Lloyd District News - Page 6

2oh1 · #**101** Posted **Oct 23, 2009, 5:50 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delaney

"It pulls inspiration from the modern iconic high-rises and allows the rigidness to deform with the will of its inhabitants."

http://www.worksarchitecture.net/html/project7_2.html

That's the dumbest thing I've read in a long time. "Deform with the will of its inhabitants"? It might deform with the will of an earthquake, but the will of Jimmy in unit #503 isn't going to deform anything other than maybe the carpets in the hallway as he carelessly spills his beer. Again.

Personally, I think looks like an office building. Don't get me wrong... It looks fine. I could see it on 6th Ave downtown somewhere amongst the other offices. It would fit right in because it looks like an office rather than a home. A nice office, even.

rsbear · #**102** Posted **Oct 23, 2009, 5:56 PM**

I think the wavy columns make the building look broken.

pylon · #**103** Posted **Oct 23, 2009, 7:19 PM**

"...and allows the rigidness to deform with the will of its inhabitants."

Has the state legalized architectural marijuana?

Okstate · #**104** Posted **Oct 23, 2009, 8:20 PM**

I really thought this was an office building.

New Madrid · #**105** Posted **Oct 23, 2009, 9:13 PM**

I'm all for taking shots at folks who are truly over the top into themselves and pompous about their projects, but folks are taking a small, interesting firm to task for one line on their website that an intern probably came up with...

remember: they're architects, not poet laureates.

crow · #**106** Posted **Oct 23, 2009, 10:04 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by New Madrid

I'm all for taking shots at folks who are truly over the top into themselves and pompous about their projects, but folks are taking a small, interesting firm to task for one line on their website that an intern probably came up with...

remember: they're architects, not poet laureates.

Why does that matter? It is taking a simple box form with column covers and deforming it to make it stand out. It is a one-liner. I am personally tired of the smaller firms getting stroked for the one-liners and short sighted form driven architecture that has been put up recently. It is dated, and lacks sophistication that any reasonable architect would not stand behind, but apparently is okay if done by a small design firm doing business as architects. ~dazed and confused~

New Madrid · #**107** Posted **Oct 23, 2009, 11:51 PM**

...

zilfondel · #**108** Posted **Oct 24, 2009, 7:39 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by crow

Why does that matter? It is taking a simple box form with column covers and deforming it to make it stand out. It is a one-liner. I am personally tired of the smaller firms getting stroked for the one-liners and short sighted form driven architecture that has been put up recently. It is dated, and lacks sophistication that any reasonable architect would not stand behind, but apparently is okay if done by a small design firm doing business as architects. ~dazed and confused~

ever heard of a budget?

geez, you guys all have your 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 in a bundle

crow · #**109** Posted **Oct 24, 2009, 10:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by zilfondel

ever heard of a budget?

geez, you guys all have your 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 in a bundle

Okay, if the budget is the holy water that separates big from small, then we should continue to assume the little guys get small budgets and the big guys get big budgets. How is this measured $/sf or just overall size? The small guys can't be touched b/c they can't make decent architecture with a small budget, while the big guys do 🞵🞵🞵🞵 with big budgets, so we should focus there? Do you even know what you are talking about? Appears an oversimplification that doing design with small budgets is more difficult, so when it does not turn out very good we should just turn our heads. If it stinks call it out - sorry if that sounds mean.

RED_PDXer · #**110** Posted **Oct 25, 2009, 7:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by cab

No outside area's for the units for the PDX building. Notice the BC one does. We better be careful, many of the new buildings are not providing balconies, this is a must in an urban environment. You can't expect people to live in cubby holes with no connection to the outdoors. This also puts pressure on the public spaces. Is this a design choice or economic? How come every building in Vancouver BC provides most units with nice size balconies why we play with wavy lines and punctured windows?

Zoning regulations. Portland doesn't require balconies in the highest density places - many other places do. Balconies probably add to the cost of buildings and the city is trying to keep prescribed costs to a minimum to encourage more higher density and housing that is affordable. I like balconies, but they are kind of a luxury..

It's kinda like parking. Most cities require one or more spaces per unit, but they add $20-50,000 in cost per space. Portland doesn't require it for many good reasons - housing affordability, it lowers density, subsidizes driving, and conflicts with regional transportation goals.

urbanlife · #**111** Posted **Oct 25, 2009, 7:44 PM**

There are two types of balconies, either they cantilever out, which is an added cost because that has to be balanced out in the structure, or they are built into the building which takes away square footage from the units. Imagine if the tiny apartments of the Cyan had balconies, the units would be even smaller with a higher price tag.

Besides, if the urban fabric around the building is active and well put together, does one really need a tiny balcony or do they just need windows that can open?

f it makes you feel any better, the 937 has red balconies.

PacificNW · #**112** Posted **Oct 26, 2009, 1:13 AM**

I had a balcony with my unit while I lived in Seattle. I very seldom used it. (But, I was glad it was there for me to use....especially when friends were visiting.)

crow · #**113** Posted **Oct 26, 2009, 2:04 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by PacificNW

I had a balcony with my unit while I lived in Seattle. I very seldom used it.

usually the balconies are a pure marketing equilizer with the other properties. Balconies that are attached, especially in taller buildings, are very uncomfortable places to be in. Everytime you break the skin, it is a potential for a leak. I have lived in both with and without balconies, and more times than not, having a balcony gives you an option, subconcious or not, it makes you feel like you have a choice whether to live in the "box" or not. Of course having a pad on the park blocks and being able to walk out the front door is a bigger bonus than a balcony to me!

pdxf · #**114** Posted **Oct 26, 2009, 5:43 PM**

I can't imagine not having a balcony. I live on the 10th floor, and during the summer, we ate dinner on our balcony almost nightly. It also makes for a quick escape, when I want to get some fresh air, or just stand outside without having to take the elevator down 10 floors just to walk around the block. Maybe I'm not up high enough, but my balcony isn't uncomforatable (however it could be a little larger!). When we were looking for apartments this past spring, we wouldn't even consider units that didn't have some form of outdoor space (perhaps I'm not typical!?).

I have a feeling that even if people don't fully utilize their balconies, there is an effect on the the high rise dweller just knowing that it is there in case they decide that they actually want to interact with the natural environment. I used to be disappointed by balconies that don't have anything on them (plants, tables, etc...), thinking that they weren't being used. Actually, I have noticed quite a bit of activity on these "non-used" balconies. People just having their door open, wandering out onto their private outdoor space to look and see what is going on down at the street, look at the sunset, etc.... Maybe someone should do a study on the happiness of urban dwellers and the relationship to balconies.

bvpcvm · #**115** Posted **Oct 26, 2009, 9:31 PM**

I agree with you, I wouldn't live in a place without a balcony either, but I think it's not typical. I live in a condo complex where the units are all townhouse-like and each one has a 6ft x 9ft deck. We eat dinner outside all through the summer, but I think we are the only ones in the complex to do so. Some units here even have rooftop terraces, which are about 15x15, and they too go mostly unused. I can't imagine why, though.

2oh1 · #**116** Posted **Oct 26, 2009, 11:19 PM**

Balconies also change the neighborhoods of the buildings they're in by bringing bits of life to the exterior of the buildings.

I don't use mine often, but I sure do love having it.

JordanL · #**117** Posted **Oct 27, 2009, 5:37 AM**

I would absolutely refuse to live in an apartment without a balcony. Taking an elevator to get fresh air at my place of residence is completely unacceptable to me.

urbanlife · #**118** Posted **Oct 27, 2009, 5:43 AM**

If we are just saying our personal opinions and choices, having a balcony on an apartment wouldnt matter to me, I would take a place based on if I liked it or not. But with that said, I have been living in a divided house for the past few years now. So I dont even live in typical apartment housing and I actually prefer only having three other neighbor units rather than an entire building of neighbors...so I guess that is more important to me than a balcony.

Atomic Glee · #**119** Posted **Oct 28, 2009, 5:40 PM**

Never lived anywhere with a balcony. My first building had no outdoor space at all, the second had a rooftop deck that was nice, and the third, well, it's sort of a "roll your own" rooftop deck.

Downtown_Gal · #**120** Posted **Oct 29, 2009, 7:38 PM**

My balcony is tiny but I love it and go out there almost every day. We live on the 2nd floor though and usually I go out to see what's going on down on the street more than to get fresh air - I work from home so taking a little people-watching break is exactly what I need sometimes. Plus, there is never a shortage of very entertaining drama going on down there.

We've been condo-hunting lately and with some of the condos on higher floors or ones with balconies that don't face a busy street, I just don't see myself going out on them quite as often. Having a balcony didn't make our "must-have" in a condo list.