After identifying a need for a transit-oriented commercial hub, Brookfield Residential envisioned a nine-building hub featuring accessible commercial, retail, and restaurant units to bring immediate and convenient shopping to residential neighborhoods in Auburn Bay, AB.
Challenge
The challenge was to create a pedestrian-scaled commercial hub that would serve a rapidly growing residential community while supporting retail, restaurant, and commercial uses. The design also needed to prioritize connectivity for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers, accommodate a future LRT station, and respond to the site’s steep topography.
Solution
We designed a pedestrian-scaled streetscape through connectivity and commercial frontages, incorporating interconnected pedestrian and cyclist linkages, wide pathways, street furniture, custom lighting, and clear wayfinding. Buildings arranged in purposeful clusters create an engaging experience, with overhangs, window displays, and high-quality materials helping tenants establish brand identity. The design accommodates future LRT access and addresses the steep gradient through accessible ramps and stairs.
Outcome
The result is a carefully designed pedestrian and cycling hub that supports a rapidly growing community. Thoughtful linkages, detailed architecture, and a human-scaled streetscape create a distinct sense of place for residents while providing valuable opportunities for commercial tenants.
A double row of street trees, custom lighting, street furniture, and wide pedestrian pathways create a walkable main street experience
Anchored by a Calgary Co-op grocery store, the 84,000-square-foot commercial hub brings retail, restaurant, and everyday services within walking distance of Auburn Bay residents.
Brookfield Residential identified the need for a transit-oriented commercial hub in Auburn Bay, AB to offer residents of the lake community more retail opportunities. NORR was enlisted to design the 84,000 square-foot center, anchored by a Calgary Co-Op Grocery store. The nine-building hub features commercial, retail and restaurant units easily accessible via walking, driving or biking and helps bring immediate and convenient shopping to the multifamily residential neighborhoods in the surrounding area.
The design vision was to create a pedestrian scaled streetscape through connectivity and design of the commercial frontages. The landscaped site has an abundance of interconnected pedestrian and cyclist linkages with wide pathways featuring street furniture, custom lighting, clear wayfinding and a double row of street trees. Each building was designed to human scale with highly textured detail to integrate with the neighborhood. The placement of the buildings in purposeful clusters provides an interesting and engaging experience. The use of covered overhangs for weather protection and an intimate scale to window display, in combination with high-quality materials including hardie board, batten and siding and stone accents gave each building a unique feel.
NORR provided architecture and landscape architecture services to deliver a carefully designed pedestrian and cycling hub to a rapidly growing community. The site was designed to allow easy access to a future LRT station and solve the challenge of a steep gradient throughout the site with accessible ramps and stairs. The thoughtful linkages and detailed architecture create a distinct sense of place for nearby residents and offer valuable opportunities for commercial tenants.
