Located on a property close to the Calgary International Airport, The District is a multi-site development owned by Melcor Developments. Via previous work on other District parcels, Melcor had established an aesthetic precedent for this retail development. 

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A slight difference from the traditional retail offerings at The District, the Lower Bench site was conceived to provide a commercial/industrial format that would feature deeper bays and rear-loading access. The four buildings that compose the Lower Bench were laid out to follow the contours of this linear site. All loading areas abut an adjacent, highly sloped municipal reserve land which conceal them from public view. The two buildings that bookend the site at its north and south limits were designed for single tenants, while the two middle buildings are multi-tenanted. 

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Melcor's goal for the building architecture was ensure that the buildings were clearly related to the balance of The District via colour scheme and materiality. Therefore, the buildings utilize split face concrete masonry, wood look metal siding, and aluminum panels. However, these materials were applied at a larger scale more fitting to the larger size of the buildings.

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