the design guidelines focus on maintaining a ”small town feel” in Mission through thoughtful built design.

 The small town feel in Mission is characterized by:

· neighbours talking in the streets, over fences, and from porches
· people do not feel crowded by buildings as they walk down the street
· strong natural features of the river and the escarpment
· an overall pedestrian feel within the neighbourhood
· craftsmanship and care taken in building design

a testament to the strength of these features in how they have not been overpowered by  the elements in Mission that detract from this “small town feel”.

 the elements that detract are:

· expansive walls caused by lack of attention to detailing
· flat roofs that have no stylistic purpose, but serve only to ”cap” the building
· excessive use of pastels and washed out colours that have no connection to the landscape
· vast unfenced lawns in front of buildings that create a horizontal monolithic landscape.
 

 purpose

the design guidelines are written to support and promote the qualities that best  characterize Mission as an unique neighbourhood and discourage those elements that  undermine the community's character.

 intent

the intent of these guidelines is not a prescriptive one, but instead to encourage an evolution of the community while maintaining a sense of community through building designs.
 

Note* the design guidelines address the residential areas in Mission.  They are to be used when dealing with all residential development proposals (i.e. single family detached, townhouses, multi-storey apartments.)

 as population increases at a rapid rate in Calgary, the City is hoping for increased  density in the inner city along with building new suburbs in the outskirts.  Mission is an   inner city neighbourhood and is therefore under pressure to densify.  In response to this pressure, the residents of Mission have expressed concern that new development would negatively impact the quality of the community.  The residents are not against development in the community, but request that the development be sensitive to the community's urban village character.  Desirable developments are those that promote a diversity of architectural styles and foster a sense of community.  The design  guidelines are a response to this concern and are a means to aid development proposals in the residential districts.
 

  design guideline framework 

 The qualities identified in Mission's urban village character are:
 

• buildings that retain a human scale,
• a lively and vibrant community, and
• responsiveness to landscape and climate

home | approach | rationale | human scale | l& vibrant community | responsiveness_to_landscape  climate | references
 

designs must be of a human scale so that the community retains a friendly feel.  There is no prescribed size for the buildings as long as the combined effect on the block does not overwhelm the pedestrians.  Tall buildings can positively contribute to the street experience through sensitive design at the street level.
 

    designs that divide the structure into a distinct "base,"      "middle" and "top" by using trim, canopies, sloped roofs, and overhangs can break up building mass.
 
 
 

a human scale is retained in apartments and multi-storey buildings through the use of recessed or protruding windows, floors and entries.
 
 

articulating roof lines and heights add variety to the  elevated streetscape and reduce the overall massive feel of blocks lined with large buildings typologies.
 
 
 

   varied textures, materials, window lintels, and  sectioned or mullioned windows break up the apparent mass of a facade.
 
 

Mission's single-family fabric is characterized by one building and entry per twenty-five feet along streets.  This created a permeable and rhythmic streetscape and should be continued in new building designs by retaining one entry and distinct building section per twenty-five feet.

designs must enhance the social life of the street by having the building engage the pedestrian, by providing a transitional space between the public and private realm.  (The public realm consists of the streets, squares and buildings where people live their public lives.)
 
 
 

    porches, verandahs, patios on the front of  buildings extend semiprivate space into the public realm and create a transition between the two.

                                           windows facing the street should open to allow for communication between neighbours.
 
 

close front yard setbacks, between 6 - 10  metres, create an intimate residential environment.
 
 

    low fences or hedges define the edge of private  property and create an outdoor living space that acts as a transitional space and encourages a healthy relationship between the private and public realm.
 
 

  off-street parking spaces, driveways, high fences  and raised courtyards in the front interrupt the building/street relationship
 

home | approach | rationale | human scale | lively & vibrant community | responsiveness_to_landscape and  climate | references

designs must recognize and enhance the rich natural environment in Mission through choice of color, materials, and landscaping.
 
 

The overall colour schemes of Mission should incorporate a mix of greys, browns,  and bold colours.  Developers are encouraged to use colours outside the conventional palette of pastels and washed out shades of colour.
 
 

 Earth tones reflect the natural hues of the surrounding river valley landscape.
 
 

 Wood, brick, smooth stucco, stone, and indigenous natural materials complement the natural landscape - vinyl does not.

 The natural landscape has value and landscaping with native vegetation ensures its continued health.

home | approach | rationale | human scale | lively & vibrant community | responsiveness_to_landscape and  climate | references

Bentley, I. et al.  Responsive Environments: A Manual For Designers.    Butterworth-Heinmann, 1985.

Francis, Mark.  " The Making of Democratic Streets".  Public Streets for Public Use.
 Ed. A. Moudon.  New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1987. 23-39.

Scheer, Brenda and Preiser, Wolfgang, F.E. Design Review: Challenging Urban Aesthetic Control.  Routledge, Chapman & Hall, Incorporated, 1984.

The City of Calgary.  Mission Area Development Plan.  Planning and Building Department (1982.)

The City of Edmonton.  Downtown Edmonton - Design Guidelines Manual.  Prepared by David Murray Architect et al. (January 1999).

The Town of Canmore.  Land Use Bylaw 09-99 (May 1999).