Sustainability Through Plants: How Environmental Design Revolutionizes Developments
Nature’s Solutions to Today’s Infrastructure Challenges
At MAGNA Engineering Services Inc. (MAGNA), we prioritize people and nature in our engineering work—but what does this mean for our clients and communities? Our environmental design approach provides clear benefits that other engineering firms can't offer.
Environmental Design: Beyond Traditional Infrastructure
Walking through Calgary, construction appears to happen almost overnight—an empty lot transforms into scaffolding seemingly without warning. However, behind this visible progress lies extensive planning.
Developers, City Planners, Civil Engineers, and Construction Companies work together to create functional communities. Environmental design takes this process a step further by taking a holistic approach to creating sustainable environments for both people and nature.
MAGNA distinguishes itself from other engineering firms by assessing community values and environmental needs before implementing purpose-built, nature-based infrastructure solutions. This approach allows our design teams to surpass a community’s requirements and to enhance both the community experience and the ecological health of the site.
Meeting Modern Development Challenges
Developers are facing new challenges when building communities:
Making the most of available land while following stricter environmental rules.
Meeting the rising demand from homebuyers for sustainable communities
Building infrastructure that can withstand more frequent climate events, such as flooding and drought.
These challenges require innovative solutions, not just traditional engineering. With this changing landscape, developments must be designed not just for today, but for the future decades as well. Environmental Design allows MAGNA to approach these challenges holistically and tackle them head on.
Why Plant Selection Matters
Did you know that invasive species are estimated to cost the Alberta economy over $2 billion each year? This is because invasive species affect the agriculture of the area, strangling local species out of their natural habitat.
Carefully selecting plants can produce multiple benefits, including:
Enhancing biodiversity while maintaining the natural appeal of the site.
Creating habitats and food sources for local wildlife.
Providing natural water filtration, removing nutrients and increasing water quality.
Creating natural flood mitigation, while reducing long-term maintenance costs.
This strategic selection process ensures a natural looking site, while creating a healthier environment within a neighbourhood.
Case Study: Dawson’s Landing Ponds 2A and 2B MAGNA Stormpark ™ Designs
Location: Chestermere, Alberta
Developer: Qualico®️ Communities
Plants:
Over 15,000 live plants and 21 types of seeds
A total of 49 different species of plants were used including:
7 species of Rushes
7 species of Willows
11 Species of Grasses
About the Project
Located in Chestermere, Alberta, the Dawson’s Landing Project consisted of the implementation of 2 separate MAGNA Stormpark™ designs – Ponds 2A and 2B.
The goal of the project was to provide the community with a design that incorporated amenity space the community could use, while providing the necessary stormwater infrastructure.
Project Challenges
The Dawson’s Landing projects presented three challenges:
1. Limited discharge locations.
2. Strict water quality targets must be adhered to.
3. A desired green space for community use.
MAGNA’s Solutions
MAGNA, in collaboration with Source 2 Source Inc., designed the first MAGNA Stormparks™. Each design consists of:
1. Sediment Clarifier Forebay (Nautilus Pond®): a settling pond that allows sediment to settle to the bottom of the pond.
2. Main Pond Body: Acts as storage for the treated water, as well as a water feature with the incorporation of fountains.
3. Treatment Wetlands: A constructed wetland that uses carefully selected plants to treat water to irrigation quality.
These treatment components operate as a passive water treatment system that deliver additional benefits, such as:
- Improved water quality, allowing for the irrigation of a nearby agricultural field.
- Enhanced flood protection in the form of creating multi-use spaces that account for the storage of a 1-in-100 year storm but can also be used by the community in times of drought.
- Create spaces for community members to gather and make memories, featuring benches and pathways.
- Enhance urban biodiversity by incorporating plants used by a variety of local bird species.
About MAGNA’s Environmental Design Team
At MAGNA, our Environmental Design Team is responsible for ensuring that our designs use local, non-invasive plants. These plants are also selected for their hardiness, and ability to sustain themselves with little-to-no maintenance.
John Bailey, MEDes
John has never met a plant that he doesn’t love, and it shows in the care he takes when selecting plants for MAGNA’s designs. With over 13 years of experience in landscape and environmental design, he has an unparalleled knowledge of local plants. Beyond his expertise, John exemplifies the MAGNA spirit, treating each design with the same care and devotion as he would his own child.
Anton Skorobogatov, MEDes, PhD
Anton is the face behind MAGNA’s innovative solutions. With over 15 years of experience in biochemistry, environmental design, and engineering, Anton brings every facet of his education, experience, and subject expertise to MAGNA designs. His unique educational background makes him essential in overcoming design challenge faced by MAGNA.
Conclusion
Designing a community for new homeowners based solely on appearances is no longer enough, developers and planners now must look at creating a value proposition around sustainability, reflecting this new generation of homebuyers. This means community planning groups—typically comprised of developers, planners, and engineers—must now consider integrating environmental design into every stage of development, from road way planning to plant selection. An environmental designer is essential to bridging the gap between communities and nature, ensuring every new development is not only sustainable but resilient against future climate challenges.