Project Type: Landscape Architecture

Year: 2019

Role: Cultural Landscape Design

Client: Hogan’s Alley Society

Location: Nora Hendrix place, Vancouver, BC

As lead cultural landscape design consultant for the Hogan’s Alley Society, Divine Ndemeye guided the vision for the first Temporary housing garden in Vancouver’s historically Black neighborhood. Once a vibrant hub of Black life, Hogan’s Alley was dismantled during urban renewal in the 1970s. This project marked a step toward cultural redress, reclamation—of space, memory, and cultural continuity.

Rooted in Afrocentric design principles and diasporic identity, the courtyard design honors the legacy of Black settlers through spatial storytelling, plant selection, and material symbolism. Envisioned as a place for intergenerational connection, healing, and public celebration, the space restores visibility and dignity to Black presence in the urban fabric.

Divine led cultural research, and the integration of symbolic plantings reflective of African diasporic heritage. The resulting design transforms the courtyard into a civic sanctuary that speaks to both historical loss and future resilience.