INGLEWOOD
the affordable sustainable community
This project grew out of our faculty's early association with the Inglewood Community Association who had an interest in affordable housing.
The project was developed with the assistance of a client group and built on the experience of co-housing experiments in Scandinavia. Creating a strong community was paramount where sharing amenities was possible and involvement with neighbours was desired. The plan centred around a neighbourhood square, edged by townhouses and a seniors' apartment with modest retail and social services at the base. Community gardens overlooked a pond that bordered the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary. Co-generation, recycling and community workshops added to the sustainable and social dimension of this project.
EDMONTON RIVER VALLEY
competition entry
This project was an entry in a provincial competition for the redevelopment of the inner-city historic communities of Rossdale and Cloverdale in Edmonton, Alberta.
An urban design proposal and a housing marketing plan were called for. This central city site contains some of the most important civic buildings in Edmonton; the Legislature, the Convention Centre, the Muttart Conservatory and a proposed aquarium are all located within the spectacular valley of the North Saskatchewan River.
CLIFF BUNGALOW - MISSION
townscape and process
This project is a collaboration between the Cliff Bungalow – Mission Community Association and the Urban Design Research Lab, Faculty of Environmental Design. It was intended to provide an approach to neighbourhood-based planning that would augment the City’s traditional, policy and zoning based Area Redevelopment Plan process and provide a new approach and a more comprehensive three-dimensional look at the neighbourhood’s urban structure. It was intended to provide tools for residents, planners, developers, architects and others involved in the community planning process to test development proposals and make better decisions regarding the community’s urban structure (the streets, blocks, and public spaces). Alternatives to current planning practice are offered, including alternatives to current zoning.
EDGEMONT II
This CMHC funded study re-examined the design of a Calgary suburb and proposed an alternative solution. Edgemont II presented a denser more compact form with a broader range of local services and amenities than the existing.
The plan is organized like a village, with centres containing essential services. Bus service links all sub-centres and the plan is organized on the basis of easy walking distance to all community facilities. The open space park and path system is extensive, linking all parts of the site. Everywhere there is a strong awareness of the natural land form. Open space and the dynamic qualities of the site are brought deep into the plan weaving a rich pattern of housing, gardens and parks.
COMPUTER MODELING
Computer modeling is a valuable tool that can be utilized in several stages of the design process, including visual analysis, massing and density studies, comparative analyses, testing and evaluation of design alterna¬tives, and visualization of concepts. The following examples illustrate the use of computer modeling at various scales ranging from the city, to the neighbourhood, to the block, to the building.
