Vivian [1440 Blair Towers Pl] | 55+67m | 18+22f | Approved

[Richard Eade]

This is supposed to be a residential development, including a few 3-bedroom (presumably ‘family’) apartments. So why is the available ‘play area’, the 10% dedicated ‘PARKLAND’, placed beside the Blair-Oglvie intersection? Is that where mothers would want their young kids to kick around a ball? Or even to sit with neighbours to get some air for their babes in prams?

Push the building towards the roads and put the ‘PARKLAND’ next to the ‘CANOPY OF EXISTING MATURE TREES TO BE PRESERVED’ (which might be a bit overstated since most of the indicated area is part of a parking lot). At least that way the ball will be stopped by the fence along the CTC property.

It seems to me that too many buildings are designed without thought of the users. There is a checklist of user amenities that must be present, but there is little consideration for the users of those amenities. The things from the checklist may be present, but if not fully usable, then they are not really there. It makes me wonder what is being emphasized in architecture schools; form or function.