Power To Be Basecamp

• Repurpose a golf course to restore and regenerate ecological function.
• Restore the site’s natural hydrology by reestablishing its original hydrological features.
• Create infrastructure that integrates with and celebrates the site’s unique natural features such as Prospect Lake and the nearby forest.
• Acknowledge, respect, and actively support reconciliation efforts in honoring the land’s deep connections with Indigenous peoples.
• Develop an accessible transition from indoor to outdoor spaces for people living with a disability or barrier to access nature in a way that is fun, fair, and authentic for all participants.
• Optimize inclusivity to connect people to the natural world and each other.
• Create platforms for participants to improve their physical, emotional, and mental health and well-being.
• Utilize the site as an interactive learning environment that encourages exploration, discovery, and personal growth.
• Ensure that outdoor infrastructure supports a wide range of users in a variety of programmatic and recreational uses.
• Inspire a sense of wonder in the natural environment that will spark a chain reaction of curiosity and hunger for knowledge that eventually creates future ambassadors for environmental stewardship.
• Create opportunities for activities that strengthen social networks and interpersonal skills while encouraging adaptive behaviors to help participants handle everyday challenges.
• Create a safe, open, and inclusive community within Power To Be that extends beyond on-site programs into the wider community, empowering community members to give back both within the programs and in their personal time.

• The site encompasses an upland coastal Douglas fir forest (historically a Garry oak meadow), a repurposed golf course, a wetland, and the southern shore of Prospect Lake. The buildings and parking lot are located in areas that were previously developed for the golf course.
• To support the goals of inclusion and accessibility, spaces are designed to be flexible with minimal intervention to ecosystems, aiming for a “noscape” landscape. This approach allows the spaces to grow and evolve according to the organization’s needs and program activities.
• To honor the history of the land and the ongoing connection of Indigenous peoples (the W̱SÁNEĆ First Nations and the Lekwungen People) to this place, carvers representative of the three primary First Nations on Vancouver Island were invited to create totem poles. The three poles sit in the welcome plaza, where each visitor that enters is welcomed and invited through. 
• The site is designed with consideration for the natural hydrology of the landscape and functions independently, without connections to municipal water, storm, or sanitary systems. Drinking water is sourced from an on-site well with ultraviolet filtration, and sanitary needs are managed with an on-site septic system.
• Rainwater is channeled from the roofs and parking lot into 21 rain gardens of various sizes, which are planted with native species such as sword fern (Polystichum munitum), salal (Gaultheria shallon), Oregon grape (Mahonia aquifolium), staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina) and hardhack (Spiraea douglasii).
• A study of the site’s watershed dynamics allowed the designers to place excess construction fill material in a way that would daylight a previously piped creek. The excavated earth was repurposed into a macro/micro-topographically sculpted mound feature for educational and adventure purposes. The open creek now has running water most months of the year and attracts bird and frog activity. 
• The landscape supports native plants including Garry oak trees (Quercus garryana), common yarrow (Achillea millefolium), evergreen huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum ‘Thunderbird’), and many others. Diverse flora and fauna support nature-based educational opportunities on-site, such as teachings from knowledge keepers from the WSANEC nation, birding programs, and habitat restoration activities.
• The site features an accessible dock for recreation on the lake, including paddleboarding, kayaking, and canoeing. Power To Be hosts activities within the landscape such as camping, cooking, outdoor skill-building, and games. A range of on-site adaptive equipment helps participants navigate difficult terrain. 
• Within the immediate 25 acres surrounding the buildings, the site features a variety of additional spaces like an amphitheater by the daylit creek, a play hub, a boardwalk lookout on the lake, a play forest, a roundhouse, and a pavilion.
• The landscape also features a small edible herb garden for staff with purple chives (Allium acuminatum), common oregano (Origanum vulgare), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), long-leaf gray thyme (Thymus ‘Long-leaf Gray’), and more. Space is available for additional herb planting in the future.
• Materials were selected based on their ability to be produced locally, their role in sequestering carbon, and their ability to attenuate noise.
• A natural play area features a log structure designed for risky playful activity. This play area, located behind the welcome totem poles, was an addition to the site after project completion and was driven by participants. An upcoming phase will add more accessible features, providing unstructured play opportunities for those who prefer not to participate in structured programs.
• The site includes a campground with accessible platforms and a 3-km (1.8-mile) trail with a gentle 5% elevation change. This accommodates users with varying abilities and accessibility equipment.
• Power To Be is pursuing Living Building Challenge Living Certification, the highest level of certification in sustainability and regenerative design. The site is designed to meet all imperatives under the seven “petals”: place, water, energy, health and happiness, materials, equity, and beauty. Two major features installed to meet the certification criteria were solar panels and rain gardens.
• As part of Living Building Challenge criteria, the buildings aim to meet 105% of net annual energy needs with rooftop photovoltaic arrays and a geothermal system as well as on-site backup battery power. The buildings are oriented to maximize potential to generate solar energy.
• Electric vehicle charging stations are provided in the parking lot.

To align with Power To Be’s mission of promoting inclusive opportunities for individuals facing disabilities or barriers to accessing nature, the site’s indoor and outdoor spaces were designed to meet Gold level standards of the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification (RHFAC). The RHFAC aims to improve accessibility in the Canadian built environment—the places where people live, work, learn, and play—by helping organizations better understand the importance of accessibility, measure the accessibility of their sites, and improve access through detailed ratings and certification. RHFAC’s core mission revolves around the belief that everyone should have the freedom to move through all aspects of their community without barriers, and that improving accessibility is crucial for creating inclusive communities that empower people with disabilities. Public, commercial, and multi-unit residential sites (or their construction drawings, if in the design phase or under construction) can be rated. RHFAC publicly recognizes an organization’s commitment to accessibility through formal certification as “RHF Accessibility Certified” or “RHF Accessibility Certified Gold.”

The commitment to accessibility at Power To Be involved a comprehensive series of gap analyses aimed at identifying and addressing any inconsistencies to satisfy the prerequisites for achieving Gold standards, the highest level of certification. Within this process, particular attention was given to enhancing the accessibility of outdoor areas, reflecting Power To Be’s vision and mission that everyone belongs in nature and connecting all people, including those with disabilities, to the natural environment. Accessible features including easy-to-navigate pathway materials are used across the landscape for participants with mobility aids. Key transitions between built and natural environments were designed to be seamless, ensuring that participants could move comfortably between indoor and outdoor spaces.

A list of the RHFAC certification prerequisites and Gold certification prerequisites pursued at Power To Be are listed below:

Certification Prerequisites

To be certified, all sites must have:

• An accessible public entrance
• Access to all key functional spaces

Gold Certification Prerequisites

To be RHFC Gold, a site must have:

• Designated accessible parking space(s), if parking is provided for site users
• Access to public transit, if the site is located in an area serviced by transit
• Accessible path(s) of travel leading to building or trail entrance and throughout the building or trail
• An accessible primary entrance for public and staff (if separate)
• Access to all floors expected to be used by elevator or lift usable by everyone
• At least one universal washroom
• Emergency systems with visual and audible fire alarms in both public and private areas
• Wayfinding strategies in place to navigate throughout the site
• Safety warning features, such as tactile attention indicators at the top of stairs and cane-detectable features, if there are overhead or protruding hazards along the path of travel
• Tactile markings for permanent room identification signs
• Assistive listening and communication enhancement technologies, when applicable to the site
• Accessibility provision(s) for the key functional facilities of the site

• One of the primary challenges was balancing environmental and accessibility goals. For example, the original plan was to use locally sourced and low-carbon intensive patio stones around the buildings for their aesthetic appeal and character. However, the design team ultimately chose concrete paving tiles instead. Although this decision was not aligned with the project’s sustainable material goals, it was essential for meeting accessibility goals and reducing site maintenance needs.
• The decision to use concrete paving instead of patio stones spurred a different way of thinking about the project’s three totem poles, with favorable results. Initially, the totem poles were going to be located outside the immediate project site, closer to the treeline, as it was thought that the poles needed their own dedicated space. During the discussion about patio stones versus concrete, a decision was made to bring the poles closer to the buildings and their immediate landscape. This decision proved to be significantly beneficial, as the area around the poles has now become the site’s most popular gathering space, creating a vibrant energy that would have been absent otherwise. Integrating the poles into the main area also makes for a more cohesive experience and is better aligned with the project’s goal of Indigenous reconciliation.
• Based on feedback from program participants, it became clear that more could be done to enhance experience of the site for people with visual impairments. This feedback led to the ongoing incorporation and planned further use of multi-sensory elements in the landscape, such as creating auditory cues along the stream and pathways and strategic placement of fragrant plants around the trails. These additions are expected to provide auditory and olfactory experiences for those who cannot fully appreciate visual beauty. This realization emphasized the importance of considering diverse sensory experiences in landscape design to ensure inclusivity for all users.
• Power To Be is adapting to climate change by reassessing and modifying the plant palette on-site. After ceasing irrigation from the former golf course, significant changes have been observed, such as mature cedars struggling and an increased need for shade for participants and staff members that spend long hours outside. This also creates an educational opportunity for children to engage in restoration projects and to align species management with restoration efforts. Several major restoration projects are planned to further these goals.
• The mature trees lining the perimeter of the former golf course, which had been regularly irrigated to maintain lush greenery, faced challenges adapting to less water-intensive maintenance. Accustomed to abundant water, these trees had shallow root systems and struggled with the transition when irrigation was minimized to encourage more natural growth patterns and reduce environmental impact. Instead of removing these trees for lumber, which was not viable due to their reduced root growth, they were kept to create habitat and provide shelter for wildlife species. This decision also preserves their role in carbon storage.
• The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic right after breaking ground on the project was a significant challenge. This period brought uncertainty in material costs and construction, leading to industry-wide disruptions and inflation, with commercial construction costs rising 43% from 2017 to 2022. Despite suggestions to halt the project, the decision was made to continue, reaching out to the community for support. The community honored materials and service contracts, even amidst the supply chain issues and cost fluctuations. The key lesson was the importance of sticking to the project’s core values. There were numerous opportunities to cut costs, such as eliminating the geothermal system and photovoltaic arrays or reducing the number of accessible washrooms. However, maintaining the commitment to the project’s values ensured that it was done right, setting a precedent for doing things differently. This experience highlighted that having authentic, well-thought-out values and steadfastly adhering to them, even in challenging times, can lead to successful outcomes.
• As soon as the design plans are handed over to the contractors and construction team, changes become more difficult and costly. This experience underscored the necessity of spending ample time in the planning phase, ensuring that all goals are clear and well thought out. Understanding how the construction industry operates and honoring its processes is crucial.
• Rather than removing the excavated soil from daylighting the creek, the soil was repurposed to enhance the landscape features on-site. This decision helped reduce costs associated with transporting soil off-site, helped minimize environmental disturbances, and reduced the noise and dust associated with transporting materials.
• One of the key lessons learned from the project was the importance of deeply integrating accessibility and inclusion into the design and construction process. The project emphasized proactive inclusive design and universal design, moving beyond the typical retrofitting approach that is common in the construction industry. It was crucial to provide focused leadership and maintain constant communication between the design and construction teams to ensure that everyone fully understood and implemented these principles. This intentional approach helped the project stick to its accessibility goals and highlighted the importance of ongoing leadership and attention throughout the entire construction process.

Irrigation: Rainbird Irrigation Products
Soils: Michell Excavating Lawn Blend
Soils: Michell Excavating Premium Blend
Soils: Michell Excavating Rain Blend
Lighting: First Light Technologies, SCL Solar Area Light
Lighting: First Light Technologies, PLB Solar Bollard
Rain Garden Infrastructure: Nyloplast In-Line Drain
Rain Garden Infrastructure: NDS Pop Up Emitter
Seed: Pickseed Coastal Native Mix with Yarrow and Fireweed
Seed: Premiere Pacific Seeds Sports Turf Mix

Project Team

Client: Power To Be
Architect: Christine Lintott Architects Inc.
Landscape Architect: MDI Landscape Architects Inc.
Structural Engineer: RJC Engineers
Mechanical Engineer: Introba
Electrical Engineer: AES Engineering
Civil Engineer: McElhanney
Geotechnical Engineer: Ryzuk Geotechnical
Contractor: Campbell Construction Ltd.
Totem Carvers: John Marston (Coast Salish); Stephen Bruce (Kwakwaka’wakw); Moy Sutherland (Nuu-chah-nulth)

Role of the Landscape Architect

The landscape architect worked with the project team in developing a design that maximizes the site’s ecological and social potential. This included designing the layout of parking lots and site circulation, an integrated rainwater management system, grading of the site, and creating fully accessible spaces that connect people to nature.