City Government

Three Teams Shortlisted in Design Competition to Redevelop Airport Lands

May 19, 2011

Decision day on master plan design competition winner: June 22

The competition to lead one of Edmonton’s largest land transformations in decades is down to three teams.

Perkins + Will, from Vancouver, B.C; Foster and Partners, from London, U.K.; and KCAP Architects and Planners, from Rotterdam, the Netherlands, were shortlisted yesterday by City Council.

The three firms were chosen from five international finalists to develop a master plan to redevelop the City Centre Airport lands into a sustainable, transit-oriented, family friendly community. Council will meet to make a final decision on June 22.

“This is an important decision that will have an impact our city for decades to come, so it’s important to take the time necessary to get it right,” says City Manager Simon Farbrother. “As the developer for the site, the City will ensure Council’s vision is met to make this development world-leading ecologically, economically and socially.”

The selection committee of local, national and international business, sustainability, urban planning and policy experts will reconvene and bring a recommendation on a winning team to Council.

Shortlist candidates overview

The Perkins + Will proposal focussed on making sure the new community had a strong connectivity to nature, history, economic opportunity and adjacent communities. Perkins + Will has extensive experience in urban planning and design, architecture, sustainable development, engineering, and building form and landscape architecture and employ 1,500 people worldwide.

They have more LEED® Accredited Professionals than any design firm as ranked by Building Design+Construction Magazine. They also pride themselves on being the premiere Green Design leaders in Canada with one of the largest portfolio of completed green buildings in North America and the highest percentage of LEED® Accredited Professionals in the industry.

Foster and Partners is an international studio for architecture, planning and design. The company’s work ranges in scale from the largest single building on the planet - Beijing International Airport - to its smallest commission, a range of door furniture. The scope of its work includes master plans for cities, the design of buildings, interior and product design, graphics and exhibitions. They also worked on the redevelopment of Denver’s Stapleton Airport.

Highlights of the Foster and Partners concept included a 150-acre contoured river valley park that runs from northwest to southeast, smaller connecting parks, five distinct districts developed in phases and combining outdoor living year round with urban life.

KCAP is an internationally operating Dutch design firm specializing in architecture and urbanism. Their work is wide in scope and ranges from complex urban transformations and landscape design to architecture and interiors.

KCAP’s concept focused on using parkland to attract residents and visitors to the community highlighted by a parkland in the northwest and a canal in the southeast portion of the site with bridges over the canal to connect people to other portions of the community.

KCAP’s proposal also highlighted five magnets or regions within the new community: food and agriculture, health and wellness, community sports, education and aeronautics.

Winning team

The City will select the best team, which will incorporate the best elements from all these designs into the final master plan. The winning team will be engaged in a 15-month planning and consultation process to further define roads, subdivisions, land uses, green amenities, and other features. All teams include representation from Edmonton firms.

View the final three concepts and videos online at: www.edmonton.ca/ccr.

For more information:

Bernie Poitras

City of Edmonton
Communications

Telephone	780-442-5423