Plan Abu Dhabi, Port of Vancouver, Pyrmont, Quay Park, Rapid Transit Project 2000, Roma Street Parklands, Royal Oak Estates, "S"-Curve, Sea to Sky University, Splendid Garden, South East False Creek, UBC Landscape Plan, University Boulevard Urban Design Study, Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre, Vancouver General Hospital, Wu Hu City Centre Plaza, Zhejiang University City Back to previous Urban Design page.
Plan Abu Dhabi - Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
CIVITAS was app
Port of Vancouver Downtown Waterfront Lands Study -Vancouver, British Columbia
CIVITAS was appointed in 1990 to prepare a conceptual master plan for the Vancouver Port Corporation’s downtown waterfront lands. This study was intended to identify a range of possibilities within the constraints of the City’s Official Plan Policies.
The site is some 45 acres potential for a mix of urban uses compatible with the sites’ strategic location at a transit interchange point between ALRT, SeaBus and commuter rail services. In addition, a further expansion of cruise ship and conference facilities was contemplated.CLIENT: Vancouver Port Corporation SITE AREA: 18 Hectares
SPECIAL FEATURES: Transit Interchange, Cruise Ship Facilities, Conference Facilities
Pyrmont - Sydney, Australia
In early 1996, CIVITAS was invited to participate in a design and planning study as a specialist urban design consultant for a major CBD brownfield waterfront site. The purpose of the study was to evaluate past planning work and produce an updated master plan. The target was for major construction to commence prior to the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.
A significant departure from plans prepared in the 1980s, the new CIVITAS Master Plan saw the retention and integration of a number of heritage buildings and features, including the former Sugar Refinery, as integral components of the plan.
Construction commenced in 1999 and is anticipated that build-out will be over a 10 year period.CLIENT: Lend Lease Development Corp.
SITE AREA: 11.9 Hectares
RESIDENTIAL UNITS: 1,400
PLOT RATIO (NET): 2.0
Quay Park - Aukland, New Zealand
CIVITAS was commissioned early in 1989 as planning and urban design consultants for the redevelopment of this highly strategic downtown Auckland railyards site.
The site is 32 hectares and includes a business zone, a technology park zone, an entertainment zone with several hotels, and a residential area for an anticipated 750,000 m2 of development potential.
Situated in a pivotal location as the eastern gateway to downtown, this site has major importance for the urban design of the future core area. The site was rezoned in 1990 to accommodate the proposed development.CLIENT: New Zealand Rail Corporation
SITE AREA: 32 Hectares
RESIDENTIAL
DEVELOPMENT: 750,000 m2
Rapid Transit Project 2000 - Vancouver Region
CIVITAS was awarded the contract for the planning and urban design of the first two of seven segments of the SkyTrain extension currently underway. This work included the development of alignment design and station location options which CIVITAS has prepared and presented throughout an extensive public process. The project demanded extensive multi-disciplinary team work within a fast track timeframe.
The segment through New Westminster generally parallels the Fraser River edge and possesses complex challenges in balancing the interests of community, environmental, planning, engineering and other groups.
For the neighbouring segment through southwest Coquitlam, a preferred alignment was achieved that represents the result of similar interests brought together by this public process to shape a win/win solution.
Also as part of this work, CIVITAS undertook preliminary station area planning studies exploring the potential for generating or providing catalysts for redevelopment around stations in what is a continuation in the process of constructing the SkyTrain extension.
As part of the alignment design contract, an exhaustive computer generated visual analysis was prepared to illustrate impacts of alignment options.CLIENT: Rapid Transit Project 2000 Ltd.
SITE AREA: Alignment design and Station Location planning for 7 km of the current extension
Roma Street Parklands - Brisbane, Australia
Roma Street Parkland has a significant and positive role in the CBD and the city as a whole. The project was conceived as Queensland’s Millennium Project.
The vision is based in the need to reconnect and integrate the site into the city network. In reclaiming a brownfield railway site, and linking with existing park space, it has become the prominent city gathering place and is a catalyst to development.
The park and open space surround a lake and waterfall centrepiece, and provide the framework for new mixed use developments including, hotels, offices, retail and market, residential, and inter-city railway station, which are integral to the parkland setting.
In five distinct precincts, the park celebrates and reflects the ecology, culture and heritage of Brisbane and Queensland.CLIENT: Coordinator Generals Office, State of Queensland, Australia
SITE AREA: 32 Hectares
PARK AREA: 16 Hectares
DEVELOPMENT AREA: 325,000 sqm
BUDGET: AUS$53M
Royal Oak Estates - Burnaby, British Columbia
CIVITAS was engaged by Toho Kanko Co. Ltd. to reviewed the community's existing plan and suggested improvements to the development. The proposed plan has provided an additional 100,000 square feet of development and recommended a change in the form of development.
While the existing plan provided for a maximum of 12–storey towers of development in five locations, the CIVITAS plan provides towers up to 22–storeys in three locations in a central location with lower density forms around the perimeter of the site. This was done in response to a Hydro Substation which is located to one side of the site and the industrial uses to the south of the site. Other benefits included an improvement in the marketability and economics of the development. Another component which was added was a cultural facility – the National Nikkei Heritage Centre for the Japanese community in Vancouver.
The proposed plan includes an internal crescent– shaped road which is seen as a strong integrating image element for the development. The plan received approval from Council at a public hearing in June of 1993.CLIENT: Toho Kanko Co. Ltd.
SITE AREA: 13 Hectares
RESIDENTIAL UNITS: 850
PLOT RATIO (NET): 1.60
"S"-Curve - Vancouver, British Columbia
As part of the current upgrades to the Lions Gate Bridge and Stanley Park Causeway, the City is upgrading the approach and entrance to the park. CIVITAS is the Urban Design consultant on a team developing options for the transition between forest and city and establishing a gateway statement.
Central to the project is a desire to greatly improve the pedestrian environment and to lessen the impact of the roadway while respecting environmental, heritage landscape and functional traffic aspects. Also part of this project are improvements to transit and public access into the center of Stanley Park with the introduction of a bus loop and associated facilities. The project has included a significant urban design study that explored numerous concepts for establishing a gateway image and in turn for improving landscapes and public areas. The project outcomes will necessarily need to respond to the interests of a diverse group of stakeholders within a financial budget and schedule.CLIENT: City of Vancouver
Sea to Sky University - Squamish, British Columbia
Sea to Sky University is to be the first private university in Canada and
includes a complementary residential component that together will form a
true University Village. The site is located in Squamish - where outdoor
recreation and spectacular scenery are internationally regarded, and indeed
are central to the plan.
CIVITAS' role, as master plan consultant, has been to realize the community
plan and campus concept. The 1200 student campus is situated as a landmark
within a compact community including 1,000 homes, all situated on a
greenfield site of 100 hectares with significant topography and ecological
values. Much of the site is to be retained as environmental preserve.
The plan is premised on ESD principles, which will be a focus for the
academic and community lifestyle. This lifestyle also includes an integral
relationship between university and residents, where the life and activity
of the university is enjoyed and valued by the residents and greater
community.
The master plan is currently in process to obtain entitlements with
construction set to begin in 2004 and opening of Phase 1 in September 2005.CLIENT: Sea to Sky University
SITE AREA: 100 hectares
RESIDENTIAL UNITS: 960 plus 900 student beds
Splendid Garden - Beijing, China
Vancouver Design Collaborative, with CIVITAS being the lead urban design consultant, won the first prize in an international design competition in 2001 to transform this existing industrial warehouse district into a comprehensive and vibrant residential neighbourhood.
This winning proposal is organized around an eight-hectare central garden with the community club house being the focus and a crescent shaped pedestrian retail canal promenade. Both the central garden and the canal promenade provide pedestrian crossing of the central road with grade separation, integrating the two divided city blocks into one.
Diverse neighbourhoods and housing choices are provided in a garden setting: crescent shaped high rise towers along the central park and the canal, luxurious low rise terraced garden housing in the west neighbourhood and mid-rise courtyard housing in the east neighbourhood.
Other important urban design principles incorporated include: provide diverse open space as central focus, emphasize pedestrian convenience and promote green building initiatives.CLIENT: Gashing Real Estate Development Co. Ltd.
SITE AREA: 31Hectares
RESIDENTIAL UNITS: 4,006
PLOT RATIO (NET): 2.0
South East False Creek - Vancouver, British Columbia
CIVITAS has been commissioned to develop land use and open space patterns for a significant water edge site on False Creek in Vancouver. As the final False Creek precinct to have a redevelopment plan, the community to emerge is to demonstrate innovation and sustainability in land use, development form and open space. Central to the area is a significant and memorable waterfront park along with a mixed-use central gathering place that will be framed by community, retail, work and living spaces. The site, and in particular the open spaces, are patterned to achieve ecological benefits and to stabilize site contamination issues.
Two projects completed to date relate to the public lands on the waterfront and the privately owned lands behind.
CLIENT: City of Vancouver
SITE AREA: 50 Hectares
Date Complete: on-going
UBC Landscape Plan - Vancouver, British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is currently preparing a new Landscape Plan for the campus and has engaged CIVITAS to prepare the Plan Report and tools for communicating the Plan to the community and to those that will administer the development of the University campus. The focus of the work is to provide structure and understanding to the nature and spirit of the university environment and to foster an awareness of the natural environment and its importance in the daily lives of those who experience the place. The plan provides background to the natural and human experiences, objectives and principles for the campus landscape, establishes a stewardship framework and includes a number of example demonstration projects.
CLIENT: Campus Development & Planning, UBC
University Boulevard Urban Design Study at University of British Columbia - Vancouver, British Columbia
CIVITAS was engaged to prepare urban design options, and develop a preferred plan for this important new mixed-use University Gateway to the University of British Columbia. Central to the plan is an underground transit centre and at-grade plaza, serving the heart of the university, and a retail shopping street with residential above.
This gateway project is central to the university1s plan to develop a 'University Town' that begins to integrate non-academic activities and uses into the campus in an effort to move towards a complete community. A key factor of the plan is accommodating phased implementation for the development, particularly with respect to the transit centre. The plan is currently in a public review process.
CLIENT: UBC Properties Trust
Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre - Vancouver, British Columbia
CIVITAS was commissioned by the City of Vancouver in July of 2001 as urban design consultants for the proposed convention and exhibition centre on Coal Harbour’s downtown waterfront. The site is a prominent component of the downtown waterfront immediately adjacent to the commercial business core and world renowned Canada Place convention facility. The project included generating several site plan options, addressing issues of waterfront configuration, edge animation, visual quality and waterfront connections from a street level plaza to waterfront walkway system in conjunction with the proposed Arts Centre and Convention Centre at Burrard Landing.
CLIENT: City of Vancouver
Vancouver General Hospital - Vancouver, British Columbia
This major city centre hospital campus currently has no appreciable open space for public use and is in the initial stages of redevelopment including the introduction of a significant biotech component. The project challenge centered around developing options that achieve significant open space while providing desirable conditions for the biotech development.
A series of workshops with the client, hospital administration and other stakeholders resulted in six separate options that were evaluated against sets of criteria that were developed in consultation with stakeholders.
The outcomes of this study have established directions and principles for development to be respected by both the City and the Hospital. This project was a collaborative effort with EDAW.
The first rezoning applications are currently in the approvals process with construction anticipated to start in 2001.CLIENT: City of Vancouver
SITE AREA: 15 Hectares
Wu Hu City Centre Plaza - Wu Hu, China
The City of Wu Hu is a historical city in the temperate Jiang Nan region in south east China. Its picturesque lakes and sceneries has inspired many well known Chinese poets and scholars, and it has been described by many as “a bright peal” along the Yang Zi River.
The 7 hectare City Centre Plaza site is located by the historical Mirror Lake - its calm and silvery water surface and beautiful reflection of the surrounding scenery have become a symbol of the city. The City Planning Department has decided to clear away the existing cluster of neglected commercial buildings and create a City Centre Plaza which functions both as a major civic gathering space and an open space amenity for the adjacent neighbourhood.
Our proposal for this lakefront City Centre Plaza includes a 15-storey hotel with commercial and public uses, a paved plaza and performance stage, various water features, public sculptures and park spaces.
Three axis are created based upon visual axis and focal points (fundamental spatial organizing principles in classic Chinese landscape design) : City Axis, Water Axis and Mountain Axis. These axis aim to integrate the plaza and the water view, provide pedestrian access to varies part of the site, and to divide the site into areas with distinctive characters and functions.
Four distinctive spaces of the site are created: Spring Garden, Summer Garden, Fall Garden and Winter Garden. The circular pedestrian pathway engraved with poetry joins the Gardens of four seasons together.
CIVITAS was invited to prepare this plan in 2000 as part of an international competition, as a joint venture project with Beijing Institute of Architectural Design and Research.CLIENT: City of Wu Hu
SITE AREA: 7 Hectares
Zhejiang University City College Phase 3 - Hangzhou, China
CIVITAS was commissioned to develop a landscape concept for the public realm of the campus. The design emphasizes on developing a continuous pedestrian system associated with open space that varies in form, function and scale. Key elements of the design include: a festival plaza and amphitheater associated with the library building, riverfront promenade and seating nodes, science lawn and arts lawn, an entry feature with fountains and colourful planting and library gardens.
CLIENT: Zhejiang University
SITE AREA: 30 Hectares
