project highlightS:
WESTSHORE SPEEDWAY
Islander is proud to be providing Project Management and Civil Engineering services for this exciting new development in Langford on the historic grounds of the Westshore Speedway and the All Fun Recreation Park, which first opened in 1954. This 81-acre property will now be home to affordable housing and commercial spaces, including roughly 500 condos, 57 residential units and 18 industrial lots.
Westshore Speedway, CBRE Victoria
THE BEVAN
The Bevan is a contemporary residential building with ground floor commercial space. Our team was involved from the early planning stages up until the final decorative pavers were placed! Islander undertook environment investigations and remediation of the site, and also completed the site servicing and frontage design as well as construction reviews for civil works.
It is incredibly rewarding to see this former gas station site re-developed into a fixture of the community, where people can come together to enjoy a latte on a Sunday morning.
THE BEACON
The Beacon at 2342 Beacon Ave. in Sidney BC sets the streetscape standard for the Sidney core area! This 30-unit modern residential building with ground floor commercial space has been thoughtfully designed and well received by the community - and the Islander team was involved from the early planning stages including environmental investigation up until the final street trees and planters were installed.
Our Civil Engineering team worked closely with the Sidney parks, planning and Engineering departments to create a beautiful and accessible street level community and café space. Infill developments such as The Beacon present a unique challenge where new visions for urban planning are blended with legacy infrastructure such as narrow sidewalks, substandard drainage, and car focused streets. At the interface between this new and old infrastructure the design team was presented with opportunities for innovative solutions and the result is nearly seamless.
Hydrology
Flood Control and Channel Rehabilitation
Construction of roads, parking lots, buildings, and other typically impermeable structures creates an unnatural barrier for rainwater that would naturally fall onto the ground surface and be absorbed to a certain extent. Some of the main ramifications associated with instead directing this water through pipes and into streams are as follows:
1) Flows are more concentrated and streams can be inundated causing flooding, erosion, and loss of habitat;
2) The runoff that originates from paved surfaces etc. and enters streams more directly can be warmer than it would have been prior to development; and
3) Contaminants including dirt, brake dust, oils etc. tend to accumulate on paved surfaces and during rains they are flushed into sensitive ecosystems.
Our hydrologists work with biologists and ecologists to develop solutions to mitigate the effects of development of the hydrological cycle. These include stream rehabilitation, systems to remove contaminants, reduce impermeable surfaces, attenuate runoff, and exfiltrate rainwater back into the ground. Additionally our team evaluates flood construction levels and can assist with determining where to safely site a development.
Land Development
Concepts to Completion
Residential Development, Victoria, BC
Many projects currently under construction require extensive retaining wall installation. To provide value added design services to our clients, we coordinate closely with the project Geotechnical Engineer to determine early on how much surplus rock can be realized and what the anticipated quality of the blasted rock will be.
Working with rock blasting companies, we can then alter drill patterns to create boulders for subbase fills and walls, or smaller aggregate for trench backfill and subbase gravels. Further processing by a rock crusher can produce smaller aggregate for road base and bedding. By modelling the site and understanding the earthworks mass balance, the Islander team can significantly reduce overall project costs.
Mixed Use Residential / Commercial Development
On this mixed-use Part 3 building code project, Islander worked with a multi-discipline team of design consultants, including but not limited to: architect, structural Engineer, mechanical engineer, electrical engineer and landscape. Working with the design team early on in the process enabled the client to realize a parking variance, provide green building features like rain gardens and bio-swales, while at the same time maximizing density in a SmartGrowth building concept.
Low Impact Development
Sustainable Solutions
Low impact development opportunities are considered on all projects. There are many considerations, which can including:
1) limiting density in sensitive areas;
2) Designing roads and building sites to reduce the amount of earthworks required;
3) Designing access and building footprints to reduce impacts to trees and sensitive habitat;
4) Incorporating features that maintain the pre-development hydrology on the site;
5) Choosing recycled construction materials, and those that have a reduced carbon footprint;
6) Developing walkable communities; and
7) and limiting disturbance by building up instead of out.
Municipal
Infrastructure Modelling to Master Plans
Triangle Mtn Condition & Capacity Drainage Stormwater Upgrade
City of Langford
The City of Langford retained the our team to review the Triangle Mountain drainage basin and complete a condition and capacity assessment of several segments of the drainage area. Drainage calculations and visual inspections determined that several sections of municipal infrastructure needed remediation and replacement.
Watermain Replacement
Cowichan Valley Regional District
Over a seven-year-period, we completed multiple phases of water main replacement which involved removing Asbestos Cement pipe and installing new PVC and Ductile Iron pipe. Tasks included topographical surveys, communication and coordination with the public and MoTi, cost benefit analysis of multiple alignment options, and complete tender and construction services to project closure.
Rainwater Management
Every Drop Counts
Mixed Use, Multi-phase development, Colwood BC
We worked closely with the project ecologist and biologist on this high profile, environmentally sensitive site. Riparian and subsurface water (natural spring) issues created a challenging set of environmental constraints that required strategic site design and engineering. Subsurface drainage facilities complemented by above ground rain gardens, bioswales and wet ponds enabled a site design that satisfied all stakeholders.
Transportation
Walking, Cycling, and Driving
Highways, roads, sidewalks, and bike lanes all present unique challenges to our designers, and they all share similar constraints:
1) Competition for space;
2) Conflicting user groups;
3) Buried, and ageing infrastructure; and
4) Impact to the environment from the use of non renewable resources, elevation of temperature from a heat island effect, and impermeable surfaces that inundate streams and drainage systems.
Our work with developers and municipalities to tackle these issues and improve the long term sustainability of transportation networks.