Canadian City Proposals

[MonctonRad]

One more image from that Thrive Properties proposal for the twin seven storey buildings in Shediac NB, showing a top floor view over Shediac Bay.



Shediac is Moncton's seaside playground. I can see these new buildings being very popular with Moncton retirees looking to sell their homes and downsize.

[TorontoDrew]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

What would you expect from the firm responsible for the Château Laurier expansion?


https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/council-approv...ier-after-four-years-of-debate-1.5322580

You can't blame Aa for that. In fact its a nice looking design but it's an addition that should never have been looked into. Blame the owners of the hotel, and blame the city of Ottawa for allowing them to move forward with this. Aa usually design solid buildings. They are only the architects and they need to take their cues from their clients.

Some of their work that I really like. From their webesite.

[urbandreamer]

^That aA building at Brock U looks dreadful up close. It's just as deadening to the street as a brutalist wall of concrete.

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

What would you expect from the firm responsible for the Château Laurier expansion?


https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/council-approv...ier-after-four-years-of-debate-1.5322580

Jesus that looks even worse than the older versions! There was one with a pitched roof that looked contemporary but complemented the original better iirc.

At this point I'm starting to think that Aa hates historic architecture. This should be their logo:

[urbandreamer]

^Yeah they're modernists. In some ways their aesthetic is very dated: the sad thing is developers are getting cheaper architects like IBI Group and G+C to produce mediocre knockoffs of aA. Essentially Canadian developers and architects are about 5-10 years behind the trends coming out of England/Europe. eg: 8 years ago I was designing NimbyTect sketches with arched facades, inspired by what I was seeing starting in Germany. Only in the past couple of years are we seeing the best Toronto architects/developers embrace the red brick and arches, the more traditional elements that make buildings timeless.

[Innsertnamehere]

IBI has improved a fair bit recently - they clearly have two wings of their architecture practice, cheap design chop shops, and their better practice. IBI has put out some excellent stuff but also continues to put out terrible stuff.

G+C is the worst firm in the city at this point and can't produce anything good if their life depended on it. Basically every other firm has produced at least something good even if they aren't consistent, but not G+C.

[TorontoDrew]

A few more renders of 475 Yonge Street posted on urbantoront.ca

At least nothing old will be destryoed at this location, just a dated Courtyard hotel.

Address: 475 Yonge St, Toronto, Ontario, M4Y 1X7
Category: Condo, Institutional, Retail
Status: Pre-Construction
Number of Buildings: 2
Height: 837 ft / 255.25 m, 808 ft / 246.40 m
Storeys: 78, 75
Number of Units: 826, 785
Developer: KingSett Capital
Architect: BDP Quadrangle









Also not sure if the old design was shown, but the new site plan is so much better now rather then a massive block long podium.

[GeneralLea]

The Mariott prior to it's ugly recladding was a fairly attractive building. It just looks like something out of an airport now. The prresent redevelopment proposal is lacking something. I think I have a bigger issue with the podium than the towers.....but my main gripe with this is the lost jobs and hotel rooms. Toronto's seen a lot of hotel's and motel's redeveloped, and not replaced to the same amount as before. (AFAIK)
It's a big problem for the hospitality industry in the city, I'd hope to see more investment in dedicated hotels rather than split residential/hotel buildings.

(Of course we'll likely see more movement in hotel proposals once we're out of the pandemic)

[WhipperSnapper]

There needs to be more separation between the Chateau Laurier and the new building. Otherwise, I really don't get the uproar. The design is better than most things that get built today

aA is a business in a field I wouldn't want to be in. Just look at all the firms that have disappear over the past decade through closing up shop or absorb by the likes of IBI, Stantec, Lemay. It would be ridiculous to turn down a development of this size.

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally Posted by GeneralLeeTPHLS

The Mariott prior to it's ugly recladding was a fairly attractive building. It just looks like something out of an airport now. The prresent redevelopment proposal is lacking something. I think I have a bigger issue with the podium than the towers.....but my main gripe with this is the lost jobs and hotel rooms. Toronto's seen a lot of hotel's and motel's redeveloped, and not replaced to the same amount as before. (AFAIK)
It's a big problem for the hospitality industry in the city, I'd hope to see more investment in dedicated hotels rather than split residential/hotel buildings.

(Of course we'll likely see more movement in hotel proposals once we're out of the pandemic)

The original modernist designs for both the Marriott and Park Hyatt were alot more classy. I wouldn't call them attractive nowadays. Modernism gets the least amount of respect

**Edit. I kinda forgot the Park Plaza (Hyatt) hotel so had to look it up. It was nice building.

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

IBI has improved a fair bit recently - they clearly have two wings of their architecture practice, cheap design chop shops, and their better practice. IBI has put out some excellent stuff but also continues to put out terrible stuff.

G+C is the worst firm in the city at this point and can't produce anything good if their life depended on it. Basically every other firm has produced at least something good even if they aren't consistent, but not G+C.

Probably boils down to which IBI is producing the designs.

G+C has no talent. Page + Steele, the same firm that made Dickinson a local legend, was capable of pulling off something good in this era. It seldom happened. In some way, that makes them even worse than G+C

[ScreamingViking]

Here are better renders of these buildings.

Core Urban has been doing terrific work on small to medium size projects in Hamilton, especially previous renos/additions for historical buildings and now new builds. I'd love to see them tackle something more prominent, but they're good at what they've been doing and I really appreciate what they've contributed to Hamilton's downtown.

Originally Posted by TheHonestMaple

Originally Posted by Innsertnamehere

two proposed buildings in Hamilton have been increased to 8 storeys from the originally proposed 6 at 165 James St S:



The 6 storey building in the background of the second rendering is currently finishing construction by the same developer and will share a parking level with the two new buildings.

The developer, Core Urban, is known for excellent heritage restorations and generally great building detailing so these should look great once done and really enhance the streetwall of James St S.

[Arrdeeharharharbour]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

The town of Shediac NB is not part of the Moncton CMA, but is immediately adjacent to the CMA and is definitely part of the exurban commuter watershed. You can be in downtown Moncton from Shediac in about 20 minutes. It is only a matter of time until the town added to the CMA.

Anyway, Shediac is undergoing a building boom at present with multiple apartment projects underway, approved or in the planning stage. Most of these projects are nice, but uninspired. This new one recently uncovered by Moncton former Beaubassin is probably nice enough to be shown on the national stage.

The project consists of two apartment buildings, both 7 storeys tall, containing 127 units each. The development is located on Hannington Road (NB-133), right on Shediac Bay, and the architect makes full use of the oceanfront location. Another forumer suggested the buildings have an ocean liner aesthetic, and I think this is right. The addition of a private jetty leading out onto the bay is quite nice I think. The only unfortunate thing is that this development will be located immediately adjacent to a trailer park, although this could change in the future........









https://plan360.ca/media-planning/meetings/SH-PRAC-Report-21-2505.pdf

I really like this! Great to see a multi-unit right on the water and taking advantaage of what I imagine to be amazing views. The terraces are something to envy.

[905er]

that Moncton Shediac development is pretty grotesque ... the Ottawa developments pretty bland... I'm noticing a lot of lazy designs lately, its disappointing. our cities deserve better.

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by ScreamingViking

Here are better renders of these buildings.

Core Urban has been doing terrific work on small to medium size projects in Hamilton, especially previous renos/additions for historical buildings and now new builds. I'd love to see them tackle something more prominent, but they're good at what they've been doing and I really appreciate what they've contributed to Hamilton's downtown.

Looks like Toronto could learn a thing or two from Hamilton about renovating historic buildings.

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by O-tacular

Looks like Toronto could learn a thing or two from Hamilton about renovating historic buildings.

There are plenty of property owners in Hammy that still need to learn too.

Sadly, there would have been so much more opportunity for a company like Core Urban had different decisions been made about Hamilton's historical buildings in the 1970s and 80s.

[isaidso]

Originally Posted by TorontoDrew

Aa usually design solid buildings. They are only the architects and they need to take their cues from their clients.

You're attempting to excuse the inexcusable.

If someone is a slave, 8 years old, or has brain damage they don't have the capacity to say 'NO'. These are grown adults with an education. You turn down projects that destroy important architecture and then proceed to block attempts by the unscrupulous developer. You don't surrender your soul to enrich your wallet. That aA have designed quality in the past doesn't excuse current behaviour.

I will never have any respect for aA ever again. They're a disgrace. Foxes in the hen house.

[Nouvellecosse]

I think it's perfectly reasonable for people to have differing views on historical preservation. For most of human history the idea that buildings should be preserved for the sake of history or design wasn't even a passing thought. Today, while most people understand and accept the concept of historical preservation, there are vast differences between people's views on the topic. There are some who don't care about preserving anything in any way except for the oldest or most prominent landmarks, and some who don't want anything older than 50 years to even be touched. There are also many people in the middle who think varying levels of facadism is perfectly fine preservation as a compromise with practical considerations.

Regardless, I don't think it's an issue of morality or ethics where there's an absolute correct or incorrect answer that anyone should be berated and canceled for failing. Spirited disagreement and debate is much more appropriate.

[Al Ski]

Originally Posted by Nouvellecosse

I think it's perfectly reasonable for people to have differing views on historical preservation. For most of human history the idea that buildings should be preserved for the sake of history or design wasn't even a passing thought. Today, while most people understand and accept the concept of historical preservation, there are vast differences between people's views on the topic. There are some who don't care about preserving anything in any way except for the oldest or most prominent landmarks, and some who don't want anything older than 50 years to even be touched. There are also many people in the middle who think varying levels of facadism is perfectly fine preservation as a compromise with practical considerations.

Regardless, I don't think it's an issue of morality or ethics where there's an absolute correct or incorrect answer that anyone should be berated and canceled for failing. Spirited disagreement and debate is much more appropriate.

Good god I hate facadism. Keeping the outer wall for a condo lobby? Just put the building out of its misery ffs!
In the future, people will be laughing as they date all these failed attempts: "Oh look, another old-timey wall lol". "So early 21st century!". "I read that they were in a huge real estate bubble at that time"... "and that politicians allowed them to build these ghettos in exchange for these walls!" "LOL","LOL","LOL"
What was wrong with those people?

[TorontoDrew]

Ghettos?