Yard | 200' | 21 floors | Complete

[maccoinnich]

Originally Posted by cityscapes

If you walk right up to the building it's pretty obvious that it isn't brown. It's matte black. Your eyes are deceiving you. This building is like that dress meme .

My claim to fame: it was a friend of my brother who took the photo of the dress.

[maccoinnich]

Posting notice [PDF]:


Proposal: A Design Advice Request is a voluntary review process that allows the Commission to provide early feedback on a development proposal, prior to the required land use review. The applicant seeks a Design Advice Request for a skybridge to span across NE 3rd Avenue between Block 67 (21-story building currently under construction) and Block 76W (5-story building pending review). The 10’-0” wide aluminum truss bridge would be uncovered and intended to facilitate pedestrian and bike connections between the Burnside Bridge and Couch Street to the Block 67 roof amenities and retail uses. The skybridge would require a Major Encroachment Review through Transportation.

[mmeade]

Originally Posted by RainDog

I think it looks great. Not every building has to be slender.

I agree. I think it looks amazing. What a change to the East Burnside neighborhood.

The smaller amount of windows down low only looks small by comparison with units above. They will have plenty of light inside. Having too much glass into a unit down low can be a problem because you would feel on display to people on the bridge.

Driving south down MLK it changes the whole feeling of the street and makes the east side much more urban. I hope we get more like this.

[urbanlife]

Originally Posted by cityscapes

If you walk right up to the building it's pretty obvious that it isn't brown. It's matte black. Your eyes are deceiving you. This building is like that dress meme .

That is my thought too, I thought it looked like a matte black. I wasn't sure where this idea that it was brown was coming from, but I have yet to go up near this building beyond just driving past it to say for sure.

[zilfondel]

Originally Posted by cityscapes

I wonder where exactly the affordable units in this building will go. If they're on the lower floors with less windows I think that's pretty cruel.

Kovel stated that the progression of more glazing as you rise vertically was partially related to the idea of capitalism in our society, of how people with more wealth are able to afford better views of the city in his building.

He also stated that he was an unequivocal capitalist.

[Photogeric]

While it would be kinda mean, I would understand. And I'm not of a capitalist mentality that is so prevalent , but you get what you pay for. If you buy a cheap entertainment center instead of a flashy and expensive one, you can't get mad that it doesn't have all the same glitz and glamour. You get what you pay for, that's only realistic. If I was in line to get one of those affordable places, I would just be super stoked to have it, instead of just finding reasons to hate it.

[zilfondel]

You know, I was interested so I rechecked the Design Review docs. Apparently the windows are only 20" in width (I thought they would be closer to 3'-4'). The prison analogy is not far off, unfortunately. Still, at 8'9", they are quite tall...

Still, the size of the building dwarfs the scale of the windows.

But yeah, the ZGF Indigo is far more elegant of a building.

[pdxf]

Originally Posted by zilfondel

Kovel stated that the progression of more glazing as you rise vertically was partially related to the idea of capitalism in our society, of how people with more wealth are able to afford better views of the city in his building.

Hopefully that's not really the reasoning behind the design. If the building were all glass, the higher floors would naturally have better views and would command higher prices. To "unnaturally" induce a more miserable experience for those on the lower floors just kind of seems wrong, and worse, as a capitalist, you're hindering your own ability to make the most money possible, since the lower floors likely would have sold at a higher price had they been glazed more. And imagine, if the building could have commanded higher sale prices, perhaps they could have used some of that money to use some quality materials.

Maybe I've missed the point and he should be viewed as a hero for making the lower floors more miserable, but also therefore more affordable?

[Rob Nob]

If energy code limits your total percentage of openings though, which it does, it is totally capitalist to put more openings at the more expensive units.

[ablerock]

I recall reading somewhere that a lot of the apartments are being designed as live/work spaces. This could be a stretch of interpretation, but perhaps the lower "cheaper" floors will utilize the extra wall space for live/work type programming. Then the upper floors will be more typical apartments, where view and windows are more important, commanding higher prices.

[2oh1]

Originally Posted by pdxf

To "unnaturally" induce a more miserable experience for those on the lower floors just kind of seems wrong, and worse, as a capitalist, you're hindering your own ability to make the most money possible, since the lower floors likely would have sold at a higher price had they been glazed more. And imagine, if the building could have commanded higher sale prices, perhaps they could have used some of that money to use some quality materials.

Exactly this. They could have achieved the fractal pattern (or whatever you'd call it) by using two shades of glass.

Capitalism and Elitism are not the same thing. A capitalist would want to make the most money possible on every single unit. An elitist would want to point out how much better the people on the upper floors are than the people on the lower floors, as if lesser floors are for lesser people... Poor floors sounds kind of reminiscent of the building being designed with the Poor Door in NYC. Remember that one?

[maccoinnich]

Drawings [PDF - 30MB] for the skywalk between Yard and Sideyard. I can understand the logic, but will be interested to hear the Design Commission's thoughts.

[urbanlife]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

Drawings [PDF - 30MB] for the skywalk between Yard and Sideyard. I can understand the logic, but will be interested to hear the Design Commission's thoughts.

I definitely get the need of a skywalk....though I think 10' might be a bit narrow for what I am seeing.

[QAtheSky]

You know, In my head I always imagined there would be a connection between the two buildings, so this doesn't seem too far out there. The fact that there is so much visual consistency between the two buildings helps their case a lot.

[maccoinnich]

Memo to the Design Commission.

[maccoinnich]

Notice of a Proposal in Your Neighborhood [PDF] for Sideyard.

Also, the Skywalk went before the Design Commission last week, and found zero support. Technically the approval body is the City Council, but with both PBOT and the Design Commission in opposition, I think it's unlikely to even get there.

[Abide]

You'd think designing both buildings to open onto the Burnside bridge could have solved this skybridge need.

[58rhodes]

Originally Posted by Abide

You'd think designing both buildings to open onto the Burnside bridge could have solved this skybridge need.

great idea

[maccoinnich]

Because the Burnside Bridge is a designated Historic Resource, they would have had to go through the Historic Landmarks Commission to make any alterations to it. I think we can all work out why Skylab chose not to go down that route.

[tworivers]

Personally I thought the skywalk concept seemed pretty reasonable and, given the location, fairly unobtrusive. I wonder if the commission felt like the applicant was trying to force their hand by submitting it once the Yard was deep into construction?