Winnipeg Construction

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Kris22

(I am aware that that ray wan guy is involved...maybe he will pull off something decent?)

I know I'm probably in the minority on this one, but I don't think Ray Wan is bad at all. If you look at his firm's website, there is quite a bit of good work and some not-so-good work. It's more than likely driven by the client - it's no surprise to see a low-budget suburban project coated in stucco, for example. The United Way building on Main was railed on, but I'm sure it wasn't his decision to swallow up an entire block of Main Street frontage with it.

Some of Wan's highrise designs are pretty good. His previous design for the P&M site from a few years back (when it was going to be an office building for Canwest) wasn't bad at all. It certainly could have been a lot worse:




It's nothing avant-garde like Manitoba Hydro, but something like this would be a solid addition to the skyline.

[Spocket]

Originally Posted by Kris22

(I am aware that that ray wan guy is involved...maybe he will pull off something decent?)

I think the guy gets a lot of flack. Yeah , he doesn't design anything avant-garde but most of his stuff looks decent (IMO) Tacky maybe at worst but again , that's just my opinion.

[Biff]

Originally Posted by drew

PCL seems like an "overkill" choice of contractor to have been hired simply to perform load testing on caissons...

Design Builder........ssssshhhhhh

[headhorse]

Originally Posted by esquire

I know I'm probably in the minority on this one, but I don't think Ray Wan is bad at all. If you look at his firm's website, there is quite a bit of good work and some not-so-good work. It's more than likely driven by the client - it's no surprise to see a low-budget suburban project coated in stucco, for example. The United Way building on Main was railed on, but I'm sure it wasn't his decision to swallow up an entire block of Main Street frontage with it.

Some of Wan's highrise designs are pretty good. His previous design for the P&M site from a few years back (when it was going to be an office building for Canwest) wasn't bad at all. It certainly could have been a lot worse:




It's nothing avant-garde like Manitoba Hydro, but something like this would be a solid addition to the skyline.

I like this one more, although it's still not something i'd want to see at that location:


from http://www.raymondscwanarchitect.com/

[biguc]

All of Ray Wan's designs look like he just slams a bunch of crap together. Take the rendering Esquire posted: What's that thing on the right, next to Whiskey Cocks? Why are there pictures of people on the front? What's with that grey bar next to the thing on the right. Why does the cornice just end? What's with the spire on a wide, low building? What's with the beige rectangles above the weird pictures of people, and why don't they continue across the entire building? I shouldn't have to ask this many questions, and I wouldn't if Ray Wan could design a building that was at all cohesive. His buildings look like the garbage China built 15 years ago.

I have no idea how he went from designing strip malls to pulling in big projects.

[headhorse]

he's cheap, unfortunately that still goes a long way here (greenfield development, Shindico big box centres, etc)

[Wigglez]

At this point, ANYTHING is better than a gravel parking lot at portage and main. That said I do have very high hopes for this location, hopefully it isn't too bad.

[The Jabroni]

So with all this talk of actual high rises in downtown being built again, will it actually happen? That particular parcel of land across the street from the Cargill Building on Graham, and the one next to 201 Portage on Main St are the talks of the town when it comes to potential development of high rises.

I can only hope that these potential projects will actually happen, and have an even bigger impact in our skyline.

Hell, the CMHR's spire is visible from everywhere already, and with the ALT hotel/CentrePoint under construction, and 300 Assiniboine, I think it's a matter of time before we see more mid and high rise buildings being built and impacting our current skyline.

[Only The Lonely..]

Originally Posted by biguc

His buildings look like the garbage China built 15 years ago.

Actually, this is what China is building today. All of his drafting happens overseas.

[trueviking]

................

[lilwayne]

[

[trueviking]

Originally Posted by esquire

I know I'm probably in the minority on this one, but I don't think Ray Wan is bad at all. If you look at his firm's website, there is quite a bit of good work and some not-so-good work.

look again and take note of how much of the 'good work' is actually built and how much is a chinese rent-a-rendering of an imaginary project?

designing things with no budget or real parameters is easy.....

[Kris22]

Hmm thanks for the pics and information guys. I must say I'm a little nervous...I'm not a fan of random fins and tacked on design elements. But like trueviking said, maybe the high profile location will inspire him to get some...inspiration.

[Shinook]

Originally Posted by Kris22

Hmm thanks for the pics and information guys. I must say I'm a little nervous...I'm not a fan of random fins and tacked on design elements. But like trueviking said, maybe the high profile location will inspire him to get some...inspiration.

Maybe Westin will have enough standards to force Ray Wan to produce something that holds them to a higher standard. If he can't get it right the first time, try try again.

[GD4C]

Originally Posted by lilwayne

...do you think by may 22 we will know whether the fortress development and the westin hotel project aswell as d condos will be built?

May 22 seems to be written in stone for what Fortress plans to show off. Probably some pretty renderings of the best case scenario. My experience is that rarely do projects deliver all they first show. Most of the time features and details are slowly cut back until the finished project is considerably less than promised. In this case, the $80 million budget hints of a smaller tower than Fortress is bragging about. Despite the suggestions, I don't think it being "the tallest" (residence, certain not office building) is even in the cards.

Then again, Fortress might really have something big planned, with a larger budget than often cited.

Main thing to remember is that May 22 is the first, and yet also possibly the only, step of this proposed development.

[flatlander]

Originally Posted by lilwayne

i have no real issue with his work.. i just hope something is built... beggers cant be choosers.. ?

Way to set the bar high kid.

[flatlander]

Who did 375 Stradbrook? Ugh.

[Spocket]

Originally Posted by trueviking

look again and take note of how much of the 'good work' is actually built and how much is a chinese rent-a-rendering of an imaginary project?

designing things with no budget or real parameters is easy.....even then his solutions are derivative.

his deal is the u of m, smartpark crap on varying scales....

Hmmm...okay , maybe we should all reconsider any decent thoughts we had about his work.

After what you said , I'm starting to understand your contempt for his stuff.

[OntheMattack]

Originally Posted by biguc

All of Ray Wan's designs look like he just slams a bunch of crap together. Take the rendering Esquire posted: What's that thing on the right, next to Whiskey Cocks? Why are there pictures of people on the front? What's with that grey bar next to the thing on the right. Why does the cornice just end? What's with the spire on a wide, low building? What's with the beige rectangles above the weird pictures of people, and why don't they continue across the entire building? I shouldn't have to ask this many questions, and I wouldn't if Ray Wan could design a building that was at all cohesive. His buildings look like the garbage China built 15 years ago.

I have no idea how he went from designing strip malls to pulling in big projects.

I thought it looked ok until you pointed those things out, now it just looks stupid. I think to people who dont know anything about buildings/architecture his stuff looks alright but anyone with any kind of trained eye can see all kinds of design problems. I didnt notice any of those things until you pointed them all out, but they looks dumb once I actually notice them

[esquire]

I will add to my earlier comment that at the very least least a lot of Ray Wan's work is appropriate for an urban setting. The standard-issue curtain wall and aluminum panels may not be cutting edge stuff, but every rendering of his work posted on this page shows a building that generally fits into the setting whether it's Portage & Main, the Airport, Main and Assinoine, or the Airport.

Again, I'm not saying his stuff is perfect, but when you have architects in this city like Prairie that have often used cringe-inducing cartoonish materials, designs and embellishments for buildings that are sometimes totally inappropriate for their surroundings, I'm not sure how Ray Wan ends up being the whipping boy that gets singled out for criticism.