Browsing “Design”

We’ve partnered with the folks behind the new development at Bridgeland Crossings to take an intimate look at this awesome Calgary neighbourhood, the people, and the homes themselves.

People are discovering Bridgeland again. With the closure of the General Hospital back in the mid-1990s, vacant lots became the norm in the area. Slowly, but surely this older neighbourhood is finally getting back on its feet. As part of The Bridges development, many more people will be calling Bridgeland home as buildings such as Bridgeland Crossings come to life over the next couple of years.  With great businesses in the area and awesome transportation options, it’s easy to see why this community will become a well sought-after address. Bridgeland Crossings will welcome 151 spacious homes in an 11 storey tower.

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We’ve partnered with the folks behind the new development at Bridgeland Crossings to take an intimate look at this awesome Calgary neighbourhood, the people, and the homes themselves.

Imagine being able to wake up to a view like this.

At Bridgeland Crossings, that’s exactly what you’ll get to see. Located in the up-and-coming inner-city neighbourhood of the same name, this condo development offers an amazing level of comfort, style, and amenities to fit right into your lifestyle.

Take for instance the larger-than-life decks. Each unit is made to feel more like a house than a suite with extra-spacious bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, baths and most importantly, the decks. This isn’t your average balcony – standard size is approximately 70 square feet – but many homes have even larger ones up to 900+ square feet. There’s nothing more that Calgarians love than sunny patio times and it’s even more enjoyable from the comfort of your own home.

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We’ve partnered with the folks behind the new development at Bridgeland Crossings to take an intimate look at this awesome Calgary neighbourhood, the people, and the homes themselves.

Bridgeland is one of Calgary’s oldest communities and has been on the cusp of breaking through as the “it” neighbourhood for some time now. This may finally happen with the upcoming completion of phase I in Bridgeland Crossings. The new development features 151 homes, beautiful design, and quite possibly, one of the best inner-city locations for the Calgarian that wants to live, work, and play in a great area. It’s so close to downtown, but let’s you come home to a real community.

You may have heard this before: you can’t live in Calgary without a car. But, you know what? It can actually be possible in Bridgeland. If you have been looking to go car-free (or at least car-light), it’s the perfect transportation hub that lets you walk, bike, transit, or drive at your choosing.

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“Art is the only way to run away without leaving home.” –Twyla Tharp
Escape on! It’s time to create. Here’s your Arts Round Up.

A GLOWING ART SURPRISE: One night last week I was rushing to the train with my husband. The night was cool, it was getting late and the atmosphere along the tracks had a buzz about it. It was one of those nights where a fight could breakout on the platform one minute and the next have a group of warbling teenage girls singing at the top of their lungs. We rushed along Centre Street platform with the aim to cross near Art Central until a glow caught my eye.
In the brightly lit window was Linda Carreiro & RICHard SMOLinski’s Summary – a series of textual veils installed at varying depths throughout the space. We both stopped in awe, trying to read the writing. As we stood, we were caught in the mesmerizing minuscule movements of the rice paper text. I took out my camera and snapped a few shots as two drunken men started screaming behind us breaking the trance. Our train passed us and there was no point in running but the magic was broken.
In their artist statement the creators say, “We cannot guarantee that the experience of reading our Summary will impart any wisdom or enable any epiphanies,” but a moment was had. And that’s what good art is all about. Summary is an Open Spaces exhibit and will be on display at the Centre Street Platform until mid-April.
Photos by Amy Jo Espetveidt, Quadrophonic Image

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Owners: Connor Gould (designer) & Leslie McNeilly
Label: Camp Brand Goods
Location: campbrandgoods.com, The Gallery | 1314 1 St SW, The UnCommons | 1325 9 Ave SE

I first fell in love with Camp Brand Goods when I saw their clothing at a local market – the fashion-meets-comfort vibe made me want to pick up every single version of their items and more. In Calgary’s often schizophrenic weather, their vintage-inspired looks are a real treat to stay warm and stylish. But what really struck me was that this great local label was getting it done right here in Calgary with just a team of two (and apparently, I’m not the only surprised one either). Meet the awesome duo behind Camp Brand Goods.

Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself:

Connor: Well, we are both born & raised Calgarians. I spent some time at the University of Calgary and ACAD.  I started a little clothing company with a friend when we were 18.  It was really fun and we had some success but overall it was a bit of a bust.  It lasted for a few years but never got legs.  I now work as a graphic designer at 54blue .  I have always been really passionate about art & design.  Camp started as a creative outlet for myself. Since then Camp has grown into an actual company run by my girlfriend, Leslie McNeilly, and myself.

Leslie: I also attended the University of Calgary, studying Primatology, though I quickly realized you can’t do anything with that degree so I put my love of the sandwich arts to use and am now the owner/operator of the Subway restaurant in Kensington.

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Before YYC was a social media beacon, it was simply our airport code.

Now, thanks to Twitter and the like, it identifies our city. It brands us.

And what’s a brand without a logo? Meet the YYC Design Challenge – a callout for local designers to showcase their creative hutzpah by sharing what they love about Calgary in three little letters.
CALLING ALL CREATIVES: Local designer Jason Dorn has a challenge for you – design and share your take on our city’s beloved hashtag and airport code, YYC. Jason’s design, seen here, pays homage to the Calgary Flames original home jerseys and was the first posted in the I Heart YYC open challenge.
Illustration by Jason Dorn

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The Calgary Home & Garden Show is coming to the BMO Centre this Thursday, February 28 and going on until Sunday, March 3. There are going to be hundreds of exhibitors addressing all your home renovating, decorating and gardening needs! HGTV personalities Bryan Baeumler and Paul LaFrance will be gracing the Main Stage to share their home improvement tips, and Bob the Builder will be entertaining kids on Friday, March 1, the Home & Garden Show “Family Day”.

Of course, being the Food Editor, I’m more excited about Food Truck Alley and the Food Truck throwdown happening on Saturday, March 2 at 10:30 AM, where two food truck chefs go head-to-head with garden party-themed dishes they created just for the show! Local chefs like Geoff Rogers from MARKET and Kyle Groves from Catch and… myself (!!!) on behalf of Passion for Pork will also be on the Main Stage to demo a few yummy dishes.

I managed to score three (3) pairs of tickets to give away to Calgary is Awesome readers. All you need to do is email me with your favourite pork dish at vincci [dot] calgaryisawesome [at] gmail [dot] com for a chance to win! Contest closes on Tuesday, February 26 and I will get the tickets out to you by Wednesday just in time to enjoy the show. Good luck and hope to see you there!

PS: I’m also giving away tickets through my blog, Ceci n’est pas un food blog and the Passion for Pork Facebook page.

After moving from Lebanon with her family at the age of three, 29 year old Sarah Hbeichi has happily made Calgary her home, and wants to lock Calgarians in to how much they love the city.

In November, Sarah applied for a grant by pitching an unorthodox way for Calgarians to show their love for the city – love padlocks. It’s a tradition popular throughout Europe, the Middle East, and Asia – two sweethearts lock a padlock to a public fixture (commonly a bridge or fence) to demonstrate their everlasting love for each other.

Often, one lock spawns a trend – causing the fixture to be completely covered in locks, to the point where the original structure is unrecognizable. It’s happened at Korea’s North Seoul Tower, Serbia’s Most Ljubavi Bridge (named after the phenomenon), and even on the Wild Pacific Trail in Vancouver Island and Toronto’s Humber Bridge. Moscow’s Vodootvodny Canal has sculptural iron trees built for the express purpose of having their branches covered in “lock leaves.”

After seeing a friend’s photo from a vacation in Europe, Hbeichi was taken with the idea.

“I thought it would be something that would fit Calgary well,” she said. She wants to find a place in the city where people can affix locks to symbolize their love.

Hbeichi works for the city in new community planning. While she has no artistic experience herself, she’d love to find someone to partner with on this project, so she can find another way to beautify Calgary’s public spaces.

Unfortunately, Hbeichi did not win the grant, but now she’s looking at next steps – putting out a request for artists that might make the idea a reality with her.

“I want people to bring their own locks. I want it to be something totally welcoming, where people can show a love for Calgary as I do.”

If you’re an artist that  might be interested in collaborating with Sarah on the project, please contact her via email at sarahhbeichi@gmail.com.

The mandatory pic of a new Calgarian / Calgary tourist riding the bronze bull statue. This sculpture is entitled “Outlaw: Bullish on your Future”. Yahoo Calgary public art! (photo credit: Super Mike Vieira)

I’m pretty into art, but I don’t know a lot about it.  I find myself with some strong opinions about what I like and don’t like, but usually can’t explain the basis of those opinions – at least in terms of art history or art theory.

And that’s okay. Professional artists themselves often don’t have an extensive theoretical explanation for what they create – they sometimes invent the deep ‘story’ behind their pieces more for marketing purposes than to explain why they made what they made. (“The rubber chicken taped to the empty Kleenex box represents energy and sacrifice…” etc.). Sometimes (often?) artists make art are just because it looks cool.  And that, in my opinion, is okay too.

With that preamble, we’re going to take a look-see here at what I consider to be some of Calgary’s coolest public outdoor art.  Selected on no other basis than, well, whether I liked it.  So check out my picks below, and let us know what you think.  Twitter us your faves at @ciawesome or @agrantca.

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In case you haven’t heard, Calgary was designated a Cultural Capital for Canada in 2012.

Amidst the various celebrations, this prestigious title put a spotlight on Calgary’s definition of culture and the state of its cultural institutions. On Friday, October 12th, the Faculty of Environmental Design at the University of Calgary and The City of Calgary teamed up to present makeCalgary: Culture Space.

A reoccurring theme in the discussions was the importance of culture at street level. “It’s about what happens on the street,” said Rollin Stanley, Calgary’s new chief planner. As a street festival and open market junkie, this message resonated with me. It’s not just about innovative design or interesting art, but the people that visit.

To position itself as an attractive gathering place, cultural institutions must look beyond its four walls and official operating hours. As stated by John Patkau of Patkau Architects, “cultural institutions can’t be isolated islands”. They need to be accessible, engage the public and provide space for culture makers to hone their craft. He spoke about a recent project, the Grande Bibliothèque in Montreal, Quebec. The library was designed to provide commercial space at street level for cafes and ironically, used book stores. This strategic move created a bustling literary hub. I couldn’t help but think about the new Central Public Library.

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