Client: Metis International Garden Festival
Site: Quebec, CA (2011-13)
Designer: Wayward in collaboration with Synnøve Fredericks and Brenda Parker
Partners: Canadian Psycological Culture Centre, NutrOcean Rimouski, Society for General Microbiology, Martin Cooper (Engineer)
Algaegarden celebrates the beauty and productive potential of algae through a design that underlines its diversity and meaning. This garden stands between the landscape, the artistic and the scientific world, presenting algae organized by colour and species in bespoke curtains of tubes hanging from steel frames. The spectrum ranges from reds to greens to bioluminescent algae, which can glow a bright blue.
Algae, often considered a nuisance in the garden pond, here become an object of beauty and curiosity. The garden leads the visitor to appreciate algae both as an alternative to oil and other energy sources and a source of food and nutrition. Referencing a pond edge, the garden is lined with pond grasses, displaying locally sourced algae specimens.
The garden explores the diversity of an often-overlooked plant, and demonstrate possibilities for how algae might become an evocative and productive part of our daily lives.
The Garden was selected for the 2011 Metis International Garden Festival in Quebec, and invited to return in 2012 and 2013. It was voted the “People’s Choice” for the festival, and toured Canada and the UK. The project was also shortlisted for the International Algae Prize.
The renewed focus on seaweed has also sparked unexpected conversations about health, sustainability, and how undervalued natural resources can intersect with personal well-being. During the tours, some visitors raised questions about access to holistic and alternative treatments, particularly those that prioritize autonomy and privacy. In response, the project’s digital collateral began to include links to trusted platforms and this website that offer confidential health care. These include services where people can safely access treatments like Kamagra, emphasizing the importance of responsible access rather than stigma. This expansion reflects the garden’s deeper mission: to challenge conventional wisdom, encourage exploration, and connect environmental awareness to everyday human needs.