YourBackyardAwaits

NEW HOMES
S A T U R D A Y, J U LY 4 , 2 0 1 5
CA LG A RY H E R A L D
F3
Getting decked out will
maximize livable space
J O A N N E PE N H A L E
MONTREAL GAZETTE
The fourth phase of Rock Lake Estates by Decker Management adds 103 lots to an estate community in the city’s
northwest end. The community features five wetlands and offers scenic vistas. D E CKE R M ANAG E M E N T
Enjoy pastoral living
in Rock Lake Estates
J O S H S K A PI N
C A LG A RY H E R A L D
Five lakes and sweeping views are
part of the magic of a new release
from a scenic estate community in
the city’s northwest end.
Rock Lake Estates by Decker
Management pulls into its fourth
phase with returning builders Lupi
Luxury Homes and Crystal Creek
Homes, along with newcomer
Jager Homes. Prices start in the
$850,000s.
This latest release adds 103 lots
to the landscape in a phase aptly
called Five Lakes at Rock Lake Estates in Rocky Ridge, which is a tip
of the hat to the five wetlands on
site, which total 7.6 hectares. All
five bodies of water are classified
as environmental reserve and will
be owned by (and be protected and
maintained by) the city.
A benefit to buying a new home
in the community is that the owner will feel tucked away in natural
surroundings, but with shops and
services just around the corner,
says Catherine Beaudin, Decker’s
director of operations for Alberta.
“I call it pastoral living inside city
limits with all the amenities,” says
Beaudin.
She says lots within this phase
will boast sight lines of the Rocky
Mountains and many on the south
east end of the development, views
of Canada Olympic Park and a slice
of west downtown.
At the same time, it’s a short drive
to a wide range of shops, services
and restaurants in Royal Oak.
Most of the lots back on to green
space, with predominantly 40-, 42and 44-foot frontages.
There are also 14 lots with a paved
lane and a rear detached garage.
These lots are zoned R2, which
means they allow for a suite above
the garage. While the detached garage is mandated, the suite aspect
is not. However, the developer is
encouraging the feature, “even (if
it’s just) roughed in,” says Beaudin,
adding “it’s good for resale.”
Lupi and Crystal Creek are part
of the community’s earlier phases
but Jager is a new addition. The
company is no stranger to the area,
now sold out in the nearby neighbourhood of Trail’s End.
“So they were a natural fit,” says
Beaudin.
All three builders will open show
homes in mid-March of 2016. In
the meantime, Crystal Creek and
Lupi have existing show homes on
Rockcliff Grove N.W.
For more information on Jager
Homes’ offering in the community,
visit jagerhomes.com.
Decking out a home maximizes its
livable space in the summertime
— but there are a number of important considerations before installing a deck. Circulation, materials,
maintenance, stability, comfort,
and esthetics all impact design, as
well costs, of course.
Universite de Montreal landscape architecture professor
Nicole Valois traces the development of modern residential decks
to the period before the Second
World War, when suburbs began
sprawling away from city centres,
and there was a movement to build
functional outdoor spaces.
Valois credits Californian landscape architect Thomas Church for
influencing how we spend our time
beyond the threshold of our home.
“His view was that the outdoor
space was the extension of the
house, and very functional. And
decks are becoming more and more
multi-functional,” Valois said.
They now include outdoor kitchens, living areas with outdoor furniture, like sofas and hammocks,
space for parents to sit and watch
children play. And with this trend,
Valois said, “Decks are getting bigger and bigger.”
Montreal landscape architect
Stuart Webster agrees. “More and
more, people want to take their
whole living environment and
lifestyle outside,” he said.
His clients are also looking for
decks that are low maintenance.
Residential backyard decks are
often desirable when the main
floor of a home is well above ground
level and people want easy access
from their kitchens to a comfortable outdoor space.
But raised decks with tall staircases can be uncomfortable;
Webster said he prefers to design
decks that get his clients closer into
their gardens, as he did with a recent deck on Nuns’ Island, part of
Montreal. By dropping the deck a
few steps down from the kitchen,
the height of the deck was less 60
cm from the ground, which means
railings are not required.
“Railings are costly, and break the
visual flow between the deck and
garden,” Webster said, adding his
clients can now sit on the deck and
still feel like they are in their garden,
which also includes a small pool.
Circulation is an important consideration in deck design, Webster
said. People need room to walk
without moving through tables and
chairs, and need to safely push back
from a table when seated. Three
metres is a minimum surface dimension for a comfortable deck.
By dropping the deck to less than 60 centimetres from the ground, railings
are not required. ANGUSMCR IT CHIE.COM
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