The UIQ encompasses 76 acres immediately north of the University of Calgary’s main campus, bordering the neighborhood of Varsity and offering close proximity to major transit routes as well as Calgary’s established medical communities. Today, the UIQ site offers 1.24 million SF of office, lab, and supporting space, but lacks the density and amenities required for a successful innovation district. In response, Sasaki and UCPG are introducing a new development framework to enhance the district’s research, retail, and residential potential while leveraging the site’s proximity to the University, public transit, and nearby healthcare institutions.

Development Framework Overview

The University Innovation Quarter Development Framework reimagines the way innovation occurs by introducing a mix of uses, human-scale public spaces, and an open-space circulation network. New development will introduce advanced manufacturing, state-of-the-art lab space, research and office space, and teaching space that can accommodate flexible uses and encourage collaboration between UIQ’s diverse tenants. A series of interconnected open spaces and programmatic amenities will transform the district into more than a center of innovation, but a center of community.

1. Create a Community Core: Shared spaces spark innovation, creativity, and interpersonal connections. At the heart of UIQ, public open space will serve as a town square that facilitates the exchange of ideas and builds community.
2. Introduce a Mix of Uses: Diversity of use and program is critical to build and sustain a creative community. The future UIQ will introduce new uses that activate the site throughout the day and create a new focal point of innovation in northwest Calgary.
3. Prioritize Adaptive Reuse: Examining opportunities to reuse existing structures is both environmentally and fiscally responsible. Where feasible, the framework plan identifies ways to adapt today’s structures to accommodate UIQ’s future programmatic needs.
4. Elevate the Pedestrian Experience: A safe and active pedestrian realm is vital to support a healthy and vibrant community. UIQ’s buildings, circulation networks, and open spaces will all contribute to an enjoyable pedestrian experience.
5. Connect to the Surrounding Context: The success of UIQ relies on how it engages with the surrounding community. UIQ will integrate into the neighborhood context, enhancing connectivity and improving the community’s access to resources.
   
6. Facilitate a Flexible Transformation: The future of UIQ will continue to inform and be informed by policies and activities that occur beyond its border. The framework plan will be flexible and responsive to future opportunities in partnership with the university, the city, and the broader innovation ecosystem of Calgary.

Use Mix and Scale

The reimagined UIQ will support a diverse mix of uses for people to gather, recreate, learn, and explore. In addition to the varied research and office uses it supports today, UIQ will introduce new spaces that will be foundational to the establishment of this new community. New office and lab buildings will be located to complement existing ones on site, while retail, civic, and residential uses will be concentrated within the site’s social core, conveniently accessible from the University and nearby Brentwood LRT Station.

Open Space and Connectivity

UIQ’s landscape will be an emblem of sustainability at a local level, serving as a subject for place-based approaches to ecological conservation and resiliency while embodying the notion of an active landscape. At the center of this landscape system lies the Heart, a working landscape with functions both elegant and educational. Envisioned as a central public square for recreation, relaxation, and socialization, this open space will provide a fertile landscape for research and collaboration. It will offer respite from surrounding activity, serving as a public backyard for those living in adjacent residential units.

The updated street network at UIQ will include retrofits to existing streets, new paths and lanes, widened sidewalks, and improved accessibility and connectivity. While much of UIQ’s existing road network will remain accessible to vehicles and buses, the design intent of the future circulation network is to increase the amount of space dedicated to pedestrians, cyclists, and other non-motorized vehicles in the public right of way in a manner that is safe and encourages alternative modes of transportation.

Sustainability and Wellness

The Development Framework considers the optimal height and orientation of future buildings and open spaces based on climatic conditions, and allows the future site to benefit from passive heating and cooling methodologies, maximizing thermal comfort in indoor and outdoor spaces. With streetscapes that encourage walking, cycling, and transit use, the future UIQ will improve the way visitors experience the public realm. Accessible pedestrian infrastructure will be safer and encourage visitors to engage in sustainable modes of transportation. 

By incorporating permeable paving, bio-retention practices, and rainwater reuse, UIQ’s approach to stormwater management aligns with the City of Calgary’s recent policies regarding low-impact development. The methods used for stormwater conveyance and bio-retention will also generate an excellent opportunity for research-based innovation and collaboration throughout the region.

Community Engagement

The project team undertook a comprehensive, multi-channel communications and outreach strategy that included digital and in-person events, enabling them to meet a broad range of needs and hear from as many participants as possible. Feedback from diverse community members and stakeholders was an important cornerstone of making the UIQ vision a reality. UIQ will be “Built on Relationships” – a guiding principle embodied by the comprehensive stakeholder outreach process.

The project stands out for its strategic placemaking approach. Leveraging active outdoor spaces and infill, the Development Framework transforms the UIQ into an innovation hub that engages the University with local industries, while connecting to the larger region through accessible public transit.