Articles + Awards ─── August 24, 2023
Three Times Berry’s Architectural Firm Tapped Into Innovation
Berry is always proud of our ability to adapt, innovate, and respond to new challenges. Just like a building, innovation can come in all shapes and sizes.
To create the senior living design for the Wheatland Lodge in Strathmore, AB, Berry Architecture undertook several weeks of sessions with the community to have a greater understanding of its needs.
Here are three unexpected ways our full-service architectural firm used innovative techniques to help achieve our clients’ dreams.
1. Listening to the community
When Strathmore and Wheatland County needed a new seniors’ lodge and hospice, Berry didn’t just walk in and design what we thought was best. While senior living design is one of our specialties, so is listening to the communities we serve. That’s where our unique community engagement process steps in. Over five sessions, our team sought to understand the social and cultural context of Strathmore and Wheatland County while empowering the community to help shape the project vision. We are now using this feedback to take the project to the next stages of design. Once completed, the Wheatland Lodge and Hospice will be a true gem of the community.
2. LEED Gold-Certified
Claystone Waste in Beaver County, AB, was looking for a new administrative building and aiming for a LEED Silver rating. Using both project management and sustainable design services for the new construction, Berry Architecture was able to exceed sustainability objectives for the building, which was awarded LEED Gold in August last year!
The 6,300-square-foot building is adjacent to the regional landfill and includes a meeting and training room space, secured physical filing space, a common kitchen, and a large boardroom. Furnishing included a mix of new and re-used pieces, lowering the impact of the interior design, as well.
3. Learning in the mountains
Nestled in picturesque Kimberley, B.C., Purcell Collegiate School will be an international boarding school that focuses on sustainability and the First People’s Principles of Learning. Targeting a LEED Gold designation, barrier-free accessibility with the Rick Hansen Foundation Gold certification, and BC Energy Step Code Level 4, the building is a reflection of the school’s admirable principles.
Working carefully with the landscape, Berry was able to design the building to accommodate significant elevation changes, incorporating the gradations into the design. The colours of the natural setting and materials that reference the stunning Purcell mountains come together to create an aesthetic that emphasizes the area’s natural beauty.
Don’t just work together—build a relationship. Berry Architecture is a full-service architectural firm backed by 25 years of experience to bring your vision to life. Contact us today to get started.