New communities emphasize sustainable, active, and fun lifestyles that encourage homebuyers to grow with them.
When purchasing a home, many young homebuyers today think beyond the boundaries of their own front yard and the community that surrounds it. They are looking for a place to put down roots — somewhere where their families can grow alongside others.
Communities like Edmonton’s Chappelle Gardens keep those priorities in mind when designing their neighbourhoods, by focusing on sustainability, active lifestyles and building belonging.
“We put a focus on the resident,” says Peter Tsoukalas, Senior Development Manager at Brookfield Residential. “How do we enhance the quality of that resident’s life through the design of the community?”
Amenities like the Chappelle Gardens Residents Association, take that design concept and make it a reality. With a picnic area, a spray park, a playground and an NHL-size outdoor hockey rink, this exclusive facility is a rallying point for anyone who wants to make their neighbourhood a place to live, work, and play. Not to mention, a brand new 6,600 sq. ft. facility building with flex rooms, a skate change area, and a large social area with a two-way fireplace is opening this month. Every Chappelle Gardens resident is an automatic member, opening up a world of special events, programming and community-building activities that families can enjoy.
Walking trails, a dog park, several golf clubs and the many green spaces surrounding the development encourage residents to get outside and be active. With schools, parks and shopping nearby, residents can also spend less time in their vehicles and more time in spaces like the community gardens.
For those interested in growing more than just their families, one of the many design choices available to homebuyers is to create a vegetable garden in their front yard — something many residents have opted to do giving the community a lush, vibrant feeling.
“The people purchasing here are interested in growing their own food, and eating local,” says Tsoukalas. “Why not do it in your own front yard?”
That kind of sustainable practice is just one of the innovative ways Brookfield Residential is rethinking community design, with a focus on what residents want.
The six-year-old master-planned community located in Heritage Valley, has townhouses, duplexes, attached and detached garage homes available in a variety of styles. Homebuyers can purchase a home that’s ready to be lived in right away, or create a custom space with one of Brookfield’s many builders. That range of options means that younger buyers have the ability to move up over time without having to let go of the bonds they’ve built in the community.
“It’s all about putting down roots,” says Tsoukalas. “Chappelle Gardens has all the conveniences that can cater to homebuyers through that cycle.” That’s part of what makes Chappelle Gardens stand out, he says.
“You have the ability to dictate what you want and how you want it.”
With new amenities popping up in the area, including a K-9 public school opening in September 2017, residents can focus on remaining in the community they’ve helped to build. Chappelle Gardens’ homebuyers can choose a brand new home or townhouse, without sacrificing the benefits of an established neighbourhood. Getting in on the ground floor of a community means having an opportunity to watch it flourish over time, says Tsoukalas. And to flourish right along with it.
“It’s about creating those roots and having that ability to see the community start, grow and prosper.”