PRACTICALLY PERFECT
Sweeping views meet functional design in ridge lot home in Walden
From a perch in a new community in southeast Calgary, striking sightlines don’t seem to end.
Steve Ulsifer and Caroline Gan’s new home will have views of the Rocky Mountains. “On the back side, is about 180 degree view of the river, the valley, all the way to downtown,” Ulsifer says.
The couple, who previously lived three minutes apart in the established southwest Calgary community of Bridlewood, are blending their families in a custom home built through Arcuri Homes, on the ridge in Walden.
Homes on the ridge lots in Walden are also available through Excel Homes, Cardel Homes, and California Custom Homes.
“I’ve always said my next home, my forever home, was going to be on a ridge lot,” says Gan, adding she’s had her heart set on such an opportunity for more than 10 years.
They sought privacy — with a home that didn’t have neighbours behind them, and a view. What they found in Walden hit those marks.
Even standing at the lot, on the ground level, “it’s beyond amazing, it’s incredible,” says Gan. But the couple has also taken in the sweeping sights from the second and third levels of the Arcuri show home just down the street.
Prices on homes built on the ridge lots in Walden, which reach 34 feet wide, start in the $700,000s, including the lot and GST.
This price, for a home on a ridge in Calgary, is a rare find, says Travis Putnam, project manager at Genstar Development Co., the developer behind Walden.
“One of my favourite things about the ridge is the views,” Putnam says. “There’s 360 degree views if you’re on the top floor of a house on the ridge. These views include the mountains to the west, Fish Creek (Provincial) Park, the river valley, and just north is an awesome view of the city skyline.”
Ulsifer and Gan say they were impressed by the calibre of construction and finish in the Arcuri show home, which is a 2,672-square-foot model dubbed the Hudson. This contributed to them feeling confident with the builder handling their home.
The couple was also pleased with the flexibility of working with a custom builder.
“We can erase walls from the plan, we can add walls, we can move a room from here to there — whatever we want,” says Ulsifer.
One of the perks to this versatility was a design that allowed all of the children’s bedrooms, along with a large bonus room, on the same floor above grade.
“With Arcuri, we were able to build up,” says Gan, pointing to their three-level format. Their home is 3,302 square feet, before including the basement.
Ulsifer and Gan’s master retreat covers the top floor, while their children’s bedrooms are together on the second storey.
“It’s our getaway,” says Gan of the master bedroom, ensuite and walk-in closet than reaches 730 square feet.
“And we have a Romeo and Juliet balcony out the back,” she adds. “It’s literally our forever home, that’s what we’ve been calling it. There’s no need to move after this. After a hard day ’s work, you just sit out there — all you hear out there is just birds, you don’t hear traffic.
“You can see the storms roll in, it’s magnificent.”
While mudrooms can be an underrated part of the home, Gan and Ulsifer know the importance of this space, and as they were customizing, it wasn’t forgotten.
“It’s a lot bigger than any typical mudroom,” says Gan, who works as an officer and safety manager. “We even have a custom built-in foot wash station where they can hose off their rain boots and winter boots and whatnot. The floor is fully tile so it’s protected. It’s just a very functional, practical space.
“The whole entire design of the house was crafted with pure practicality. If it didn’t make practical sense, it got removed.”
One such space is the expansive, second-level laundry room.
“Nobody loves doing laundry,” Gan says, adding in some homes, it can be in a dark, tucked away space.
With the location of the laundry room and large window within it, “that’s not an issue,” says Ulsifer, who works as computer consultant, adding, “we have a laundry room with a view.”
“When you’re doing laundry, you probably don’t want to leave the laundry room,” Gan adds, of their new home.
Capitalizing on the home’s prime location, windows are a common theme throughout, including the main level.
“There’s no need for pictures or TV, the view is it,” says Gan.
Walden is a 166-hectare community located east of Macleod Trail that has 49 hectares in green space and nearly eight kilometres of pathways. The community connects to a regional pathways system that eventually links to scenic Fish Creek Provincial Park.
The community also has an existing commercial development called the Gates of Walden, which is anchored by a Save-on-Foods grocery store.
A future development by RoyOp Development Corp. — slated to be about two-thirds the size of Shawnessy Towne Centre at 800,000 square feet, is planned for the area, as well. In addition to serving the residents of Walden and the adjacent community of Legacy, it’s considered to be a regional commercial site that will attract residents from well beyond the immediate vicinity.