Story of Rideau & Chapel [151+153 Chapel St] | 78+84m | 25+26f | U/C - Page 9

Sauvanto · #**161** Posted **Mar 12, 2021, 3:29 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeoNerd

Are you suggesting that RLA's gray and white cookie-cutter building design is the only design that is efficient and cost effective???? .

I am suggesting that it is the best compromise to build a modern residential-highrise given all these requirements. You haven't mentioned any styles, contemporary or not, which ones are you thinking about?

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeoNerd

Choose almost any design style and repeat it 30 times throughout the city and it will be cost effective.

That's just factually wrong. Building them might be cheaper, but maintenance is a different story. Take the brutalist style as example, no matter how many you build, they remain terribly expensive buildings to maintain.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeoNerd

RLA's designs are just lazy.

Well I don't think you understand, all the reasons why they are the optimal choice were listed previously: cost, efficiency, expediency, simplity and density. Why do you assume that developers have the worst intentions and no taste? Take a step back and look at the big picture and developers operate.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GeoNerd

You might be the only person I've ever heard that is a fan

Have you asked anyone outside this forum? For example 10 randos off the street? I'd be willing to bet that 7/10 like the style, and 4 of them just simply don't care and only want an apartment.

Brannwagon · #**162** Posted **Mar 12, 2021, 10:28 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sauvanto

Have you asked anyone outside this forum? For example 10 randos off the street? I'd be willing to bet that 7/10 like the style, and 4 of them just simply don't care and only want an apartment.

Lol, you have a point about cheapness and simplicity being advantageous, but to say that 7/10 would like the style is laughable. I encourage you to try the exercise and see what you get.

I work next door and I can say with confidence that I have yet to find one person who doesn’t find this building hideous. My colleagues and I were genuinely shocked when we began to realize what was taking shape. I kept holding onto hope that there were more details to be added or that the current cladding was not the final form.

You should also ask yourself, why is it that the developer hasn’t included a single image of the building’s exterior on their leasing site?

Glenlivet Ave · #**163** Posted **Mar 13, 2021, 4:23 PM**

March 9th construction update from their website:

J.OT13 · #**164** Posted **Mar 14, 2021, 12:59 PM**

What crappy images they posted. I wish they could have taken a drone shot, or a shot from a nearby roof.

eltodesukane · #**165** Posted **Mar 28, 2021, 9:32 PM**

2021 march 28

J.OT13 · #**166** Posted **Mar 28, 2021, 9:52 PM**

Thanks for posting. Took a while to get to ground level, but it's going up quickly now.

Sauvanto · #**167** Posted **Mar 29, 2021, 12:39 PM**

Any idea of what the rent per month will be?

eltodesukane · #**168** Posted **Apr 11, 2021, 10:29 AM**

2021 April 10

Harley613 · #**169** Posted **Apr 30, 2021, 2:05 PM**

Yesterday's progress:

Photo_6553810_DJI_210_jpg_4126647_0_2021429163338_photo_original by harley613, on Flickr

Photo_6553805_DJI_205_jpg_4719419_0_2021429163126_photo_original by harley613, on Flickr

Photo_6553807_DJI_207_jpg_4329784_0_202142916328_photo_original by harley613, on Flickr

Photo_6553808_DJI_208_jpg_4024075_0_2021429163232_photo_original by harley613, on Flickr

JHikka · #**170** Posted **Apr 30, 2021, 3:28 PM**

Big changes to this section of Rideau. Thanks for all the picture updates!

SL123 · #**171** Posted **May 8, 2021, 9:14 PM**

Quite an imposing building. Will definitely bring a downtown feeling to the east end of Rideau

eltodesukane · #**172** Posted **May 25, 2021, 7:13 PM**

2021 May 25

Harley613 · #**173** Posted **May 25, 2021, 8:16 PM**

Look at all those tiny little windows. One of the biggest bait and switches ever after they switched to a Roderick Lazy design.

Urbanarchit · #**174** Posted **May 26, 2021, 1:46 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harley613

Look at all those tiny little windows. One of the biggest bait and switches ever after they switched to a Roderick Lazy design.

Yeah. I defended this project from people opposed to it from the beginning, but now I've got egg on my face. I find the 9-storey bit fronting Rideau to be a bit bulky for this tower, too. I really do wish the City could create some zoning that requires highrises to be done in a Vancouverist style and be able to hold developers to it.

Proof Sheet · #**175** Posted **May 26, 2021, 2:25 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Urbanarchit

Yeah. I defended this project from people opposed to it from the beginning, but now I've got egg on my face. I find the 9-storey bit fronting Rideau to be a bit bulky for this tower, too. I really do wish the City could create some zoning that requires highrises to be done in a Vancouverist style and be able to hold developers to it.

What is a 'Vancouverist' style and why or how would you want to 'hold developers to it'.

JHikka · #**176** Posted **May 26, 2021, 3:23 AM**

Great scale, good density, awful design.

J.OT13 · #**177** Posted **May 26, 2021, 11:52 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by JHikka

Great scale, good density, awful design.

Compared to most Ottawa standards; terrible scale, decent density, atrocious designs.

Urbanarchit · #**178** Posted **May 26, 2021, 1:10 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Proof Sheet

What is a 'Vancouverist' style and why or how would you want to 'hold developers to it'.

Are you not familiar with Vancouverism? There's a book on it I recommend. The idea is for making highrise buildings, instead of creating bulky towers built right out to the property line, towers are slim and set back from the street on shorter podiums that have a different occupancy/ use than the tower (not always). The purpose is the podium provides a human scale street wall with activities conducive to a good street like retail or townhomes. The highrise tower is a slimmer tower, allowing for more sunlight on the street, better view corridors, and less "claustrophobia" but you still get the benefits of a highrise.

How to hold developers to it? Same way they do in Vancouver and the way it should be done here. Create a design guideline and zone according. If a developer proposes a building that doesn't conform, then don't approve it.

OTownandDown · #**179** Posted **May 26, 2021, 1:13 PM**

I wonder if its the political problem, and not the design problem...

Like, what if these nice bait-and-switch designs that start off controversial to vocal NIMBY's and shadow-warriors ONLY make it through approvals if it's dumbed down to a brick apartment building? Certainly if it were me creating proposals, I'd start with a dumb version, just to save a few bucks on design fees. And I'd certainly go with RLA because they're experts in getting approval, bringing me to profits as soon as possible.

I find myself explaining to friends when we go on walks, "look over there, there was supposed to be something nice, but the Karen across the street complained, and now it's even worse than before!" (We were at the Hobin monstrosity at Wellington West and Island Park, with the stupid gas station wart-to-come.

J.OT13 · #**180** Posted **May 26, 2021, 2:32 PM**

• Video Link

https://youtu.be/P8dmVUrNt38