With stunning views of the Rocky Mountains and proximity to the Bow River, the 314-acre Watermark at Bearspaw community was carefully designed to integrate elements of the natural environment. The community development features an extensive pathway network and a naturalized recirculating pond system with cascading waterfalls. These natural elements connect open space throughout the community and provide the central theme and focal point of the development. Watermark at Bearspaw is a 2-time recipient of the “Best Community” in Canada and 3-time recipient of “Community of the Year” in the Calgary region.
Since 2010, EXP has provided multidisciplinary consulting for the community’s development. As lead consultant, EXP has been involved in many aspects of the design. Landscape design focused on the integration and celebration of water, nature and year-round family amenities. Both naturalized and manicured landscapes employ a distinctive place-based design ethos. Extensive landscaping and planting areas throughout the development provide continuity of the open space systems and facilitate ongoing wildlife movement throughout the site.
From entry features to footbridges to lookouts, play places to plaza spaces, EXP’s engineers and landscape architects collaborated to incorporate many unique elements and architectural structures. These features required innovative detailing and carefully planned construction phasing, including installation of 6 kilometers of a 200mm diameter HDPE offsite storm trunk to an outfall into the Bow River.
EXP’s infrastructure team upgraded the design of an older water treatment plant on site, and developed a WaterCAD model for a proposed water distribution system – sized and based on projections of future consumption demand.
Services
Environmental, Landscape Architecture, Civil, Water Resources, Water + Wastewater, Geotechnical, Electrical, Mechanical, Construction Management