Canadian City Proposals

[WhipperSnapper]

Less than one bike per unit with 2 parking spots per 13 units. It's not enough.

[MonkeyRonin]

Winning team for the Quayside project has been announced (formerly the infamous Sidewalk Labs site), with renderings released. Architects involved include Adjaye Associates, Alison Brooks, and Henning Larsen.

More info: https://waterfrontoronto.ca/nbe/portal/w...+gulf+group+selected+to+develop+quayside















https://www.blogto.com/city/2022/02/quayside-waterfront-toronto/

[905er]

hahahah.. easy there on the balcony trees.. that will NEVER happen.

Beautiful otherwise.. has a very Scandinavian vibe... at least the low rises... very Oslo.

[WhipperSnapper]

Terrible scale. Street level with the pretty curves is more oppressive than the Gardiner Expressway next to it. The details have me confused. Maybe I haven't smoked enough today. unobstructed views of Toronto's harbour from your very own multi-million dollar prison cell I haven't even touched the Berlin Wall building

These proposed "vertical forest" popping up in Toronto reminds me of this article.

https://nypost.com/2020/09/15/mosquitoes-overrun-chinese-complex-turned-into-vertical-forest/

[SpongeG]

do trees survive on balconies like that in the climate there?

[suburbanite]

It's inevitable at this point that the waterfront is going to be damn ugly. I just hope that it is at least lively and interesting when all is said and done.

[Harley613]

So many proposals in Toronto and NYC lately with rendered lush forests growing on them. It seems like a bait & switch fad to me. It might work in Singapore but good luck lasting a Toronto winter or a NYC hurricane...

[Nouvellecosse]

Originally Posted by 905er

hahahah.. easy there on the balcony trees.. that will NEVER happen.

Beautiful otherwise.. has a very Scandinavian vibe... at least the low rises... very Oslo.

It would be amazing if that level of greenery was actually achieved in a domestic development. Renderings have been popping up with this stuff around the world for years with some successfully examples in warmer locations.

[GeneralLea]

Well, this is one weird looking,overly dense, and confusing way to propose a new neighbourhood. The designs are all over the place, there's no rhyme or reason for anything it seems...and they are really aiming for lots of density to justify their vision. (Seemingly). It reads as very aggressive, and it is. It's a wall of giant towers with some midrises near the lake...which while in some ways may be better than what the rest of the whole Southcore neighbourhood is...is still repeating the same mistakes to the west. I really wish we'd see more of a long term vision for the area, something more than making a canyon of highrises along the railyards.

[biguc]

Originally Posted by trueviking

That's hilarious...i was reading this thinking....well it is called Hat....they actually name all their developments Hat? That doesn't even make sense....unless its an acronym for something.

This might all be in my head but I feel like 10 years ago or so, when enormous condo towers in Toronto were still rare enough you could distinguish individual instances, people on this board could mark some out by referring to "the hat". Like, Casa 1 in Toronto has that mortar board treatment on the roof; people called that a hat.

Like I said, maybe it's all in my head.

Anyway, in my head I imagine these Calgary developers reading that and not picking up the derision. It's like an SEO optimized name.

"Lots of mention of "the hat" on that skyscraper board. Let's call all our projects The Hat. They'll be on us like flies on dogshit."

[biguc]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

Terrible scale. Street level with the pretty curves is more oppressive than the Gardiner Expressway next to it. The details have me confused. Maybe I haven't smoked enough today. unobstructed views of Toronto's harbour from your very own multi-million dollar prison cell I haven't even touched the Berlin Wall building

It's funny, I actually like that element. I know it's not the fine-grained urbanism we pine for, but it is cool. It reminds me of this in Berlin:

https://www.google.com/maps/@52.5220422,...Q584VF0mraNN02Qx9jiZA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

That's not textbook good urbanism, but it's always a bustling block. Whatever it's doing, it works.

I've basically given up on perfect built form happening at all making for an interesting new area. It's all going to be Shoppers and chain restaurants at ground level anyway. Give it thirty years and the chance to get seedy, then we'll see.

[Metro-One]

Originally Posted by hollywoodnorth

https://twitter.com/ibigroup/status/1493314781834588161

IBI Group@ibigroup

We’re proud to provide our architectural services to @ReliancePropLtd for a residential building located at 1075 West Georgia in #Vancouver. The building will reserve 100 units for essential workers enabling them to live close to where they work. #IBILiving

A little movement on this proposal in downtown Van.

[MonkeyRonin]

Originally Posted by Harley613

So many proposals in Toronto and NYC lately with rendered lush forests growing on them. It seems like a bait & switch fad to me. It might work in Singapore but good luck lasting a Toronto winter or a NYC hurricane...

Some of the renderings that depict apparently full-sized trees on balconies are definitely fanciful - though that would be due to a lack of space for root systems moreso than the climate. I can't see any reason as to why our climate would be too cold to otherwise allow for appropriate vegetation to grow in planters up the side of a tower.

Perhaps one of the best-known examples of "forest scrapers" is in Milan - which, while milder than Toronto still experiences cold winter weather (more in line with NY's climate).


https://twistedsifter.com/2016/06/vertical-forest-residential-towers-in-milan-by-boeri-studio/

[rbt]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

do trees survive on balconies like that in the climate there?

They would need assistance like automated irrigation (with regular/remote monitoring) and possibly wraps in the winter, but it can be done.


I'd pay extra for a condo with irrigated balcony planters that could be enclosed as a sunroom in winter by installing/closing glass shutters along the length.

[TorontoDrew]

That Vancouver proposal looks like an Office Tower trying to be a condo, or a condo trying to be an office tower.

As for that Toronto proposal. This was only the winning entry, meaning that this is all just conceptual and Waterfront Toronto liked many elements of it. The actual designs will likely be way different, at a better scale and watered down.

I'd like to see the other entries.

[Nouvellecosse]

Originally Posted by MonkeyRonin

Some of the renderings that depict apparently full-sized trees on balconies are definitely fanciful - though that would be due to a lack of space for root systems moreso than the climate. I can't see any reason as to why our climate would be too cold to otherwise allow for appropriate vegetation to grow in planters up the side of a tower.

Perhaps one of the best-known examples of "forest scrapers" is in Milan - which, while milder than Toronto still experiences cold winter weather (more in line with NY's climate).

That's always the first one that comes to my mind as well. I suspect that vines would be a better option to greenify a building if one wants to create the aesthetic of an integration between plant and technology. We know some types of vines grow well here as there are buildings that can be completely covered. And they wouldn't require as deep of roots.

Of course, you'd have to closely consider the design of the underlying cladding or it would look like shit in the winter.

[J.OT13]

Ottawa proposal at 294 & 300 Tremblay Rd, near the VIA Rail Station, between Tremblay and St. Laurent O-Train stations.

Originally Posted by SL123

Found this High Quality rendering. It is also set for completion by 2023

[Coldrsx]

A new $250 million 'wellness hub' venture between Covenant Health and Rohit Developments for South East Edmonton.




https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/wellness-hub...struction-begins-in-the-summer-1.5782767

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally Posted by biguc

It's funny, I actually like that element. I know it's not the fine-grained urbanism we pine for, but it is cool. It reminds me of this in Berlin:

https://www.google.com/maps/@52.5220422,...Q584VF0mraNN02Qx9jiZA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

That's not textbook good urbanism, but it's always a bustling block. Whatever it's doing, it works.

I've basically given up on perfect built form happening at all making for an interesting new area. It's all going to be Shoppers and chain restaurants at ground level anyway. Give it thirty years and the chance to get seedy, then we'll see.

I don't hate the concept. Toronto could use some experimental vision in both form and architectural design. It just doesn't work on Queen Quay as proposed. It would work on Lake Shore. However, that's where taller towers go. That's the biggest thing why this doesn't work. It's visionary until the amount of square footage needed is factored in. It's just oppressive from then on. More "holes " or, at lease taller "holes" and its no longer a wall along Queens Quay. IMO, The green curvaceous screams David Adjaye creativity. (I think both this and the wall could be his visions) The massing kills it.

[WhipperSnapper]

I don't see any reason you can't grow a vertical forest in Toronto. Nature takes over very quickly when neglected like anywhere else. You just need the right species.