The Sustainability Plaza in The Hills at Charlesworth, an Edmonton-based project developed by Beaverbrook Communities in association with Stantec Consulting Ltd., has won the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) International Award for Planning Excellence.

The RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence are among the most highly regarded awards in the industry. With nominees from all over the globe, the awards champion the very best examples of planning and planners.

Projects nominated represent the world’s best in sustainable development and planning excellence. The Hills at Charlesworth showed the judges how the project benefited the community, and how the work of the planning team exemplified leading practices in the industry.

“Sustainable design and resiliency are at the core of our planning practices, and something we aim for on every project. The Hills at Charlesworth takes a creative and practical approach to building a vibrant, year-round space that’s also the pride of the community,” said Scott Cole, principal at Stantec.

The Sustainability Plaza is an eco-friendly recreation hub that serves as the focal point and gathering place for The Hills at Charlesworth community, located in southeast Edmonton. The Sustainability Plaza achieved its sustainable, low impact environmental status by incorporating green living concepts into the design, such as solar and wind powered hybrid lights, solar powered wi-fi, a solar powered playground, incorporating repurposed sea-can containers into their construction, and building a 200-metre ice ribbon for winter ice skating.

“We are truly honoured to have won this award.  This year’s finalists included projects from Dubai, China and India. As a business whose core value is innovation, it is rewarding to have been recognized for our cutting-edge approach amongst such a high caliber of international projects that are setting the bar for the future,” said George Cantalini, CEO of Beaverbrook Group of Companies.