Winnipeg Construction

[vellakaran]

Originally Posted by zeddhead

I think the units are so cheap because they deleted the insulation. If you look at the website, there are some revealing images from a building science perspective. One in particular shows what appears to be a fully glazed aluminum frame wall and a cantilevered concrete slab that doubles as a sun shading device. It is one thing to see this in Vancouver, but in Winnipeg as well? I am afraid to guess what the heating and cooling costs will be be.

Glad to see another residential tower downtown but wonder if Glasshouse is really appropriate for the Winnipeg climate.

you're right and hopefully that is just an iniatal rendering done in china where they have no idea of our climate. on the plus side, those balconies will stop the glass panes from falling too far, like they seem to do every other week in toronto.

[Mininari]

Originally Posted by wags_in_the_peg

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/glasshouse-a-stones-throw-from-mts-centre-177816181.html

GlassHouse units are small but reasonably priced. I think they will do well, not everyone wants a $350k unit on waterfront or assiniboine

Bingo, and there is nothing wrong with adding some new, very affordable condo living to the area. Unless the strata ends up with strict rental bylaws, I can see many of the units being purchased by investors and rented out to UofW students or staff.

MTS Centre + Centrepoint + MPI lot development == a flagship development. The combination of residential, office, retail, and of course the MTS Centre, should definitely raise some interest in surrounding lots. The area won't be redeveloped overnight, but the potential is definitely there for a major facelift for the area; loft-style affordable units are a great way to go. Leave the 'luxury' units for Waterfront and Assiniboine Ave.

btw, I am very happy to see those piles going in the ground, and can't wait to take a few pictures of the Winnipeg Skyline with multiple tower crowns adorning U/C towers. I'm a fan of seeing a number of smaller, new towers going up rather than one big 'new tallest.'

[Riverman]

Originally Posted by vellakaran

on the plus side, those balconies will stop the glass panes from falling too far, like they seem to do every other week in toronto.

It is balcony glass falling in Toronto, not window glass.

[h0twired]

Originally Posted by vellakaran

you're right and hopefully that is just an iniatal rendering done in china where they have no idea of our climate. on the plus side, those balconies will stop the glass panes from falling too far, like they seem to do every other week in toronto.

Seriously?

Are you trolling or just stupid? Glass curtain walls and windowed walls work just fine in cold climates. Cities like Calgary are colder on average and have TONS of condos built with floor to ceiling windows.

Would you prefer something that looks like this?

[Wpg_Guy]

Originally Posted by Mininari

Bingo, and there is nothing wrong with adding some new, very affordable condo living to the area. Unless the strata ends up with strict rental bylaws, I can see many of the units being purchased by investors and rented out to UofW students or staff.

MTS Centre + Centrepoint + MPI lot development == a flagship development. The combination of residential, office, retail, and of course the MTS Centre, should definitely raise some interest in surrounding lots. The area won't be redeveloped overnight, but the potential is definitely there for a major facelift for the area; loft-style affordable units are a great way to go. Leave the 'luxury' units for Waterfront and Assiniboine Ave.

btw, I am very happy to see those piles going in the ground, and can't wait to take a few pictures of the Winnipeg Skyline with multiple tower crowns adorning U/C towers. I'm a fan of seeing a number of smaller, new towers going up rather than one big 'new tallest.'

i wonder how many of the jets and True North staff will scoop some of these units up.

[cheswick]

Originally Posted by WpG_GuY

i wonder how many of the jets and True North staff will scoop some of these units up.

Probably a little small for the tastes of millionaire hockey players.

[vellakaran]

Originally Posted by h0twired

Seriously?

Are you trolling or just stupid? Glass curtain walls and windowed walls work just fine in cold climates. Cities like Calgary are colder on average and have TONS of condos built with floor to ceiling windows.

Would you prefer something that looks like this?

not trolling, and hopefully not stupid, a lot of those curtain walls have insulation behind the spandrels, so maybe an all glass look from the outside. inside not so much. i was more in agreement with the uninsulated cantilevered balconies. Look at the Strand on Waterfront Dr. where FT3 have their offices. the balconies have their own structure so there is no link between outside and inside. not a completely seamless look but i think it looks pretty good and not as bad as the example you showed. and maybe more appropriate for our climate which i am pretty sure is colder than Calgary. cheers.

[lilwayne]

Originally Posted by vellakaran

not trolling, and hopefully not stupid, a lot of those curtain walls have insulation behind the spandrels, so maybe an all glass look from the outside. inside not so much. i was more in agreement with the uninsulated cantilevered balconies. Look at the Strand on Waterfront Dr. where FT3 have their offices. the balconies have their own structure so there is no link between outside and inside. not a completely seamless look but i think it looks pretty good and not as bad as the example you showed. and maybe more appropriate for our climate which i am pretty sure is colder than Calgary. cheers.

man jan feb only real cold months on avg and obviously the people who are developing the tower take weather into consideration. they know wat thier doing..

[zeddhead]

Originally Posted by h0twired

Seriously?

Are you trolling or just stupid? Glass curtain walls and windowed walls work just fine in cold climates. Cities like Calgary are colder on average and have TONS of condos built with floor to ceiling windows.

Would you prefer something that looks like this?

Hmmm... the best glazing and frame options are still providing an overall equivalent R-value of less than 10, even less so if aluminum frames are used. In a severe cold climate city, the target insulation for walls should be R40-R50. No one is saying that a concrete bunker is preferable, but a balance between the Glasshouse extreme and the image you show would be more appropriate.

As for climate data reference, your assumption is incorrect. I have included heating degree data averages for Winnipeg, Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto:

Winnipeg Heating Degree Days: 5,778
Calgary Heating Degree Days: 5,108
Vancouver Heating Degree Days: 2,926
Toronto Heating Degree Days: 4,065

Below is the average yearly temperature over the past 30 years:

Winnipeg: 2.62 °C
Calgary: 4.07°C
Vancouver: 10.08°C
Toronto: 7.50 °C

Winnipeg is by far the coldest major city and requires the most energy to maintain an average temperature above 18 degrees Celcius.

The concrete slab/fins on the proposed design for Glasshouse will transfer energy in a way similar to this very functional finned heating pipe:

[steveosnyder]

I am a bit worried about this development. I agree it is much needed, but it's being put on top of a 450 stall parkade. Sure, some of the stalls will be for people working in the offices and perhaps reserved for the restaurants and hotel, but a lot of those stalls will be purchased/leased by the people living there. It may well end up that the people who purchase there will end up looking down from their not-so-metaphorical ivory (glass?) tower.

It will effect the street-level presence in the area, but I don't know if it will to the level that people want or that Winnipeg needs.

Originally Posted by vellakaran

... which i am pretty sure is colder than Calgary. cheers.

Calgary mean temperature by year is 4.1 C, Winnipeg is 2.6 (per Wikipedia Winnipeg and Calgary).

[h0twired]

Originally Posted by steveosnyder

I am a bit worried about this development. I agree it is much needed, but it's being put on top of a 450 stall parkade. Sure, some of the stalls will be for people working in the offices and perhaps reserved for the restaurants and hotel, but a lot of those stalls will be purchased/leased by the people living there. It may well end up that the people who purchase there will end up looking down from their not-so-metaphorical ivory (glass?) tower.

It will effect the street-level presence in the area, but I don't know if it will to the level that people want or that Winnipeg needs.

With 170 condos and 450 parking spots, I suspect that there will be ample parking available to those working for Stantec, ALT or at other nearby offices as well as enough parking for those that need a spot for an evening Jets game.

Given that the condos are fairly small, I would suspect that the majority of the owners will be buying 1 spot rather than 2 (if any at all).

[cheswick]

Originally Posted by h0twired

With 170 condos and 450 parking spots, I suspect that there will be ample parking available to those working for Stantec, ALT or at other nearby offices as well as enough parking for those that need a spot for an evening Jets game.

Given that the condos are fairly small, I would suspect that the majority of the owners will be buying 1 spot rather than 2 (if any at all).

I think you may have misunderstood his point. I think he was saying because there will be ample parking available to unit owners they'll simply go down to the garage and drive away and never actually walk around the neighbourhood they live in. The tower won't make much of a difference to the street presence of downtown. At least that's how I took it

[steveosnyder]

Originally Posted by cheswick

I think you may have misunderstood his point. I think he was saying because there will be ample parking available to unit owners they'll simply go down to the garage and drive away and never actually walk around the neighbourhood they live in. The tower won't make much of a difference to the street presence of downtown. At least that's how I took it

Exactly my point... They have no reason to walk around. The area needs more residence, but without a reason to be out and about other than hockey, they won’t be spending time on the street if they can (and have to) drive to their suburban “big box” stores without leaving their building. People won't have to leave their building to drive over to the new IKEA.

Further, they say that this will bring more people downtown, but the population they are bringing is rather homogeneous. They are catering to the Yuppies and a bit to the empty nesters.

I haven't been posting for a very long time here, but I think most people here agree that homogeneous neighbourhoods are not a good thing? Perhaps I am incorrect in that statement though

[drew]

Originally Posted by steveosnyder

Exactly my point... They have no reason to walk around. The area needs more residence, but without a reason to be out and about other than hockey, they won’t be spending time on the street if they can (and have to) drive to their suburban “big box” stores without leaving their building. People won't have to leave their building to drive over to the new IKEA.

Further, they say that this will bring more people downtown, but the population they are bringing is rather homogeneous. They are catering to the Yuppies and a bit to the empty nesters.

I haven't been posting for a very long time here, but I think most people here agree that homogeneous neighbourhoods are not a good thing? Perhaps I am incorrect in that statement though

For this particular development, I am sure the parking element will be used as a major revenue generator.

[lilwayne]

Originally Posted by steveosnyder

Exactly my point... They have no reason to walk around. The area needs more residence, but without a reason to be out and about other than hockey, they won’t be spending time on the street if they can (and have to) drive to their suburban “big box” stores without leaving their building. People won't have to leave their building to drive over to the new IKEA.

Further, they say that this will bring more people downtown, but the population they are bringing is rather homogeneous. They are catering to the Yuppies and a bit to the empty nesters.

I haven't been posting for a very long time here, but I think most people here agree that homogeneous neighbourhoods are not a good thing? Perhaps I am incorrect in that statement though

you people baffle my mind... this condo will attract young couples and single people who just getting into thier careers. People who will be most walking to across the street on a regular basis and enjoying the night life that downtown has to offer. Just adding that many more residence in the area will give enough reason for small businesses and grocery stores to prop up in the area. These condos are made for familes in thier 40's to raise thier kids man. Get out more man... winnipeg has a growing night life and the shed is continueing to expand and improve this development will attract more vibrancy and youth to the area. This is a long term plan this condo wont be complete for antoher 2 and half years by than the city will have changed and improved allot.

[vid]

No, we have to build more single family homes downtown so that parents can let their kids enjoy what downtown has to offer more easily.

[Shinook]

It's amazing. The city finally get some decent downtown residential development, and people are still complaining (glass won't work, Winnipeg is too cold, people will not go out downtown, etc.) Same old same old. Bitch and complain about anything and all the negativity. Some people will never be satisfied. This reason was one of the reasons I left the city in the first place; the negativity of the people.

[JamieDavid Exchange]

Originally Posted by Shinook

It's amazing. The city finally get some decent downtown residential development, and people are still complaining (glass won't work, Winnipeg is too cold, people will not go out downtown, etc.) Same old same old. Bitch and complain about anything and all the negativity. Some people will never be satisfied. This reason was one of the reasons I left the city in the first place; the negativity of the people.

Well said. It all comes down to one thing; most people are afraid of change in this city. Even if its something super positive, someone(s) willfind the smallest issue and turn it upside down on everyones plate.

PS I don't mean everyone on here. Just read the comments left by readers in the WFP with regards to the Glasshouse Condo project.

[vid]

This even happens in Toronto though. It is just human nature to be bitchy.

[roccerfeller]

lets focus on the construction stuff. I know we (myself included) take discussion OT or tangential on here sometimes but there's no reason to dismiss their claims just because they don't align with anyone else's

They may have some legitimate points, and discussing them is better than brushing them off

I personally think the development is fine and this type of development is long overdue in the Peg, but its certainly a testing ground for more "Toronto style" towers from these guys. It may be possible they didn't quite cater to Winnipeg minutiae and simply cut and pasted something from Toronto which could end up not going as planned. Heating may end up costing more than anyone anticipates

That said, to be fair, a two degree avg difference isn't going to be a deal breaker for the materials, and i agree with hotwired there if something similar is in calgary its not like its a huge difference climate-wise (chinooks aside) in winnipeg, and I am not convinced at all it is significant wrt some of the worries being brought up against it