cSPACE King Edward

Client cSPACE
Location Calgary | Alberta | Canada

O2 Planning + Design was retained in 2012 by cSPACE Projects to support the design and development of the King Edward Arts Hub + Incubator, providing landscape architectural, stormwater management and development permit approval services for the project. O2 also prepared a successful application for land use re-designation and an Area Redevelopment Plan amendment through The City of Calgary’s approvals processes.

The client’s concept for the site redevelopment was both highly unique—the first art incubator of its kind in Calgary—and highly complex. Centered on the adaptive reuse of the King Edward School heritage building, the site concept entailed a mix of residential, live/work, and gallery spaces. O2 worked with stakeholders and city planners to draft several specialized land use bylaw districts capable of accommodating the desired programming in a form consistent with the concept, while ensuring that access and servicing for any new construction would be feasible. 

O2 also contributed innovative landscape architectural designs for the King Edward site to expand on the concept of community space. Shared spheres are extended into the streetscape with the integration of a woonerf, where vehicular traffic becomes secondary to pedestrian movement through inclusive design. Exploring the cultural and natural overlays that exist on the site, the history of the school provided inspiration for flexible exterior spaces and informed the material treatment for the municipal reserve and woonerf laneway. Sustainable design also features prominently in the project, from the capture and reuse of roof water for irrigation to vehicle charging stations and native plant material.

As part of the development of the Municipal Reserve space at the King Edward site, O2 also worked with City of Calgary Parks on enhancements to the adjacent South Calgary Park. O2 led the design process, engaging with community stakeholders, to understand local needs and desires for both open spaces. Upgrades for the heavily used park included new tree plantings, site elements, pathways, and parking lot upgrades.