Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel and Nose Hill Park – Alberta

“As I reflect on spaces and places of positivity, a few examples come to mind – and they can be understood through scale and sphere: residential, architectural, and environmental. On the residential side, an example of a connected & meaningful space is the Living Room of My Home.  The room is a soaring, double-height space with glass lining the south face – with views to the city and skyline beyond.  It is a minimal space with white walls and a beautiful natural wood-sloped ceiling (with several sizable skylights).  Due to the serious volume of the space, I have several large pieces of art displayed, including one of my wife’s life-sized figurative oil paintings. Having coffee in this space during a dramatically colorful Calgary sunrise presents a wonderful opening to the day. On the architectural side, the Banff Springs Hotel presents a historic exemplar of quality that is unparalleled. It’s sitting in the national park, soaring high like the mountains that provide company, is simply spectacular.  Its deployment of crafted sandstone connects it to the land, and its rich delineation and articulation of form creates interest and wonder – a spectrum of nooks, crannies, caverns, and corridors that enchant the visitors.  It provides a larger-than-life fantasy that reminds us of our capacity to create and construct buildings and landscapes that stir our imaginations and move our souls.  On the environmental side, one of the most potent and qualitative spaces is Nose Hill Park.  On an almost daily basis, I spend time in the park, in some instances deeply immersed in and connected to nature, accompanied by an abundance of deer, coyotes, and porcupines, while at other times dwelling in the interstitial spaces caught between the serenity of the wild and the urban bustle of a major Canadian city.  Nose Hill is a magical ethos residing quietly and confidently in the vast sea of urban fabric. It is a place of respite, recharge, and reflection.” (Booklet Positive Lived Experiences of Quality in the Built Environment 2023, p.106).

Google map link: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Fairmont+Banff+Springs/@51.1643353,-115.5644049,17z/data=!4m10!3m9!1s0x5370ca3b2e2fb8bf:0x99e9a92cf4f6ce!5m3!1s2024-11-16!4m1!1i2!8m2!3d51.164332!4d-115.56183!16zL20vMDUydHZy?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MDkxOC4xIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Parc+Nose+Hill/@51.111437,-114.1138735,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x537165f81dcb7df7:0x7576f90d970ea8af!8m2!3d51.1114337!4d-114.1112986!16zL20vMDVqYmh2?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MDkxOC4xIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D