Dynamic Landscapes

Kait McGeary and Brittany Shalagan

The Waterfront Park and Community Development Site (multi-family housing complex) consist of two city blocks in the City of North Vancouver within walking distance of Lonsdale Quay and the Sea Bus. This concept emphasizes water as a catalyst for dynamic landscapes. Following the journey of water from the top of Third Avenue to the shores of the Burrard inlet at Waterfront Park, Dynamic Landscapes provides variety in experiences for the user depending on the seasonality, containment, and time of the day for which water is present and flowing. Users can interact with water through design features such as ephemeral waterfalls, a gravity-fed water fountain, terraced rain gardens, and a salt water marsh boardwalk

As part of the City of North Vancouver’s sustainable legacy goals, Dynamic Landscapes focuses on the integration of green infrastructure into the site. Features include a series of connected bioswales and terraced raingardens, providing a means to manage stormwater runoff on-site. The site also includes a rainwater collection and storage facility for irrigation, pedestrian friendly green streetscapes, greenroof vegetation, and an emphasis on habitat diversity. Waterfront Park’s adaptive shoreline acts as a storm surge remediation buffer with a cut back shoreline and tidal gate connection to a saltwater marsh. The tidal gate provides a dynamic rising and falling shoreline with the tides; the water levels in the marsh will drastically change with the seasons and variability in sea-level rise with the ability to trap low tides in the summer and accommodate high king tides during winter storms.