General Updates and News

[terrynorthend]

Originally Posted by haligonia

They even used the quintessential "happy woman riding the happy man" picture.

Umm, I totally had to scroll back up to see what you meant... I was expecting a much different picture!

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by Dmajackson

THE QUINN CONDOMINIUMS (Viridian Drive (near Woodland Avenue), Dartmouth);



www.quinncondo.com

I think the proposal looks quite good.

[worldlyhaligonian]

I'm expecting it to look nothing like that rendering at to be clad entirely in vinyl siding.

[macgregor]

I can't find the post/thread, but saw that there are excavators excavating at the lot on Robie Street between Bilby and Macara. They're down a couple feet so far.

[haligonia]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

I think the proposal looks quite good.

What looks even remotely good about this? No street presence, no defined style, terrible faux heritage elements and typical cladding. Yuck.

Originally Posted by macgregor

I can't find the post/thread, but saw that there are excavators excavating at the lot on Robie Street between Bilby and Macara. They're down a couple feet so far.

I noticed that last night... i can't remember if anything's been posted about that lot or not.

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by haligonia

What looks even remotely good about this? No street presence, no defined style, terrible faux heritage elements and typical cladding. Yuck.

What type of street presence do you expect in a residential neighbourhood? Surely you aren't expecting street level retail on this street - http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=Viridian+Dr...lifax+County,+Nova+Scotia&gl=ca&t=h&z=18

I expect that many residents that will find this style appealing. I like the roof style; the interesting, varying facade; the dormer-style upper level windows; the balconies; lower level stone-work; and underground parking + surface-level parking.

This is a suburban style residence, it wouldn't be suitable for the urban core but it fits into the residential neighbourhood that it is being built in.

To top it all off, look at how happy the couple is to be home.

[MonctonRad]

To top it all off, look at how happy the couple is to be home.

Touche.....

[haligonia]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

What type of street presence do you expect in a residential neighbourhood? Surely you aren't expecting street level retail on this street - http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=Viridian+Dr...lifax+County,+Nova+Scotia&gl=ca&t=h&z=18

I expect that many residents that will find this style appealing. I like the roof style; the interesting, varying facade; the dormer-style upper level windows; the balconies; lower level stone-work; and underground parking + surface-level parking.

This is a suburban style residence, it wouldn't be suitable for the urban core but it fits into the residential neighbourhood that it is being built in.

I'll accept that we have varying views on the design. However, I disagree that this building shouldn't have street presence just because it is in a suburban neighbourhood. We need to be creating pedestrian-oriented suburbs that aren't necessarily urban, but are decidedly walkable. This mid-rise from Toronto is a good example of what I think should be the cornerstone of suburban development:

Source

Obviously, suburbs need a mixture of multi-unit and single family homes. So why not mix buildings such as this with pedestrian-friendly retail to create a sort of "main street" for the suburb. Add in some single family homes on the surrounding streets, transit options, parks and amenities and you'd have the perfect community.

I think that our suburbs should be created with a sort of small town model, rather than a bedroom community model.

Originally Posted by fenwick16

To top it all off, look at how happy the couple is to be home.

I sincerely hope that this was sarcastic.

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by macgregor

I can't find the post/thread, but saw that there are excavators excavating at the lot on Robie Street between Bilby and Macara. They're down a couple feet so far.

I remember reading about a proposal at that location but I haven't been able to find any information.

It is good to hear that something is moving ahead.

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by haligonia

I'll accept that we have varying views on the design. However, I disagree that this building shouldn't have street presence just because it is in a suburban neighbourhood. We need to be creating pedestrian-oriented suburbs that aren't necessarily urban, but are decidedly walkable. This mid-rise from Toronto is a good example of what I think should be the cornerstone of suburban development:

Source

Have you ever been to Toronto? You just showed a proposal for an area next to a subway line and major mall. Can you seriously think that this location in Halifax - http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=Viridian+Dr...lifax+County,+Nova+Scotia&gl=ca&t=h&z=18 will generate the same level of pedestrian traffic as this location in Toronto - http://maps.google.ca/maps?oe=utf-8&rls=...&ei=Frr5T_BA4-LRAZvTjfMG&ved=0CAkQ8gEwAA

EDITED: Actually the Jade proposal for Toronto doesn't have street-level retail it is just exercise rooms and the like for the condominium. It is just a different style than the Quinn. Here is the street view (below). I actually like the street view of the Quinn better. This is just a question of personal taste. I like the Quinn because it has a country estate type of appearance.

Toronto Jade street view


What makes the above proposal so much better than the one below?



Although I like the proposal that you posted, I have lived in the GTA for 30 years now and I am sure that if you compare similar areas in the GTA and HRM then the Quinn proposal would be considered to be an appealing design in the GTA. The Quinn proposal would fit in well in many residential areas of Oakville or Burlington (western GTA).

[haligonia]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

Have you ever been to Toronto? You just showed a proposal for an area next to a subway line and major mall. Can you seriously think that this location in Halifax - http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=Viridian+Dr...lifax+County,+Nova+Scotia&gl=ca&t=h&z=18 will generate the same level of pedestrian traffic as this location in Toronto - http://maps.google.ca/maps?oe=utf-8&rls=...&ei=Frr5T_BA4-LRAZvTjfMG&ved=0CAkQ8gEwAA

If it was designed as a mixed-use, walkable community, then yes, it would generate pedestrian traffic. The reason that suburbs don't have very much pedestrian traffic is because they are designed to cater to cars, not people. On the contrary, small towns aren't always dense, however they are usually quite walkable. Suburbs should be more like small towns.

Originally Posted by fenwick16

Although I like the proposal that you posted, I have lived in the GTA for 30 years now and I am sure that if you compare similar areas in the GTA and HRM then the Quinn proposal would be considered to be an appealing design in the GTA. The Quinn proposal would fit in well in many residential areas of Oakville or Burlington (western GTA). The Toronto Jade proposal would work on a busy Halifax Street such as Spring Garden Road. But obviously not on Viridian Drive in Dartmouth.

I didn't say that the building from Toronto would work on Viridian Drive, but I was using it as an example of what modern suburbs should be like. I have been to Toronto, and most parts of Burlington and Oakville are terribly designed. We shouldn't be using them as models for our suburban development.

Read the rest of my post, I think I explained myself quite clearly.

EDIT: Basically, I think that buildings like the one proposed for Viridian Drive are horrible and unsustainable, but they are only proposed as a result of poor planning.

[DigitalNinja]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

I remember reading about a proposal at that location but I haven't been able to find any information.

It is good to hear that something is moving ahead.

We have a thread about it, I posted in it that I saw them starting to dig on that site.

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by DigitalNinja

We have a thread about it, I posted in it that I saw them starting to dig on that site.

Thanks DigitalNinja but which thread is it?

[Keith P.]

[QUOTE=haligonia;5759633]If it was designed as a mixed-use, walkable community, then yes, it would generate pedestrian traffic. The reason that suburbs don't have very much pedestrian traffic is because they are designed to cater to cars, not people. On the contrary, small towns aren't always dense, however they are usually quite walkable. Suburbs should be more like small towns.[quote]

That's not realistic. Small towns have their own shops, restos, gas station, etc., because of the distance factor from their nearest competitor. Do you really expect those in a suburb? There is not a critical mass of customers to make them viable.

EDIT: Basically, I think that buildings like the one proposed for Viridian Drive are horrible and unsustainable, but they are only proposed as a result of poor planning.

Unsustainable? What does that even mean? It is rapidly becoming the most overused term in urban circles. A building like this with a C-store, a dry cleaner and a women's gym in the ground level doesn't make anything more "sustainable".

[someone123]

All else being equal I do think most people would prefer to be able to walk to the park or walk to a convenience or grocery store from their house. I also think that kids who can walk to school or walk/bike to friends' houses are a lot better off than the ones out in suburbia who have to be shuttled around everywhere. People pay a lot of money to live on the peninsula and these sorts of conveniences are some of the main benefits of living there.

It may be hard to allow for these things with Kingswood-style development where everybody has an acre of land, but in medium-density areas with multi-unit buildings I don't that is the case. I think Halifax just has a lot of poor quality, uncreative suburban development.

[haligonia]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

That's not realistic. Small towns have their own shops, restos, gas station, etc., because of the distance factor from their nearest competitor. Do you really expect those in a suburb? There is not a critical mass of customers to make them viable.

Suburbs already have all of those things! take Clayton Park, for example. It has restaurants, shops and services along streets like Lacewood and in Bayers Lake, but they are surrounded by parking and so far away from homes that walking isn't an easily viable option.

Originally Posted by Keith P.

Unsustainable? What does that even mean? It is rapidly becoming the most overused term in urban circles. A building like this with a C-store, a dry cleaner and a women's gym in the ground level doesn't make anything more "sustainable".

I agree that the word is becoming very overused, both in and out of urban circles. However, it does speak to the point that I was trying to make. Buildings such as this one are designed with auto dependence in mind, which is arguably the most environmentally and economically unsustainable model in modern urban planning.

[DigitalNinja]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

Thanks DigitalNinja but which thread is it?

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=197052&page=5

Here, didn't have time to find and post a link when I originally posted.

[fenwick16]

Originally Posted by DigitalNinja

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=197052&page=5

Here, didn't have time to find and post a link when I originally posted.

I am not sure if that is the location that macgregor described. I thought that it would be this lot - http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=3065+Robie+...2&t=h&z=16&panoid=UAaYwFx4P-YmHwsWy7ch1Q that macgregor described in his post below. (not the 19 storey tower at 3065 Robie Street)

Originally Posted by macgregor

I can't find the post/thread, but saw that there are excavators excavating at the lot on Robie Street between Bilby and Macara. They're down a couple feet so far.

[DigitalNinja]

That post was a discussion about all 4 properties that were being developed, I couldn't find any particular info on this one so I posted it there. And yeah, it is that lot, the one by the Eastlink building.

[eastcoastal]

Originally Posted by fenwick16

...To top it all off, look at how happy the couple is to be home.

... or they've gone mad from suburban isolation and she's riding him to their escape?