Years of working in an increasingly abstracted, digital world left us feeling there was something more to being alive, something we searched for in our daily work but couldn’t quite find-until nature offered us a gift.
While on a hiking trip in the mountains of British Columbia, Canada, we discovered a grove of ancient trees. Their majesty was breathtaking. Their broad limbs created a sheltering canopy above us. Standing in the cool shadows was peaceful. It was a special place. A primitive architecture.
We explored that grove of ancient trees, studying them–learning from them. We listened to the calming sounds of the wind rustling through their leaves, and were uplifted by sunlight flickering across their branches. Over hours of relaxing—a kind of meditation—we grew aware of their bark’s intricate patterns and subtle shifts of colour.
We felt a deep connection to those trees and developed a near reverence for them. As human generations came and went these ancient beings stoically nurtured life around them. Their complex relationship with the earth offered a glimpse at a larger force in our lives. We wondered: Is this what architect Meis van der Rohe’s “God is in the details.” implied?
Our lucky encounter kick-started a series of expeditions to those unique places in the world where there are majestic trees. During those journeys the trees shared their centuries earned stoic calm with us. They taught us something important, something once missing from our lives.
With a growing enlightenment, we understood that the ancient trees we visited were not just beautiful and majestic beings, they manifested profound wisdom. They embodied the interconnectedness of all things—that every living creature is a part of something larger than themselves. The ancient trees give us life-changing gifts.
Our work celebrates them.