The Jaipur Bridge replacement is part of a larger public realm revitalization project that also includes updates to the Eau Claire River Promenade and the Eau Claire Plaza. The existing bridge, named after Calgary’s sister city relationship with Jaipur, India, was over 50 years old and in need of replacement.

The bridge connects Calgary’s downtown to one of Calgary’s most popular parks, Princes Island Park, which hosts several festivals and events throughout the year. Additionally, the lagoon that the bridge crosses over, is typically used for ice-skating during the winter. Along with meeting today’s engineering standards, the new bridge was to be wider while maintaining important view corridors, to better negotiate moments of pause and moments of movement. The sister city relationship was celebrated with lighting and pattern incorporated into the railing design and projected onto the bridge deck through a screening detail that plays homage to Jaipur.

Sylvan Lake mixed-use building consists of 43 residential units and 3 commercial units, designed to strengthen and anchor mixed-use development on the two major streets. The building design pays homage to Sylvan Lake's historic hotels, using materials and aesthetics that highlight the area's charm, with the intent of attracting more visitors to the lakeshore. A key feature is the 5th-floor common outdoor amenity space for residents, offering a unique communal area with stunning views. Additionally, the project includes a covered courtyard space that supports year-round use and increased commercial frontage opportunities. Multiple circulation paths are incorporated into the design to invite people into the public space, creating a more engaging and dynamic environment.

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FIELD HOUSE6 is a modular-ready design encompassing 6-units with private amenity spaces. The modular-ready design offers scalability, while remaining flexible for customization. Exterior materials are primarily composed of wood to create elements of warmth and a connection to the local materials. Part of the strategy considers strengthening the British Columbia forestry sector by creating and protecting jobs in this industry. An alternate material palette that utilizes wood on a smaller scale is also provided.

The overall design supports comfortable liveability, safety, sustainability, and access to both semi-private and shared amenity spaces that create a sense of place for each of the 6 dwelling units provided, all while maximizing the use of the site area. Careful placement of utilities, covered bike storage, waste collection and parking access consider equal accessibility for all units while maintaining safe and convenient connective paths that are sensitive to the public view.

The massing strategy is considerate of future land use and shadowing by providing transitions in building height on rear, side, and front-facing directions as well as offsetting taller masses towards the rear to increase amenities on the front-facing yard. Street-facing facades are designed with large windows for a strong visual connection to the street while the alternating patterns and varied spacing in the material language start to define each unit floor. The street-facing amenities activate the frontage while maintaining a balance of privacy through careful landscaping features.

Strategic landscaping provides a balance of privacy, wayfinding and place making for each dwelling unit and the site. Landscape features include raised planters that serve as rainwater filtration and amenity framing features that users can interact with. In addition, driveway access and pedestrian connective paths maximize rainwater infiltration using permeable pavers. With the steady growth
of our cities, modular-supportive designs offer an affordable and efficient housing solution. FAAS’ proposed modular-ready design aims to not only provide a scalable solution, but also create a space that promotes placemaking and strengthens community interaction.