Large estate homes, graceful architecture, natural settings and room for beautiful vehicles.
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Calgary is a city of iconic neighbourhoods and spectacular homes. Yet there are those who prefer to build their significant home outside of the city where there’s peace, quiet and an acre or two of countryside.
Currently, there’s opportunity to build high-calibre homes in three communities within easy driving distance of the city. The developers of these rural subdivisions are creating communities that are modern and connected to nature, where homeowners experience the tranquility they seek and possess the legacy home they’ve always dreamed of.
Silverhorn, Bearspaw
This acreage and estate community on Township Road 262 is 10 minutes off Highway 1A northwest of Calgary. The second phase of 1.3- to 1.7-acre lots has just been released, priced from $595,000 to $695,000 and there are only 20 of them. The developer is Mark Kwasnicki who has built at least six similar subdivisions in the past 30 years. Silverhorn, which will have a total of five phases at final build out, is the largest one.
“There are no acreage lots available in Bearspaw other than these that are developed, serviced and ready to go,” says community sales manager Justis Kwasnicki.
Silverhorn is built around a conservation plan stipulating that only 40 per cent of each lot can be built upon. That still allows for a 20,000-square-foot footprint for a home. Landscaping can only extend 20 feet out from the structure and the balance of the yard must be left in its natural state. Kwasnicki says rather than having vast stretches of manicured lawns, the reduced landscaping will mean less maintenance for homeowners.
The community is dotted with ponds and when it’s finished there will be seven kilometres of walking trails and 60 acres of municipal reserve, left as nature intended. Every lot backs onto parkland or pathways, “so you’re not looking into your neighbour’s back window as you would in a tighter, urban subdivision,” Kwasnicki says.
Downtown Calgary is half an hour away and Cochrane is 10 minutes to the northwest.
The Acres, Springbank
South of Springbank Road, at the bottom of Range Road 34 is a gated community called the Acres, by Price, Boychuk and Jackson (PBJ) Developments. There’s just one phase of 49 lots, which are 1.5 to two acres in size and landowners each get a 1/49th share of common land.
Municipal approvals are nearly wrapped up and shovels should be in the ground in the spring, says PBJ partner Robert Price.
“We wanted to build a modern community in a rural setting. We’ll have better than city-level amenities with direct access to the Elbow River and all the views that go with that,” he says. The Acres will have fibre optics to every home and the community’s grey water will be recycled, reducing water consumption by 50 per cent.
“We think it’s more attractive to have different kinds of architecture that a more uniform view,” Price says.
Lawn maintenance and snow removal is taken care of, and the community will feature a clubhouse with a kitchen, patio, firepits and gym and workspaces.
“We hope to create a cohesive community. Having this clubhouse provides a place to engage with neighbours and have special events. It blends generations and we invite that,” he says.
The Acres is close to Bingham Crossing, a future commercial area near the Springbank Airport. Sales are being handled via Bode, a digital real estate platform.
Watermark at Bearspaw
Launched in 2012 by Macdonald Communities, this sprawling estate community on the literal northwestern edge of Calgary is sprinkled with sparkling ponds, waterfalls and meandering pathways. It’s a community of more than 450 high-end homes and 101 luxury villas and with building now taking place in the ninth and final phase, limited opportunities remain.
This final phase includes Watermark’s signature cascading waterfalls and a playground, part of the community’s network of 17 ponds, water features and pathways throughout 20 acres of park space. The centrepiece is a community plaza where events are hosted during the year.
One of the most prized aspects of the development according to residents is that the architectural guidelines are registered as a restrictive covenant on title. Crews notes that even though new architectural styles have been adopted, such as West Coast Contemporary or Modern Farmhouse, they remain true to the core principles of the original guidelines, maintaining the look and feel of an estate community.
The lots sizes and corresponding building envelope is perfect for larger homes for the larger, extended families moving to Watermark. Five-car garages are also popping up in the community.
“Some of our residents have beautiful vehicles, so it’s nice for them to have a place to keep them,” she says.