Taza Development Corp
Every so often, a project comes along that's more than just a job. It’s a partnership. It’s a legacy. It’s a chance to be part of something that truly matters.
Growing up in Calgary, many of us saw firsthand the adversity the neighbouring Tsuut’ina Nation faced. It's a story common to Indigenous peoples across North America. To now have the privilege of working with the Nation as they build something so exceptional on their land—something that will create prosperity and opportunity for their people for generations—has been a very special experience.
This isn't just a development; it's a story of self-determination, resilience, and hope. It’s a beacon for what's possible when Indigenous communities are empowered to build their own future. We were honoured to be chosen to help tell that story.
A Project with Purpose
The Client: A Nation’s Vision
Taza is one of the largest First Nations-led developments in North America. A partnership between the Tsuut’ina Nation and Canderel, Taza is a massive, 1,200-acre project that spans three distinct villages: Taza Park, The Crossing, and Buffalo Run. This is a vision of unprecedented scale, designed to blend modern urban living, vibrant commercial districts, and deep cultural expression with a profound respect for the land.
Client:
Taza Development Corp (Tsuut’ina Nation & Canderel)
Interactive Experience:
Creative Direction
Website:
taza.ca
The Challenge: How to Sell a 1,200-Acre Dream?
This project presented a unique and complex challenge. How do you possibly communicate a vision this massive? How do you help potential tenants, partners, and visitors understand the sheer scale of three interconnected villages?
A simple marketing video or a handful of renderings wouldn't be enough. The vision was too big, the details too intricate, and the story too important. Taza needed a tool that was as innovative, comprehensive, and forward-thinking as the project itself. They needed a way for people to not just see the future, but to explore it.
Our Solution: A Multi-Faceted Digital World
To solve this, we couldn't just deliver one product. We had to create a complete, interconnected ecosystem of visualization tools, all housed within the Taza Discovery Centre. Our solution was to build a living, interactive 3D world, supported by feature animations, virtual cameras, and a foundation of stunning still imagery.
Interactive Display
The centerpiece of the Taza Discovery Centre is the interactive display. This system combines a massive, 16-monitor curved video wall with an intuitive iPad controller. This isn't a pre-rendered video; it's a living, dynamic 3D model of the Taza development, focusing on Taza Park, the first of the three Villages with residential developments.
Using the iPad, the Taza team can:
Explore at Scale: Fly over the 470-acre Taza Park development, moving seamlessly from one highlight to the next.
Launch Amenity & Residential Vignettes: Select a key amenity or specific residential development to trigger a full-screen, animated vignette.
Tell a Deeper Story: Pull up detailed information, virtual cameras, still renderings, and key facts for each vignette.
This interactive display transformed the leasing centre from a simple sales office into an immersive educational experience. Best of all, it's "future-proof." As new phases are designed, and as new residential developments are released, we can add the 3D model to the masterplan and create a new vignette, making it a tool that will grow and evolve with the community.
Feature Video & Amenity Vignettes
When the interactive display is not in use, the 16-monitor wall plays the Taza Park feature video. This standalone video, posted here, is also used for their wider marketing efforts, and blends our visualizations with lifestyle footage to tell the complete story of Taza.
This main video is built from a smaller selection of individual animations we created for the main vignettes found within the display:
Ponds & Pathways
Tsuut'ina Parkway
Greenway
Dene Greens
Weaselhead
Future Residential
The interactive display allows visitors to explore each of these vignettes one by one, complete with a supporting animation... but we’re not going to spoil it all here, if you want to see them, all you'll just have to visit the Taza Discovery Centre!
Virtual Cameras
To truly give visitors a sense of place, we embedded 360-degree virtual cameras throughout the 3D masterplan. Each vignette and each residential development has its own virtual camera to transport you "inside" the community. From this viewpoint, you can look around in all directions to experience what it will feel like to stand on that very spot. To make some of these views even more lifelike, we integrated high-resolution drone photography taken from the exact position on site, seamlessly blending our 3D model with the real-world horizon and mountain views. We’ve added a few here for your viewing pleasure.
Still Renderings
We created a comprehensive suite of still renderings to capture the vibrancy, culture, and connection to nature that defines Taza. We focused on key moments: families gathering at the central fire pit, the vibrant Tsuut’ina-inspired patterns on the pathways and bridges, and the laughter of kids in the Dene Greens splash park.
We want to extend a special thank you to Tsuut’ina artist Stephanie One Spot , who was gracious enough to meet with us and provide her beautiful art, which we featured in murals throughout the visualizations. Our own artists also created the stunning sculptures seen in our work, based on guidance from the Taza team and Tsuut’ina Relations consultation.
Residential Developments
The Taza Discovery Centre is also home to the sales centres for the community's residential builders. To support them, we integrated their specific developments directly into the interactive display and masterplan model. This allows a potential homebuyer to visit a builder's sales suit, see their future home, and then see exactly how that home fits into the Taza community as a whole. It’s a powerful tool that connects the micro (a single home) to the macro (a 1,200-acre vision).
What we worked on:
Experience Centre and Interactive Display Consultation
Mind Mapping & User Experience Studies
Feature Multimedia Video
Amenity Vignette Animations
360° Virtual Camera Rendering
Amenity & Streetscape Still Renderings
Aerial Rendering & Photography Composites
Drone Photography and Videography Planning & Execution
Interactive Hardware Research, Purchase, Testing
Interactive Software Testing & Deployment
