The Silverhorn site will preserve open spaces and the area’s natural drainage. These reasonably sized homes are similar to those planned for the area.
A country-residential enclave is being created in the rolling countryside north of Calgary not at the expense of Mother Nature, but in full partnership with her.
Silverhorn, by Silverhorn Inc., a division of McKinley Masters Custom Homes, will be an 87-home conservation development that will pay as much attention to preserving the natural surroundings as it will to the design and construction of the residences, says company president Mark Kwasnicki.
To assist in this endeavour, Mr. Kwasnicki recruited the services of the Calgary office of IBI Group, a globally integrated architecture, planning, engineering and technology firm.
"The conservation planning considerations we took into account were how can we create value with natural open space," says IBI director Elvin Karpovich. "We wanted to preserve the largest amount of open space possible in its natural setting and ensure there was an appropriate amount of space to construct the houses, the roads and the utilities required."
In the end, as much as 50 per cent of the 240-acre exclusive community near Bearspaw will be left in its natural state.
"A lot of time and effort has gone into preserving and enhancing the natural beauty of the land – and into reducing the footprint of the homes," says Mr. Kwasnicki.
Minimum square footage for bungalows will be 1,600 square feet while two-storey homes will have a minimum of 1,800 square feet on the main level. "We're not talking about monstrous homes here," he adds.
Lots will range in size from 1.3 acres to two acres – much smaller than typical lots in country-residential developments – with building envelopes that will limit the amount of site disturbance, including construction activity. Land beyond the set distance is considered a "no-touch zone" to be left in its natural state. In addition, homes are being built in a series of cul-de-sacs to reduce potential damage to surrounding green space.
And preservation aspects don't end there.
After walking the land, officials with Silverhorn and IBI determined the best locations possible for roadways to reduce impact on tree cover and wetlands. Where crossing low-lying areas was the only option, an appropriate method of maintaining overland drainage was used.
Unlike most other developments, Silverhorn does not provide storm-water facilities that can cause a major disturbance to the land, says Mr. Karpovich.
About 80 per cent of the wetland areas were preserved, with some enhanced through the use of amended soils that act as a natural filter; the developer also constructed a small storm-water wetland to supplement existing wetlands, particularly in low-lying areas.
"We also protected the existing wetlands on lots on which they occur with a restrictive covenant, which does not permit any alterations to the wetland or surrounding terrain, thereby maintaining the natural flow of the overland drainage system," Mr. Karpovich adds.
Driveway locations were also predetermined, again based on tree cover and terrain. Within each homesite the disturbed areas will be relandscaped, with plants native to the Silverhorn property recommended. Going further, there will be no large tracts of manicured lawn – they are limited to 30 per cent of the homesite – thereby reducing the amount of water required for maintenance.
"Areas where trees had to be removed for roads and utilities, for instance, will be harvested and [the trees] replanted elsewhere on the property," says Mr. Karpovich.
The development is connected to the Rocky View County's water co-operative – the cost of which is included in the house-and-lot price that starts at approximately $1.5-million – and has its own waste-water treatment facility.
Mr. Kwasnicki says public response to Silverhorn has been strong, with one-third of the first phase sold.
"I created this because no other developer will take the time and energy to create something this unique, with the commitment to the environment and to preserving the land the way we have," says Mr. Kwasnicki.