Saskatoon | Baydo Towers | ??m - ??m | 25-25 Floors | U/C

[Saskabusher]

Actually, the top of the post would be the 21st floor, and ceiling of the 20th....

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally Posted by Crisis

It's interesting to note that there has been plenty of criticism of the look of this development, primarily on the "tiny" windows, when compared to some of the mid-rise & high-rise residential towers that utilize a window wall system to provide a envelope that is largely glass.

The 2020 National Energy Code for Buildings (NECB) is set to be adopted by all provinces in 2024. Saskatchewan is supposed to adopt it January 1st, but I've heard rumblings that date may slip. One of the consequences of the adoption of this new code is that the amount of glass used in building envelopes will be reduced significantly. Extremely high performance glazing systems, which come with a matching extremely high cost, will be required in order to provide the "glass box" look that has been so highly desired over the past few decades. So, like it or not, the look of the Baydo Towers envelope is likely going to be typical of most new residential developments.

Baydo's windows are incredibly small and are a result of the cheapest option to meet the energy codes. Not only are they too small but, they lack any sort of architectural design references. Another thing you're fotgetting is that most commenters have seen the renderings and the expectation of the primary facade materials are equally cheap. The majority of SSP Canadian posters are sick and tied of window wall towers so your argument in absolutes of either glass box or Baydo has little merit. There's very little good in the exterior design aesthetics of Saskatoon's new tallest. Defending it just comes across as homerish.

It's stucco over sheet metal cladding. I personally favour the first one.

[The Bess]

Hey Whipper Snapper anything happening with that 85 story condo tower on Yonge and Bloor streets, its already been 7 years since construction started. I heard it was up to the 40th floor should be done by 2030 lol. I have to admit it will look good if ever finished. As for Baydo I am sick of seeing stucco or brick buildings but not sure where you got what quality of building materials they are using, but if you know please share?

[Dalreg]

Whippy has an opinion just like everyone else. And you know what they say about opinions....

One correction Whippy, not the tallest in Saskatoon. Maybe top 5 at best.

[phone]

Can we just admit these are ugly buildings that reek of cost-cutting and get on with our lives? This doesn't mean that we can't appreciate the added population they bring to our downtown, or the fact that they will comprise relatively affordable housing for hundreds of people, or that there may be at least arguably good reasons for their ugliness and cheapness; and it doesn't mean that they are an unambiguously "bad project", or that the city would be better off without them. But, they are ugly and cheap, plain and simple.

[WhipperSnapper]

Honestly, I meant to say tallest twins. I forgot to type it.

Hard to say which has been rising slower between The One and Baydo. The One's overly engineered structure has to be considered and that will be the number one reason should The One die. Baydo's erection leaves one preplex. The building's engineering is straightforward.Unfortunately, Baydo will be completed and its ugliness will stand tall in the skyline

[phone]

Originally Posted by Dalreg

Whippy has an opinion just like everyone else. And you know what they say about opinions....

One correction Whippy, not the tallest in Saskatoon. Maybe top 5 at best.

I see you're using your Ralphie voice!!!

[The Bess]

point taken Whipper

[Dalreg]

Whippy, still not the tallest twins either. Renaissance would take that honour. Nothing says twins have to be the same size

Hey Ralphie Boy

[Saskabusher]

Yes, it's true, they won't be the prettiest. But they're better than huge swaths of Mississsuaga, or even Young St. North, from the 70's. We'll hide them in the future, no worries. For now, we've not got much. Give us our shit sticks and let us expand to the heavens with glass towers and a hopeful future. We need people downtown. It's a great place to live, that most Saskatonians don't accept. Downtown died with the suburban shopping mall....

[WhipperSnapper]

I hate saying this but, personal aesthetics are subjective. However, comparing these to cheap towers built in the 1970s indicates to me that we don't differ that much on the exterior aesthetics of Baydo. I think it's wishful thinking taller towers will come and they will be nicer from the public's eye than the precedence already set by 639 Main, 880 Broadway and Baydo.

Once again, there's a lot of room between Baydo and glass towers. This continues to be written out with arguments between glass and Baydo as glass arguably is not economic. I don't know. Rents are a third to a quarter that of Torontos but, downtown Saskatoon developers aren't debt financing $100 million just for a piece of land. Again, it feels more rationalizing ugly than finding Baydo's rendered designs pleasing.

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally Posted by Dalreg

Whippy, still not the tallest twins either. Renaissance would take that honour. Nothing says twins have to be the same size

Hey Ralphie Boy

Do you have a confirmed height?

Baydo should be taller than Renaissance. Baydo has more floors and average floor height across Canada are higher than they were in the 1980s.

[905er]

Originally Posted by Saskabusher

Yes, it's true, they won't be the prettiest. But they're better than huge swaths of Mississsuaga, or even Young St. North, from the 70's. We'll hide them in the future, no worries. For now, we've not got much. Give us our shit sticks and let us expand to the heavens with glass towers and a hopeful future. We need people downtown. It's a great place to live, that most Saskatonians don't accept. Downtown died with the suburban shopping mall....

i'm sorry, what? you actually think these Baydo turds are better than Mississauga's (I'll spell that correctly for you) new towers?
I can't imagine anyone picking those over the new towers in Mississauga.. I just can't imagine.

More river landing Saskatoon... and way less Baydo.

[roryn1]

Fancy glass towers like No1RL are good for a very small group of folks, but this tower is a lot more perfect for one of the biggest issues in Canada - stable home prices. The efficiency of this tower will also be phenomenally better, keeping with affordability, vs some of the nightmare projects like ICE, inflating housing prices in TO that is causing those folks to leave that bubble and come to SK and AB for a more quality and affordable life.

[Saskabusher]

No, 905er, I said from the 70's- the 1970's. The bar is pretty low here, if you haven't noticed. I wasn't baiting anyone, but please read carefully. Thanks!

[Saskabusher]

WhipperSnapper, good point, not either 'window-less', or glass walls. I was just being concise. Glass walls are horribly inefficient here. We literally get weeks of -30 to -40. It's not feasible to have massive glass windows. I don't even know who wants to live in a glass house here. And in many new developments, they're showing clear glass balcony enclosures and walls around common areas. I have to say, people get sick literally from picking up all the beautiful, dead birds. Architects seem to be detached from the location more than is admitted, yet obvious in the design, and that's a shame. Reflective glass and clear glass need to be banned from large projects and balconies, everywhere. F your view. A tint is all it it takes to make the world a better place.
Anyway, I've seen a lot of good designs coming out of Calgary and Vancouver that would probably work well in Saskatoon and update our outdated skyline.
So anyway, Baydo's design here, has changed a few times, and the last one I think, is acceptable, for what it is, a rental with retail. If this project succeeds, more will come. Bingo! Less in the suburbs is a more vibrant core, like Saskatoon had in the 1950s, 60s and 70s! Look at those old photos- it looks like Toronto! Haha

[WhipperSnapper]

Toronto has introduced strict bird safety glass policies so I recommended not buyng a place on a pre built/ under construction mid rise floor as your view of your next building (hopefully clothed) neighbour will be proliferated with porcelain dots

I don't know why the conversation continues on glass towers. That ain't Baydo and the lack thereof is not what makes Baydo's renderings look like shit. My gut tells me its continued misdirection from acceptance. I'm telling you that local development enthusiasts deserve much better.

[905er]

Originally Posted by Saskabusher

No, 905er, I said from the 70's- the 1970's. The bar is pretty low here, if you haven't noticed. I wasn't baiting anyone, but please read carefully. Thanks!

...my bad.. i completely missed that. I take that back.

[roryn1]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

Toronto has introduced strict bird safety glass policies so I recommended not buyng a place on a pre built/ under construction mid rise floor as your view of your next building (hopefully clothed) neighbour will be proliferated with porcelain dots

They have these dots at our new Wanuskewin Heritage site and it prevents 70% less bird deaths. Sorry to hear that Toronto vapidness favours dead birds over aesthetics, let alone expensive glass towers in a cold climate during climate change that have inflated the entire town’s cost of living into an expensive glass bubble of rectangles they expect people to raise families in lol

[CanadianDriverYXE]

November Update! 11/13/23
I would post weekly pictures but there isn't a lot of progress to show, so I choose to just post these pictures monthly.