Augusta - 165 James St S, 14 and 26 Augusta St | ? | 6, 8 & 8 fl | Under Construction

[Chronamut]

Originally Posted by TheHonestMaple

I mean to be fair, fancy cornices wouldn't make sense on this building. That's not the architectural style of this one. It's intended to be art deco industrial, which wouldn't feature cornices like that.

True enough, but even art deco has.. well.. art deco elements. Some sort of embossing on the top corner one of some sort would have been nice vs just straight across stone with nothing whatsoever.

There is a reason the word "art" is in art deco. The pigott building interior is art deco. The sun life building interior is art deco. Hell even the old kresgys/bingo hall was art deco.



A similar styled art deco industrial building - note the stamped embossing at the top. Hell I would have even settled for peaked triangular corners

also I say THIS to your comments on no cornices on art deco buildings - london has something else to say, knave! Lol..



Our building is like art deco industrial with literally nothing that would make it art deco embellishment wise lol..

..except maybe the windows lol..





I honestly just feel they tried the least design wise with this one. Mind you, the render may just be "simplified" but they could have done something at least a LITTLE out of the norm with the corner toppers. Literally all our old industrial buildings have SOME sort of embellishment on the top, pretty much all of them. Imo the ONLY thing that makes this building interesting to look at, is the windows.

5 things will always make me happy on an exterior:

a) Tasteful awnings - like the one on the king william "french" restaurant -
b) Arches - any kind of arches or unusual angles to make it something other than a box with windows punched in
c) Fancy brickwork of any kind - this one has some, I'll grant it that
d) Cornices or some fancy topper that gives you something to actually observe and marvel at
e) Sash windows or windows like the ones on this one - imo this one has 2 out of 5, as the "awnings" are just straight jut-outs and thus kinda meh looking to me.

I'm always much much more critical of core urban due to their current track record of elegance. I still think core urban needs to be a bit more adventurous and do some embossing stamping, both on their mullion areas and in this case at the top of the corner jutout. I can only of course speak for me but many people like to look at what a building has to offer design wise vs just its overall form, or the fact that it's "big". Like their building next door to it is imo perfect. It has such a harmonious design (lack of mullion stamping aside which imo would have made it flawless hehe)

[Davis137]

Art Deco and Mid-Century Modern design elements are always welcomed in my book!

[Chronamut]

Originally Posted by Davis137

Art Deco and Mid-Century Modern design elements are always welcomed in my book!

They are for me too, if they're not stripped down to brutalist minimalism. If it's art deco I want to actually SEE art deco elements on it.

[ScreamingViking]

I like it. The brick is a shade lighter-coloured than I was expecting, but it's turning out fantastic.

I don't see art deco either, but that's not a problem. It looks like they aimed for "old factory or warehouse conversion" and that's how it's turning out.

Augusta may just become one of our most interesting streets once the block between Hughson and John fills out (lotsa lots there to do that, and while I've always thought that church was unique I think it will eventually be replaced).

[TheHonestMaple]

Some filter must have been applied to that image above, because the brick is not that orange in person. It looks much closer to light brown, like the renders.

[Chronamut]

Regardless I do love the fact , and even though they are "fake" aka they do nothing to support the structure of the windows, it still has the APPEARANCE of lintels - I am wondering if they are sandstone or just composite - they have that yellowish tinge to them that make them look like they've always been there.. in fact this building feels like a demolition of yes, an old factory in reverse so it does achieve that. I just like to be picky lol.

Also with their next project I fear them doing less to build more - I don't want to see the ONLY architect doing traditional styles decide "eh, we don't have to try as hard".

Olympia club, the other augusta building, and the james st building are just stellar.

[TheRitsman]

Originally Posted by Chronamut

Regardless I do love the fact , and even though they are "fake" aka they do nothing to support the structure of the windows, it still has the APPEARANCE of lintels - I am wondering if they are sandstone or just composite - they have that yellowish tinge to them that make them look like they've always been there.. in fact this building feels like a demolition of yes, an old factory in reverse so it does achieve that. I just like to be picky lol.

Also with their next project I fear them doing less to build more - I don't want to see the ONLY architect doing traditional styles decide "eh, we don't have to try as hard".

Olympia club, the other augusta building, and the james st building are just stellar.

As mentioned earlier and shown in my close up photos from my tour, they're concrete. I asked Steve about the material, and he confirmed that going back to the 1930s "stone" was sometimes still real stone, but it was also often a concrete type material. You can see those faux stone buildings (which I'm not a fan of) as an example.

[TheHonestMaple]

Taken today.

[Beedok]

A few more projects of this scale would be very nice. They feel parking lots nicely. (And give any high rises near by breathing room.)

[Chronamut]

Originally Posted by Beedok

A few more projects of this scale would be very nice. They feel parking lots nicely. (And give any high rises near by breathing room.)

The parking lot behind it feels very out of place now - hope something goes there eventually - I think medical arts owns it..? I am not sure..

[Hawrylyshyn]

Originally Posted by Chronamut

The parking lot behind it feels very out of place now - hope something goes there eventually - I think medical arts owns it..? I am not sure..

Hopefully a miracle happens and Core Urban can acquire it

[TheRitsman]

Originally Posted by Hawrylyshyn

Hopefully a miracle happens and Core Urban can acquire it

It seems they've been trying. It is currently owned by the Medical Arts.

[TheHonestMaple]

I would love to see them acquire that lot and then just do the mirror image of the brown brick one on that lot, just extend it.

[TheHonestMaple]

Taken today.

The Pheasant Plucker really needs some work, obvious from the air. They need a new eavestrough, the stone needs to be repointed, windows replaced. I also really hope they take down that ugly canopy when construction is over next door. But i'm not hopeful. My favourite bar downtown, but it needs some serious love.

[TheHonestMaple]

Taken today.

[TheRitsman]

I was by here last night with a friend and my partner and while downtown has always looked like a filled out downtown from the mountain and out east, when you actually walk around downtown it feels hollow like there are no areas where there are just buildings. There's always a parking lot somewhere. This corner at James St S and Augusta feels *full* now because of these buildings. Really happy with how these turned out.

[Chronamut]

I wonder if it's going to be a weird feeling to eat on the top floor of the building next door and be able to see into the penthouse glass of this building - are those people just always going to have blinds covering up their windows so the restaurant goers can't see into their private everyday lives?

[TheRitsman]

Originally Posted by Chronamut

I wonder if it's going to be a weird feeling to eat on the top floor of the building next door and be able to see into the penthouse glass of this building - are those people just always going to have blinds covering up their windows so the restaurant goers can't see into their private everyday lives?

We live with our windows too our neighbours and an AirBnB. You just get used to it, or close the blinds if you're naked (or just run).

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by Chronamut

I wonder if it's going to be a weird feeling to eat on the top floor of the building next door and be able to see into the penthouse glass of this building - are those people just always going to have blinds covering up their windows so the restaurant goers can't see into their private everyday lives?

City life. As TheRitsman said, we "just get used to it"

We often read criticisms of intensification in neighbourhoods that have traditionally been SFHs that touch on this idea ("They'll be able to look into my yard!").

As if most people living in those houses are worth watching that closely. And as if most watchers are creepy enough to do it.

[TheRitsman]

Originally Posted by ScreamingViking

City life. As TheRitsman said, we "just get used to it"

We often read criticisms of intensification in neighbourhoods that have traditionally been SFHs that touch on this idea ("They'll be able to look into my yard!").

As if most people living in those houses are worth watching that closely. And as if most watchers are creepy enough to do it.

Literally all of our neighbours could see right into our backyard and house until recently. We fixed a few fences and now 3 of our neighbours can see into our yard, and 2 of them can see into our house. One neighbour we talk to regularly because their second floor deck can outright see us hanging out in our yard.

It makes me laugh when people worry that condo/apartment dwellers will be able to see them. As if they're owed privacy from every single person, and like they're interesting enough to watch.

There was one lady that delegated against a condo on the mountain I'm pretty sure because they said pedophiles would live in this new condo beside a daycare.... Like.