Vancouver House (1400 Howe St) | 151.5m | 52Fl | Completed - Page 80

Spr0ckets · #**1581** Posted **May 22, 2018, 5:21 PM**

The notion that people believe that any highrise structures can get past the requisite scrutiny and requirements to be constructed sans modern seismic standards and reinforcement for high risk zones like Vancouver is located in - and especially for a high profile building such as this - boggles my mind.

In the event of a major earthquake, you're likely safer in a modern highrise such as this than in a lowrise or mid-rise constructed much earlier than the last two decades (like in the 80's, 70's or 60's or earlier)

Vin · #**1582** Posted **May 22, 2018, 5:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spr0ckets

The notion that people believe that any highrise structures can get past the requisite scrutiny and requirements to be constructed sans modern seismic standards and reinforcement for high risk zones like Vancouver is located in - and especially for a high profile building such as this - boggles my mind.

In the event of a major earthquake, you're likely safer in a modern highrise such as this than in a lowrise or mid-rise constructed much earlier than the last two decades (like in the 80's, 70's or 60's or earlier)

Exactly, at least for high-rise structures in the developed world. At the aftermaths of earthquakes, structures that usually collapse are either the old shorter structures or woodframe buildings. The tall modern steel and concrete skycrapers usually remain unscathed. Examples: LA, Kobe, Osaka, etc.

Ontario1 · #**1583** Posted **May 22, 2018, 6:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spr0ckets

The notion that people believe that any highrise structures can get past the requisite scrutiny and requirements to be constructed sans modern seismic standards and reinforcement for high risk zones like Vancouver is located in - and especially for a high profile building such as this - boggles my mind.

In the event of a major earthquake, you're likely safer in a modern highrise such as this than in a lowrise or mid-rise constructed much earlier than the last two decades (like in the 80's, 70's or 60's or earlier)

In the event of a major earthquake, I wouldn't want to be at the top while the quake is happening. I would think that it would be quite a ride even with modern seismic standards and reinforcement.

Vin · #**1584** Posted **May 22, 2018, 7:13 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ontario1

In the event of a major earthquake, I wouldn't want to be at the top while the quake is happening. I would think that it would be quite a ride even with modern seismic standards and reinforcement.

True that the higher you go, the more you sway, so you could have a severe heart palpitation if you got a weak heart, but at least your chance of being buried in a rubble is still less than being in many of the older structures and woodframes around town.

officedweller · #**1585** Posted **May 22, 2018, 7:26 PM**

The building is engineered for "life safety" in the event of a major earthquake, so it won't fall down.

The question is whether it would be damaged to the extent that it would not be livable/occupiable without major structural repairs after the BIG earthquake. That said, there's that tower in San Francisco that is sinking and still occupied.

A structural engineer friend of mine said that asymmetrical buildings won't behave like standard symmetrical rectangular buildings in an earthquake, so it is more difficult to predict how they will behave (and you can have different types of earthquakes, too).
Vancouver House takes asymmetry to the extreme.

Spr0ckets · #**1586** Posted **May 22, 2018, 9:37 PM**

Most buildings usually are engineered for life safety in the event of earthquakes (and for that matter, for any disaster. For example, fire safety standards and codes are typically designed for life safety and not property salvaging) rather than for re-usability.

Engineering them for more than that usually tends to be financially unfeasible and essentially impractical.
And even though some buildings are constructed and built well enough to withstand Earthquakes mostly unscathed (which usually speaks to the "over-engineering" that the engineers do, rather than the safety standards), it's not typically to envision re-using after that them without major structural re-fits.

It's almost like asking why skyscrapers are built to withstand (large) airplane collisions.

It's just far too unimaginably impractical, for so many reasons.
It's much easier to bar airline flight paths through dense city centers with lots of skyscrapers.

bc2mb · #**1587** Posted **May 23, 2018, 3:18 AM**

Some new renderings of the office space for sale at Vancouver House. Not sure on pricing... apparently retail to include local micro brewery (or two)... also elevator to Granville St. Bridge??

More: https://urbanyvr.com/strata-office-space-for-sale-vancouver-house

officedweller · #**1588** Posted **May 23, 2018, 3:24 AM**

Looking depressing...

... and why are there so many elevator buttons for a 9 (?) storey podium building?
How many levels of parking are there?

Klazu · #**1589** Posted **May 23, 2018, 5:00 AM**

Yeah, looks really bleak to me. Modern offices are going for the open and airy feel, with forest and nature being brought inside. This is the opposite of that trend.

rofina · #**1590** Posted **May 23, 2018, 4:00 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Klazu

Yeah, looks really bleak to me. Modern offices are going for the open and airy feel, with forest and nature being brought inside. This is the opposite of that trend.

Agreed.

That looks like something out of Black Mirror. Dystopian and creepy.

Vin · #**1591** Posted **May 23, 2018, 7:50 PM**

Minimalistic design, and very Danish. I like it.

The shops and streetscapes will bring more colours to this.

LeftCoaster · #**1592** Posted **May 23, 2018, 9:28 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ontario1

I have always wondered whether new buildings, especially tall ones, in Vancouver are being built to higher standards to account for the expected big quake.....or are they just taking a chance because it's cheaper?

Ya, engineers definitely don't just "take a chance"

The newer the building the more seismically fit it is. The code is consistently being upgraded and increased.

Quote:

Originally Posted by officedweller

Looking depressing...

... and why are there so many elevator buttons for a 9 (?) storey podium building?
How many levels of parking are there?

About 20 it seems.

I agree the renderings seem bleak, but the tenants can fit it out however they want so it will not end up looking like that.

excel · #**1593** Posted **May 26, 2018, 6:14 AM**

Today:

Vanville · #**1594** Posted **May 26, 2018, 6:01 PM**

My pics:
May 21

May 25

VancouverOfTheFuture · #**1595** Posted **May 27, 2018, 12:18 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vanville

My pics:
May 25

it looks like it is leaning a bit. i like it though. nice building. cant wait to see it without the protective decals on.

excel · #**1596** Posted **May 27, 2018, 12:38 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by VancouverOfTheFuture

it looks like it is leaning a bit. i like it though. nice building. cant wait to see it without the protective decals on.

Half of the protective decals have already been removed. The silver is the final product:

officedweller · #**1597** Posted **Jun 2, 2018, 6:36 AM**

Pic by me this morning:

Vantage · #**1598** Posted **Jun 2, 2018, 9:15 AM**

The very top of Vancouver house is visible form the platform of Brentwood Station

rofina · #**1599** Posted **Jun 4, 2018, 2:41 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vantage

The very top of Vancouver house is visible form the platform of Brentwood Station

I have to say, this tower is visible from all over Metro Van.

I definitely did not realise how prominent of a building it would become.

jollyburger · #**1600** Posted **Jun 6, 2018, 1:16 AM**

Do those facade panels ever have two layers of protective decals? I noticed at the lower end of the south face of the building there was another clear decal that was partially torn showing a brighter metal finish. It's hard to tell how far it extends or if it was just limited to the panels around the one balcony.