St. Patrick’s Island

Calgary, AB | 2015 | 30 acres

St. Patrick’s Island on the Bow River near Downtown Calgary had been in decline for many years. Working with extensive community input, a master plan was created to restore the island as a premier example of biophilic design. The design team was challenged to consider not just human users, but bats, owls, and mosquitoes—any living thing that might call the island home. The result is a park that uses darkness as a shield, a protective charm against human intrusion. There are a higher than usual number of fixtures within the park, but the fixtures are a lower wattage so that light levels are lower and more even. In addition, fixtures were carefully shielded and sited to blend in with the forest. The design balanced the needs of park users by creating enjoyable nighttime destinations and evenly lit paths, which can be turned off when not in use to protect habitat.

 

CLIENT
Calgary Municipal Land Corporation

TEAM
Civitas, landscape architects
W Architecture and Landscape
IBI Group
Matrix Solutions

RECOGNITION
2018 The European Centre for Architecture, International Architecture Award
2017 Merit Award: American Society of Landscape Architects, NY Chapter
2017 Chicago Athenaeum American Architecture Award
2016 Honorable Mention, Innovation by Design Award: Spaces, Places, Cities
2016 Excellence on the Waterfront Award, The Waterfront Center
2016 Greatest Public Space in Canada, Canadian Institute of Urban Planners
2016 Royal Architecture Institute of Canada - National Urban Design Award for Sustainable Development
2015 Mayor of Calgary - Award for Urban Design
2015 American Society of Landscape Architects, Colorado Chapter - President’s Award for Design Excellence
2015 Canadian Society of Landscape Architects - Merit Award
2014 Urban Design Merit Award: American Institute of Architects, NY Chapter

 

Photography: Courtesy of Colin Way