Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/607779
DECEMBER 2015 | 53 TheRiver PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY THERIVER TheRiver by NATALIE BRUCKNER-MENCHELLI T heRiver condo development in Calgary is the kind of project that stops you dead in your tracks. There's just something so striking about its design; a meshing of a historic esthetic with a contemporary arrange- ment that is reminiscent of the energy of modernity currently being seen in world class cities such as New York. It's a complement to its location on the north bank of the Elbow River in the Mission District – an upscale neighbourhood that boasts some of the most luxurious condo developments. This boutique waterfront project is located on 26th Avenue and features eight riverhomes in a low-rise building, four townhomes and a 15-storey tower that offers, in total, 38 units ranging in size up to a whopping 5,148 square feet. The project is being developed by 26th Ave River Investments, an affiliate of Ledcor Properties (Ledcor). To ensure the design complemented its surroundings Ledcor, architects Dialog and a consul- tant team worked closely with the local community. The site where TheRiver is located offered a great number of oppor- tunities. On lower floors, homes benefit from views to the west along the Elbow River. On higher floors, the homes have city views as well as unobstructed views to the mountains in the west. With these benefits came challenges as well. Firstly, the site has a unique con- figuration, so the building was laid out to make the most of the site and its prom- inent riverfront location. Also being so close to the river meant the team had to design the project to manage the below- grade water conditions. And then there was the 2013 Calgary flood that heav- ily impacted many neighbourhoods in Calgary, including Mission. However, no matter who you speak to about this proj- ect, the floods didn't dampen their spir- its and instead it ended up with the team upping the ante. "When the flood occurred we were down three storeys at the time and the site flooded completely," explains Brady Dunlop at Dialog. "Fortunately the timing of the flood allowed us time to further improve our design, and we were able to incorporate a number of new f lood design enhancements into the project. The most significant design change was to raise the ground floor to an elevation above the water lev- els experienced at the site during the 2013 flood," adds Paul Woodward from Ledcor Properties Inc. Structurally, the challenge was mak- ing those changes in a short period of time to stay on schedule. "The floods hap- pened early enough that a lot of the struc- ture hadn't been built yet, but what it did change was conceptual; the elevations of the main floor on the level one plaza slab were revised to update what would be the expected high level," adds Kevin Riederer at Read Jones Christoffersen. From a mechanical and electrical standpoint it was a case of ensuring small tweaks were made to the original design, and as Eric Oshiro from Smith + Andersen says, "It ended up being a blessing in disguise, although obviously no one thought that at the time." In fact the f looding made TheRiver's design even more progressive. To look at from the outside, TheRiver is just stunning. Clad in imported lime- stone panels and copper and with an abundance of glazing the building has been designed to stand the test of time. "It's a building that in 20 years will look like it has been there a long time. It will age well, especially once the cop- per starts to patina, which will give it a classic yet contemporary esthetic," enthuses Dunlop. On the south of the building, toward the river and the west, the building has been fully glazed, which gives it a more contemporary element to the top and invites in maximum daylight. "Part of the big design strategy was to create these great indoor/outdoor spaces with big balconies; to create a sense of health and wellness," says Dunlop. Start to head inside via the internal courtyard and you get the sense of the pride involved in the project. "We wanted to create a certain flow to the property," says Alison Legault at Carson McCulloch, "so we created a transition starting from the street that was very formalized with large can- opy trees that complement the exist- ing streetscape. Moving into the central circular courtyard owners will find a number of raised planters consisting of ornamental flowering trees, shrubs and perennials. As we move towards the south of the site this is where we start to play on those connections with the river." In the circular forecourt, along the side of the tower and travelling toward the riverbank, is a tiered waterfeature that will be home to annual plantings. Moving to the southern side of the site, Legault broke up the formality by cre- ating a serpentine shaped planting bed. Down by the river Ledcor provided a public access pathway easement which runs along the southern portion of the property. In the future, should the City decide to continue its pathways and bikeways strategy, it will provide a greater connection with the community. Bringing the outside in is a key fea- ture of TheRiver. The podium building on the west side has a green roof with sedum mixes and the patios feature per- manent planters of mountain pine and