The Georgia | 157m | 48 fl | Completed

[squeezied]

What's the function of the top floor of the office component (the floor with the spandrels)? It doesn't look like it'll be occupied for office use if it's covered by spandrels.

[officedweller]

That's where the transfer floor is - in essence it is a full height floor of concrete beams that acts as the foundation for the residential tower above. Those beams "transfer" the load from the columns in the residential tower above to different (differently aligned) columns in the office podium below. They bridge the "stagger" between the columns above and the columns below.

Pics by me February 4, 2010 - look at all that rebar!!

Originally Posted by officedweller

Pics by me today:



Transfer floor?


Bonus pic with Jameson House in the background:

[squeezied]

ahh ok, I had a feeling that was the reason. It's the same thing with Shangri-La at the start of the "angled" floorplate.

[Locked In]

My photos, today - a bit blurry unfortunately:


Full Size


Full Size

[LeftCoaster]

cool, the shades have a nice effect.

[dleung]

Yea, imagine if the louvers were all a couple feet lower so they cover the mullions... it'll look like the office podium is made of 12-storey sheets of glass. Strange they didn't take advantage of the that. Maybe they're worried that if the louvers are too low it'll actually provide solar shading for the floor below, when in fact it was only supposed to be a gesture to score leed/udp points?

[AlexYVR]

Originally Posted by dleung

Yea, imagine if the louvers were all a couple feet lower so they cover the mullions... it'll look like the office podium is made of 12-storey sheets of glass. Strange they didn't take advantage of the that. Maybe they're worried that if the louvers are too low it'll actually provide solar shading for the floor below, when in fact it was only supposed to be a gesture to score leed/udp points?

Do you actually know anything about LEED? You can't really pay lip service to lighting LEED points. . .aside from that, I do agree with you. The all-glass effect would have been great.

[itinerant]

I imagine it will be tricky to do the window cleaning with those louvers.

[officedweller]

Pic by me today - in the background...



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

[Locked In]

Almost finished with the louvers - my photo, today:


Full Size

[dleung]

Originally Posted by AlexYVR

Do you actually know anything about LEED? You can't really pay lip service to lighting LEED points. . .aside from that, I do agree with you. The all-glass effect would have been great.

Well the louvers are quite shallow for one thing, and they've got them covering the north-east side of the building... plus we're talking about the lowest 12 floors of a building facing into a dark high-rise canyon... plus where each row is located provides no shade for the floors above or below it... so it's safe to at least assume this is more about appeasing the udp with fake green gestures, than a LEED thing.

[itinerant]

Originally Posted by dleung

Well the louvers are quite shallow for one thing, and they've got them covering the north-east side of the building... plus we're talking about the lowest 12 floors of a building facing into a dark high-rise canyon... plus where each row is located provides no shade for the floors above or below it... so it's safe to at least assume this is more about appeasing the udp with fake green gestures, than a LEED thing.

This canyon isn't as dark as you might think. The NE side and SE (Howe facing) sides actually get quite a lot of sun in early morning and early afternoon. That said, it seem seems implausible to believe these shallow louvers would provide all that much reduction from solar gain.

Another possibility to consider, as I try to mind read the designers, is that from the outside they conceal the floor slab, drop ceiling, and heating (if any is to be installed at the base of the windows). From the inside, they would provide a sense of 'safety' for the occupants behind what is otherwise a floor to ceiling sheer wall of glass--which even at 12 floors can be somewhat disconcerting.

[officedweller]

I just thought they were asthetic - providing some fine grain texture to the building next to the detailing on the heritage block (and the brick of the Metropolitan Hotel).

BTW - looks like they are applying membrane to the edge of the lowest residential floors in preparation for window installation.

[Locked In]

^ Looks like the first four floors of the residential tower on the Howe Street side have had membrane applied.
----
My photos, today:


Full Size


Full Size


Full Size

[entheosfog]

From the Granville Bridge:

[trofirhen]

How many floors to go? Anyone know?

[Phil McAvity]

^Looks like seven more to me.

[Metro-One]

Thanks for the pics! Look at those blank walls along Granville, perfect for signs, posters, billboards and murals along our "entertainment" street....

[SpongeG]

at least one H&M billboard eh

[Phil McAvity]

Originally Posted by trofirhen

A bit like a child anticipating Christmas. I can't wait to see the Georgia finished. I know that's some time off, but once it's there, it's going to add a "pizzazz" and energy to downtown that was never there before. Sure it may have some questionable design attributes, but hey, don't the majority of new buildings?

It looks like it will be topped out by Christmas which is a hell of a present to Vancouver skyscraper nerds like us. Everytime I see this erection get bigger, mine does too Even though it won't have the same towering impact of Shangri-La I think it's going to be a nicer building, architecturally. I'll spare you guys the dancing fruit and vegetables this time though.