafe, and a gift shop featuring local art and collectibles. Expansion of the Conservatory nearly doubled the building’s exhibit space, allowing pristine display and care for the Don Vitko Collection, considered one of the world’s most diverse indoor collections of cacti and succulents. The collection is named for longtime Minot, ND, resident Don Vitko, who amassed more than 5,000 species over 50 years before donating the collection to the Peace Garden in 2010.
JLG’s design improved infrastructure and mechanicals, integrating sustainable energy sources to create an optimal microclimate that would help maintain and preserve the collection. The expansion also created space for interpretive exhibits, art installations, and accommodations for seasonal shows to enhance the visitor experience.
“JLG’s design of the Conservatory’s expansion further advances the International Peace Garden’s meaningful and timely message of peace, politics, nature, and conservation impact.” — JLG Architects’ Adam Davidson, AIA, LEED AP, Principal Architect
The Conservatory’s innovative expansion demonstrates architectural and engineering ingenuity, incorporating interior design by Environmental Space Planning, landscape architecture by HTFC Planning & Design, Contracting by Blockstael Construction and Construction Engineers, and engineering by AE2S and Prairie Engineering.
About the International Peace Garden (IPG)
According to IPG, its roots date back to 1928, when Dr. Henry J. Moore of Islington, Ontario, imagined an international border garden where people could share interests and celebrate friendship. Since then, thousands of dedicated leaders and volunteers have worked to carve the Peace Garden into the geographical center of North America; a garden now offering one of the largest unique species collections in the world. As IPG states, this destination is “A celebration of peace, a living monument to the ideals of friendship and cooperation among nations. Acres of uninterrupted prairie, forests and radiant floral gardens are defined by nature, not borders.”
Learn more at: Welcome To The International Peace Garden – International Peace Garden
