Houston Botanic Garden - Culinary Garden

The 'Houston Botanic Garden' is an initiative of a group of local Houstonians. Their mission is 'enriching life through discovery, education, and the conservation of plants and the natural environment'. The diverse collection of plants from around the world reflects the city's rich cultural and ethnic diversity. 

Koninklijke Tichelaar developed 3,591 custom-made jade tiles for three waterwalls in the 'Culinary Garden'. This part of the botanic garden provides visitors the opportunity to learn more about edible and medicinal plants and trees. In line with the design of the waterwalls by West 8, the tiles form a timeless and consistent scenery with the surrounding environment. The jade tiles show a lot of variation, ranging from flat to 3D-formed surfaces with a rich diversity of colors. It, therefore, serves as a perfect example of ceramics' unprecedented possibilities. As a result of adding the 3D elements, water runs down the walls in a unique pattern. Besides, visitors can get a sight of the garden by adding see-through elements in some of the tiles. The list below provides an overview of the different stakeholders in the realization of the Culinary Garden. 

Extra information
Client: Houston Botanic Garden

Culinary Garden Design and Construction team:
- West 8: Prime Consultant, Masterplan Vision & Landscape Architect
- Greenscape Pump Services Inc. - Role: Water Feature Engineering
- Walter P. Moore Engineers - Role: Civil and Structural Engineering
- Clark Condon Associates Inc. - Role: Landscape Architects, Planting & Soil Design 
- Olsson and Associates - Role: Soil Design Consultation
- I.A. Naman + Associates Inc. - Role: Electrical Engineering MEP Engineering
- Sweeney & Associates Inc. - Role: Irrigation Design
- SiteWorks Specification Preparation
- Harvey-Cleary Builders - General Contractor
- Landscape Art Inc. - Landscape Sub-Contractor
- B&D Contractors Inc. - Landscape Sub-Contractor
- Koninklijke Tichelaar - Ceramic fabricator