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Classroom example O2 Planning and Design

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The question

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How it works

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Who does this work

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Ways in

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For you

About O2 Planning and Design

For you

Sources

How can a park help clean stormwater before it reaches a river?

O2 Planning and Design · Calgary studio; the featured project is Dale Hodges Park in Calgary.

Graphic-novel illustration. Fictional landscape designer tracing a stormwater route on a plan beside a wetland boardwalk.

Where it fits

Pick your class
  • Biology 20 · Water, habitat and ecosystem relationships

How it works

Schematic · not to scale

Follow stormwater through a landscape

Conceptual teaching illustration for How can a park help clean stormwater before it reaches a river? Four numbered stages and arrows correspond to the explanation below.
  1. Runoff enters from streets and drains.

  2. Slower flow allows some suspended particles to settle.

  3. Water moves through a planted marsh.

  4. The downstream river and habitat remain part of the system.

A conceptual route, not an engineering plan. Clearer water can still contain dissolved substances; no drinking-water quality is implied.

The lesson, in the real world

A park can be part of a city’s water system.

  1. 1

    Runoff carries water and suspended material from streets into drainage systems.

    Our explanation
  2. 2

    At Dale Hodges Park, water follows a designed route through a landscape rather than remaining hidden in pipes.

    Our explanation
  3. 3

    Slower flow can allow some suspended particles to settle. Different treatment stages address different parts of the problem.

    Our explanation
  4. 4

    The landscape also supports habitat and recreation. A useful design must account for these needs together.

    Our explanation
Source: O2 Planning and Design — company/project evidence 1(opens in a new tab); O2 Planning and Design — company/project evidence 2(opens in a new tab); O2 Planning and Design — company/project evidence 3(opens in a new tab); O2 Planning and Design — company/project evidence 4(opens in a new tab); O2 Planning and Design — company/project evidence 5(opens in a new tab); Alberta Biology 20–30 program: water use and ecosystems(opens in a new tab)

Who does this work

All roles in this example

Role

Landscape design

Shape outdoor spaces so water, habitat and human uses can work together.

What might you actually do?

  • Investigate

    Read the site and identify competing needs.

  • Test and compare

    Develop plans and sections that show landforms and planting.

  • Document and improve

    Review details with engineers, ecologists and construction teams.

Typical of this kind of work in general. Not a description of any one person’s job at O2 Planning and Design.

Often works with
Ecologists, planners, engineers and contractors
Classroom connection
A change to a landform changes paths for both water and people.

Related job postings

Similar work at other employers in Calgary, AB, not openings at O2 Planning and Design. These are live searches: results change daily and we have not checked them.

Saved job examples

How employers have described this kind of work, saved on the date shown. Employers have not reviewed or endorsed this page.

  • Junior Landscape DesignerO2 Planning + Design · CalgaryHistorical example
    Employer posting · saved 17 Oct 2026

    Junior Landscape Designer

    O2 Planning + Design

    Featured employer; the posting does not establish assignment to the featured project.

    Source: O2 Planning and Design — company/project evidence 4(opens in a new tab)
    Location
    Calgary
    Experience
    Junior; employer requested at least one year of relevant experience

    Help a multidisciplinary team turn landscape concepts into drawings and visual presentations.

    The work, in our words

    • Contribute to concept designs, reports and construction documentation.
    • Prepare 3D visualizations and renderings.
    • Develop technical detailing with the project team.

    Skills the posting asks for

    Landscape architecture or related university degree. · At least one year of relevant experience. · Graphic communication and CAD/3D software skills; eligibility for AALA Associate membership.

    Classroom connection

    Shows how the landscape design in the park story becomes documented plans. This posting does not establish assignment to Dale Hodges Park.

    What this example establishes: Undated employer role example — application status unverified, checked 17 October 2026

    Historical job example — not a current vacancy

    Undated employer role example — application status unverified, checked 17 October 2026

    Original posting(opens in a new tab)

How to prepare

  • Master of Landscape Architecture

    University of Calgary

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Ways in

For your students

Ways to prepare for this work

Programs that teach skills this work uses. Each is one route in, not a requirement, and no program has endorsed this page.

Showing routes for landscape design. Show all

  • University of CalgaryGraduate degreeCalgary

    Master of Landscape Architecture

    Study landscape design, land stewardship and community needs.

    About this route

    Check current admission, portfolio, intake and workplace requirements; program completion does not guarantee a job or professional registration.

    Why it connects to the work · our interpretation

    Landscape design

    A longer-term professional education route after undergraduate study; registration is separate. A change to a landform changes paths for both water and people.

Ask the class

Use it in class

Ask the class

Would the clearest-looking water necessarily be the safest water?

Draw two fictional routes from a street drain to a river: one short and fast, one with space for settling. Mark where to sample and one habitat trade-off.

Mindset it shows

Clear water can still contain dissolved contaminants. This is a planning model, not a drinking-water treatment demonstration.

About O2 Planning and Design

A park can be part of a city’s water system.

O2 is a planning and design practice with a Calgary studio. At Dale Hodges Park, it worked with other specialists to combine stormwater treatment, habitat and public space. Its project account describes marshes, wet meadows and landforms that guide water before it reaches the Bow River. This was collaborative work; O2 did not design every element alone.

Source: O2 Planning and Design — company/project evidence 1(opens in a new tab); O2 Planning and Design — company/project evidence 2(opens in a new tab); O2 Planning and Design — company/project evidence 3(opens in a new tab); O2 Planning and Design — company/project evidence 4(opens in a new tab); O2 Planning and Design — company/project evidence 5(opens in a new tab)
Who does this work

Read each source’s date and scope: a documented role is not proof of a current vacancy or of where every position is based.

Reported as O2 Planning and Design states it. O2 Planning and Design has not reviewed or endorsed this page.

Sources and course fit

Sources checked 17 Oct 2026

Organization claims are reported as the organization states them. O2 Planning and Design has not reviewed or endorsed this page.

What we know, and how
TypeClaimHow we know
workO2 is a planning and design practice with a Calgary studio. At Dale Hodges Park, it worked with other specialists to combine stormwater treatment, habitat and public space. Its project account describes marshes, wet meadows and landforms that guide water before it reaches the Bow River. This was collaborative work; O2 did not design every element alone.Source: O2 Planning and Design — company/project evidence 1; O2 Planning and Design — company/project evidence 2; O2 Planning and Design — company/project evidence 3; O2 Planning and Design — company/project evidence 4; O2 Planning and Design — company/project evidence 5Source-backed company/project account
local connectionCalgary studio; the featured project is Dale Hodges Park in Calgary.Source: O2 Planning and Design — company/project evidence 1; O2 Planning and Design — company/project evidence 2; O2 Planning and Design — company/project evidence 3; O2 Planning and Design — company/project evidence 4; O2 Planning and Design — company/project evidence 5Source-backed local work
course fitBiology 20 B1.3k relates biotic and abiotic factors in aquatic ecosystems. Use the park to compare habitat and water conditions; treatment performance needs measurements.Source: Alberta Biology 20–30 program: water use and ecosystemsEditorial application of verified curriculum topics
limitsNo measured removal percentage is claimed. Preserve partner attribution and distinguish suspended particles from dissolved substances.Source: O2 Planning and Design — company/project evidence 1; O2 Planning and Design — company/project evidence 2; O2 Planning and Design — company/project evidence 3; O2 Planning and Design — company/project evidence 4; O2 Planning and Design — company/project evidence 5Scope of this example

Solid green: the organization states it. Outlined: seen in a dated source. Dashed: our interpretation, not yet researched, or announced but not yet real.