Ugly Canada 2 (Only architecture, planning and design faux pas) - Page 312

Nashe · #**6221** Posted **Mar 8, 2023, 5:10 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by O-tacular

I wonder how many people saw this as the last thing before they died? It looks like a dimly lit dungeon. Were those golden chairs cast out of plastic lawn chairs? The top part looks floppy. One is pointing forward while the rest point backward. Nice to see what all the actual working parts of their military were stollen for.

"For the love of God, Montresor!"

MolsonExport · #**6222** Posted **Mar 8, 2023, 6:40 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by O-tacular

I wonder how many people saw this as the last thing before they died? It looks like a dimly lit dungeon. Were those golden chairs cast out of plastic lawn chairs? The top part looks floppy. One is pointing forward while the rest point backward. Nice to see what all the actual working parts of their military were stollen for.

Wigs · #**6223** Posted **Mar 8, 2023, 8:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by O-tacular

Dear Lord Kitchener/Waterloo's hideous!! Can't believe this is a new proposal.

As much as KW's mid and highrises are beyond bland and fugly (do they reuse Russian designs?), I can tell you having visited overnight last year it's actually a bit of an interesting city/region compared to what the highrise photos show (Ontario history nerds, tech geeks rejoice

).

Are people going to travel there out of their way? No
Is it exciting filled with dense blocks of brick architecture? No
Does it have some cool old buildings? Yes

Obviously it's comps in Canada are more Hamilton and London than Calgary or Ottawa, but Waterloo Region is rapidly approaching 600,000 people.

They have a great regional museum, a cool 'speakeasy' type bar, barcade, good wood fired pizza, eleventy billion dispensaries

, and the new-ish ION LRT line is nice (and will be even better when it extends south to Cambridge forming the KWC trifecta).
My best friend and I actually had a surprisingly good time last year spending the night. We also walked around some fine, wealthy residential areas too near Belmont Village.

MolsonExport · #**6224** Posted **Mar 8, 2023, 9:04 PM**

KW is growing like gangbusters. It has a flourishing new economy built on the Internet. It has money.

For some reason, it also has a really ugly collection of highrises. Why is it so hard to get things right? (London isn't much better).

niwell · #**6225** Posted **Mar 8, 2023, 9:59 PM**

Honestly Soviet apartment blocks are not only more aesthetically pleasing but also likely more liveable (decent sized units) with better sound attenuation. Ditto any of the older slab towers in southern Ontario.

Really though, privately built student housing will always be scraping the bottom of the barrel unless actively forced not to for a whole bunch of reasons. Not sure I’ve ever seen an attractive example in North America. They’re basically human filing cabinets with massive turnover and one of the least engaged resident population in terms of upkeep.

Actual university funded/built dorms can be attractive of course.

KW is an interesting place though.

MolsonExport · #**6226** Posted **Mar 8, 2023, 10:00 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by niwell

Honestly Soviet apartment blocks are not only more aesthetically pleasing but also likely more liveable (decent sized units) with better sound attenuation. Ditto any of the older slab towers in southern Ontario.

Really though, privately built student housing will always be scraping the bottom of the barrel unless actively forced not to for a whole bunch of reasons. Not sure I’ve ever seen an attractive example in North America. They’re basically human filing cabinets with massive turnover and one of the least engaged resident population in terms of upkeep.

Actual university funded/built dorms can be attractive of course.

KW is an interesting place though.

That's true. the uni-funded dorms at Uwo are mostly not that bad looking. the private sector stuff is utter shite.

lio45 · #**6227** Posted **Mar 8, 2023, 10:05 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by niwell

Honestly Soviet apartment blocks are not only more aesthetically pleasing but also likely more liveable (decent sized units) with better sound attenuation. Ditto any of the older slab towers in southern Ontario.

Really though, privately built student housing will always be scraping the bottom of the barrel unless actively forced not to for a whole bunch of reasons. Not sure I’ve ever seen an attractive example in North America. They’re basically human filing cabinets with massive turnover and one of the least engaged resident population in terms of upkeep.

Actual university funded/built dorms can be attractive of course.

KW is an interesting place though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

That's true. the uni-funded dorms at Uwo are mostly not that bad looking. the private sector stuff is utter shite.

On that topic, I'm currently having to decide whether to turn a prewar hotel I own into college student housing. My previous experience with a student clientele (with another SRO building where I made some improvements to attract uni students instead of tenants on welfare and drugs, and it actually worked) tells me that if you offer something decent, students will be interested. They are great tenants -- they can't fail to pay (as they intend to be solvent later in life*) and they're not too demanding.

*Foreign students on visas could prove to be the exception there, though.

SignalHillHiker · #**6228** Posted **Mar 8, 2023, 10:08 PM**

I heard a radio ad today for "phase three of the exclusive Diamond Marsh subdivision" with "views of the city". It's "close to everything you could need", you can "choose one of our pre-planned homes or sit down with us and design something of your own, add an extra garage bay" so "take a drive out to Diamond Marsh today and live life your way!"

MolsonExport · #**6229** Posted **Mar 8, 2023, 10:09 PM**

Diamond Marsh?

Sort of like Frosted Dog Turds.

Architype · #**6230** Posted **Mar 8, 2023, 10:35 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

I heard a radio ad today for "phase three of the exclusive Diamond Marsh subdivision" with "views of the city". It's "close to everything you could need", you can "choose one of our pre-planned homes or sit down with us and design something of your own, add an extra garage bay" so "take a drive out to Diamond Marsh today and live life your way!"

Close to Walmart, Tim's, and a golf course, all the amenities, and it's right next to a freeway, and look, no trees!

https://goo.gl/maps/Yra3b177Q3dAeHgy7

SignalHillHiker · #**6231** Posted **Mar 8, 2023, 10:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Architype

Close to Walmart, Tim's, and a golf course, all the amenities, and it's right next to a freeway, and look, no trees!

https://goo.gl/maps/Yra3b177Q3dAeHgy7

That's where that is? Wow.

Is it in St. John's or Mount Pearl? Because in St. John's sidewalks are mandatory.

And just...? Ugh. I don't understand how people don't see how trashy this is? I live in a working class rowhouse neighbourhood. I've gone to the superette in my pajamas before. And even I would be embarrassed to buy something like this lol People's priorities are fucked, man.

Architype · #**6232** Posted **Mar 8, 2023, 11:34 PM**

It's south of Mt. Pearl, south of the #2 freeway, so it's St.John's. Maybe the sidewalks will come later, but with parking for four, or six cars each, you won't really be walking much. It's cute if you like little black houses, bring your own landscaping.

Wigs · #**6233** Posted **Mar 9, 2023, 2:17 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by niwell

Honestly Soviet apartment blocks are not only more aesthetically pleasing but also likely more liveable (decent sized units) with better sound attenuation. Ditto any of the older slab towers in southern Ontario.

Really though, privately built student housing will always be scraping the bottom of the barrel unless actively forced not to for a whole bunch of reasons. Not sure I’ve ever seen an attractive example in North America. They’re basically human filing cabinets with massive turnover and one of the least engaged resident population in terms of upkeep.

Actual university funded/built dorms can be attractive of course.

KW is an interesting place though.

Have you seen the newer ones? The Brezhnevkas (70s-80s era-typically 7-14 storeys plus) might be decent like older Toronto commieblocks, but it's still a mess of banality.
Stalinkas for the Nomenklatura to me are some of the most interesting

Yekaterinburg, Russia (capital of the Ural region)
4th largest city - look at all dem Commie slabs

• Video Link

KW's cheaply made highrises making it look like an obscure Russian city are in stark contrast to like Molson says the internet economy/money

Wigs · #**6234** Posted **Mar 9, 2023, 2:27 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

That's where that is? Wow.

Is it in St. John's or Mount Pearl? Because in St. John's sidewalks are mandatory.

And just...? Ugh. I don't understand how people don't see how trashy this is? I live in a working class rowhouse neighbourhood. I've gone to the superette in my pajamas before. And even I would be embarrassed to buy something like this lol People's priorities are fucked, man.

SHH, where did Newfoundlanders go wrong? You built such a great inner city. Da fuq is this new shite?

blame 'Berta money I suppose.

Architype · #**6235** Posted **Mar 9, 2023, 2:51 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wigs

SHH, where did Newfoundlanders go wrong? You built such a great inner city. Da fuq is this new shite?

blame 'Berta money I suppose.

I'll answer for him, he will say it's because of confederation, but it started just before or around that time almost everywhere. Yes, people wanted to live in the modern suburbs with a spacious lawn and driveway starting in the 1950s, and not in the row housing, which was more run down and had no modern appeal at the time, or even denser smaller lot older SFH. Look at the Disneyfication of the American dream house ideal by Hollywood & TV at the time, it looked great, but was a fake lifestyle being sold.

Loco101 · #**6236** Posted **Mar 9, 2023, 3:10 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

The latter. Underestimate Clockzilla at your own peril. If you look at it too long, you will undoubtedly turn to stone (or Bronze).

I think that bust of Eddie should be your next avatar.

harls · #**6237** Posted **Mar 9, 2023, 3:15 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

That's where that is? Wow.

Is it in St. John's or Mount Pearl? Because in St. John's sidewalks are mandatory.

And just...? Ugh. I don't understand how people don't see how trashy this is? I live in a working class rowhouse neighbourhood. I've gone to the superette in my pajamas before. And even I would be embarrassed to buy something like this lol People's priorities are fucked, man.