Alumni Plaza is the first project to be completed following the St. FX Campus Master Plan (Fathom, 2018) and the first phase of implementation of the aspirational Xavierian Commons. The project transformed a former parking lot and roadway at the center of campus adjacent to the Bloomfield Student Centre into a new plaza for important ceremonies, cultural events, and flag raisings. 

The project features custom-designed sandstone benches, retaining walls, and steps sourced from nearby Wallace Quarries, which pays homage to the sandstone used in many campus buildings. The stone is carefully integrated with in-ground features lighting making it a comfortable space at night and throughout the winter.

Located at the top of a 20m embankment, the design also includes a large bioretention rain garden designed with thousands of drought-tolerant and water-loving perennials that capture and treat stormwater from a large catchment area on the upper campus. This protects the football stadium at the base of the hill and reduces the amount of water directly piped into the stormwater system, which outlets in Antigonish’s highly flood-susceptible Brierly Brook.

Status

Completed 2020

Our Role

Landscape Architecture

Client

St. Francis Xavier University

Location

Antigonish, Nova Scotia