Designing A Master Planned Sustainable Community to Preserve the Environment and Existing Topography

The Canyons | Castle Pines, Colorado

Land Development - Civil Engineering, Land Surveying

The Canyons is a master-planned sustainable community encompassing over 3,300 acres just outside of Denver, and provides a full-range of community amenities while respecting nature and the environment. The sustainable community was designed to accommodate 2,500 dwelling units, 270 acres of mixed-use, 110 acres of parks and schools, and 1,400 acres of open space. Nearly a third is dedicated to parks, trails, and open space. A key project objective was to preserve the natural landscape and seamlessly integrate the development into the topography.

Site features include a community farm, open space preservation, low-impact development strategies, LEED-certified buildings and community facilities, and extensive recreational opportunities. CORE’s scope included public infrastructure plans for over 1,000 single-family detached homes, collector and arterial roadways, regional detention/water quality facilities, bridges and roundabouts, storm and sanitary sewer, and water systems.

CORE addressed multiple drainage issues by creating a master drainage study with subsequent drainage reports, designs, and construction drawings for the related stormwater facilities applying low impact development (LID) design concepts. The water and sanitary sewer main incorporate extensions to the property from the Parker Water and Sanitation District’s existing facilities, including a 30” transmission waterline, three on-site sanitary sewer lift stations, and sanitary sewer force and gravity mains.

CORE’s roadway design supported the community’s sustainable goals through plans that integrated the existing topography to preserve as much vegetation as possible.

In addition to providing affordable housing through multi-family projects in the development, there is tremendous economic benefit through the addition of more than one million square feet of commercial retail space contributing to the Town’s tax base.

Project Highlights
CORE
Low Impact Development (LID) Designed
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110 Acres of Parks/Schools
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1,880 Acres Master Planned Sustainable Community LEED-Certified Buildings & Community Facilities
CORE
Sustainable Design to Preserve Natural Topography
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