Site reconnaissance is an integral part of the design process. Before we developed our plan for Bridgeland-Riverside, we needed to learn about the site as much as possible. On our frequent visits to the community, we took many photographs of the area surrounding the old hospital site as well as of other parts of the community. We reviewed several documents about the community as we tried to learn not only about the issues it is facing now but also about its history. The more we learned about the community, the more we understood why so many of its residents are proud to call it their home - in short, we became fond of the community, with its unique character and charm.

Bridgeland-Riverside is an inner-city neighbourhood located in close proximity to the Bow River, the zoo, Tom Campbell's Hill, and Calgary's downtown core. As an older community, it was historically a settlement area for new Canadians. This distinct and vibrant part of its heritage is still discernible in the urban landscape today. The main commercial area - 1st Avenue NE - contains a variety of ethnic shops and restaurants. Some of the stores have detailed facades and lively murals.

The community has many cottage or bungalow style homes, and has recently been experiencing an increase in multi-family dwellings and infills. Many homes are adored with rich gardens and flower beds, and people in the community pride themselves on their horicultural achievements. They also like the atmosphere of friendliness, which they would like to preserve even after the old hospital site is developed.

With the fall of the General Hospital on October 4th, 1998, few would dispute that a new era for the community of Bridgeland-Riverside is beginning. Thousands of people gathered in the early hours of Sunday morning to watch the implosion of the hospital, to which many of them had an emotional attachment. While some still dispute the government's decision to have the hospital closed down and demolished, many people are looking ahead at the enormous potential of the site, due to its hillside location with the views of downtown and the river. In our exercise, we tried to design with all of these factors in mind. Our goal was to develop the site in such a way that is sensible to the local context and sympathetic to the people who already make the Bridgeland-Riverside community their home.