THE RIGHT FIT
Skating coach lands his perfect home in EvansRidge
Since moving to Calgary from Ontario, Jeff Langdon has developed a knack for packing and unpacking his belongings.
He’s had to. The competitive figure skating coach has relocated three times in eight years.
“I’ve just been moving up,” says Langdon, who represented Canada at the 1998 Olympics in Nagano, Japan. His purchases have been a steady rise, from apartment-style condo, to duplex, and now a singlefamily home.
“That was the goal,” says Langdon.
He bought a 2,173-square-foot home as part of the Arrival Collection by Homes by Dream in EvansRidge. The builder is also constructing and selling homes in the Crossfield community of Vista Crossing.
The Arrival Collection, comprised of 13 semi-estate and six move-up homes, opened sales in 2016. Prices on remaining homes start from $739,500.
When it comes to house hunting, Langdon prides himself on having a discerning eye.
“It’s a hobby of mine, real estate,” he says, adding location matters.
“It’s a great street close to the ridge with expensive homes
around it, and the quality of what was inside the home was also great,” says Langdon of the Arrival Collection.
EvansRidge is a community master-planned by Dream Development in northwest Calgary’s Symons Valley corridor. Both the developer and builder are part of Dream Unlimited.
The Arrival Collection is the last release of single-family homes in the community.
“Even before I bought here, I walked the ridge a few times with my dog, to try to get a feel for it,” says Langdon. He has a yellow Labrador named Cheyenne.
“It just felt really nice. You can tell, when you walk into a neighbourhood where neighbours are super friendly and everyone is saying, ‘Hello, how are you?’ ” he adds. “That makes it feel nice and safe.”
Inside the home, Langdon was pleased with the standard specifications, high ceilings, spacious kitchen island, and open design, creating a welcoming space to entertain. “I like to have people over. I moved in mid-November (2016) and was able to host Christmas for lots of people. So right away, it fit into what I wanted to do.”
“There is a lot of natural light, as well, which is super important,” Langdon adds. “I haven’t lived here in the summer but I think it’s going to be great.”
Langdon also liked that the peripheral elements of a new home were ready from the get-go.
It just felt really nice. You can tell, when you walk into a neighbourhood where neighbours are super friendly and everyone is saying, ‘Hello, how are you?’
Blinds, landscaping, fencing, and the deck were all done.
Homes by Dream skipped the pre-construction sale process and went to market with the homes once they were, or nearly, complete.
“What was really special about it was we had the entire street,” says Michelle Moodie, director of architecture, housing for Dream Unlimited.
“We could approach it not only on a lot-by-lot but on an entire streetscape point of view. The vision was to make each home special and unique, but it still needed to blend in with the rest of the community.
“We didn’t want to stand out too much, but we wanted them to be special in EvansRidge.”
The streetscape boasts architecture including English Tudor, Modern, French Country, Mountain Craftsman and Prairie School. Langdon’s home features English Tudor. “Especially with our modern elevations, that’s not something you see unless you’re downtown,” says Ryan Armstrong, Homes by Dream’s vice-president of housing for Western Canada. “These are true moderns with flat roofs, true to their architectural style. Michelle went for it, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive.”
The Arrival Collection is giving potential buyers a taste of what it offers through three showcase homes. Rather than traditional show homes with a built-in sales centre and standard hours of operation, these are available to be viewed by appointment.
“We want people to come in on their own terms, on their own time, and be able to come in and have a private tour of the project,” says Armstrong. “It’s a different approach.”
Calgary’s Amanda Hamilton curated the interior design of the collection with five distinct themes, three of which are displayed in its showcase homes.
The Kinfolk theme is shown in the 2,479-square-foot model at 385 Evansborough Way, while the Minimalist design is at the 2,329-square-foot home at 389 Evansborough Way, and Maison de Reve is presented at the 2,611-square-foot home on 393 Evansborough Way.
The designs of these homes also took into account the ancient Chinese philosophy of feng shui.
“Understanding how energy works within the space is critical,” says Armstrong. “One of our floor plans is catered entirely with the thought of maximizing the possibility of feng shui. It’s all about conserving energy and using energy the right way.”