Vibrant! (HSP Block 26) | 129'-8" | 12 floors | Complete

[maccoinnich]

-------------------------

Original Post:

Affordable housing planned for Pearl at Raleigh Street, documents show



By Brad Schmidt | The Oregonian/OregonLive

Newly released city documents reveal where Portland officials hope to build more affordable housing in the Pearl District: Northwest Raleigh Street, between 13th and 14th avenues.

The Portland Housing Bureau identified the property -- called Block 26 -- as part of a $2.3 million budget request submitted Monday. Money for the purchase would come from River District urban renewal funds.

It's not clear how much Portland actually will pay for the land, or precisely how much of the block the city would would acquire, although property records suggest it is likely the quarter-block along Raleigh at 14th.

...continues at the Oregonian.

[maccoinnich]

LRS Architects have requested Design Advice for Block 26 at NW 14th & Raleigh:

Design Advice Request to discuss a Type III Design Review for a proposed new 12-story residential development with 93 affordable dwelling units. The ground floor will include 18 parking spaces.

[maccoinnich]

Drawings [PDF - 8.5MB].

[zilfondel]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

Drawings [PDF - 8.5MB].

WAT.



pg 8, their design precedents include the Freedom Center Apartments and the Active Space building on NW Raleigh.

Someone needs to smack their designer with a bat or something

[eric cantona]

Originally Posted by zilfondel

WAT.

pg 8, their design precedents include the Freedom Center Apartments and the Active Space building on NW Raleigh.

Someone needs to smack their designer with a bat or something

I threw up a little in my mouth when I saw those projects as the "identity of the Pearl District". aiming high, aren't they?

[Derek]

I'm just going to say I'm going to be in the minority on this one.


At least it's not a dreary slab.

[maccoinnich]

Under the code changes recently approved by City Council, this project will have the option not to go before the Design Commission for its design review. Once they've had one Design Advice hearing (and this is the package for that hearing), they can submit for a Type II review where the decision is made by Bureau of Development Services staff.

[2oh1]

Originally Posted by Derek

At least it's not a dreary slab.

I've never understood the argument that something is good because it isn't worse. The Flu isn't cancer, but does anybody like having the flu? A mugger isn't a murderer, but does anybody want to get mugged? This thing isn't a dreary slab, but not being dreary doesn't mean it's good design. This is another one where I hope a few rounds of design review will fix it. It looks like it was designed by committee.

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

Under the code changes recently approved by City Council, this project will have the option not to go before the Design Commission for its design review. Once they've had one Design Advice hearing (and this is the package for that hearing), they can submit for a Type II review where the decision is made by Bureau of Development Services staff.

Ruh roh.

[Derek]

Originally Posted by 2oh1

I've never understood the argument that something is good because it isn't worse. The Flu isn't cancer, but does anybody like having the flu? A mugger isn't a murderer, but does anybody want to get mugged? This thing isn't a dreary slab, but not being dreary doesn't mean it's good design. This is another one where I hope a few rounds of design review will fix it. It looks like it was designed by committee.



Ruh roh.

To be clear, the design itself is pretty bad but I appreciate the color they've included. I'm excited to see this one mature.

[Sioux612]

The difference that height makes

[maccoinnich]

Staff memo [PDF] to the Design Commission.

[maccoinnich]

Images from DAR #1, and write up at Next Portland.

[zilfondel]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

It looks like shipping crate-itecture. Without using actual crates.

[Derek]

Originally Posted by zilfondel

It looks like shipping crate-itecture. Without using actual crates.

This is exactly what I was thinking. I love the concept and colors, but it needs to be refined.

[urbanlife]

I like the overall design depending on the material they choose to use.

[2oh1]

I'm not sure. It looks like a jumbled mess created by too many ideas, as if it was designed by committee. And it's a cartoon rendering which certainly won't look like that when built. I think either the dark gray parts need to be white instead, or vice versa.

[TowerPower]

Hideous is the word I'd use.

[Leo]

So terrible ... It reminds me of what I used to build with Legos after I ran out of the right-colored blocks...

[innovativethinking]

It looks awesome and much better than the Yard

[2oh1]

The more I look at it, the more I think it's a mess.

There's no connection between the design of the ground floor and anything above it. The darker sections of the building are the parts that protrude, which makes them look hulking. It looks like there's no rhyme or reason for where and how the various colors are used. The orange, as used here, could be good, but the rest of the chaos makes it look gaudy. The interplay of the light and dark grays could be good, but the white sections make it look choppy or even scattered. The protruding sections could add visual interest, but instead they look hulking because they're dark resting on non-protruding white. The whole thing is a mess.

Hopefully it'll change significantly for the better before they break ground, because as it is... oof.