Harmony Park Developments Ltd. Is an emerging developer group in the Halifax area with a desire to use their large lot in Bedford West to create a walkable neighborhood built around open space and ample recreation opportunities. Harmony Park hired OSO planning + design to lead the site planning and conceptual design of the proposed new neighborhood, and to navigate the municipal planning policies and by-laws that govern the use of their site.

The intention of the development is to create a walkable, inclusive and resilient neighborhood, built around open space. It is designed to be serviced by existing public transit while also supporting development of future rapid transit and connected by streets built for people and play. Our work with Harmony Park serves as a demonstration of what is possible when sites are built more thoughtfully, work with the land, create housing that is more affordable, and meet the needs of the most vulnerable (children, youth, and the elderly), all while mitigating climate change.

Our design offers a wide variety of recreational activity. The landscape plan shows a recreational rooftop deck at the North-West of Building A which will host an indoor commercial recreation space at ground level. Three areas are designated for landscaped park and recreation space whose design and infrastructure will invite both play and rest. The recreational deck meets the grade to soften the line between building and landscape. This subtle design decision allows the deck to be an extension of the natural landscape, and prioritizes pedestrians entering the site over cars. The ample existing tree cover that will remain untouched by our proposed development offers residents and visitors the feeling of privacy, serenity, and closeness to nature.

The Harmony Park project is a reflection of the depth of holistic design thinking that OSO offers, which allows them to lead large development projects from concept to completion, pulling in the necessary expertise along the way. OSO planning + design has submitted a development agreement application on behalf of Harmony Park to begin the process of acquiring a development permit to start construction on the site.