Great Northern Way Campus and Area Updates

[Jebby]

Originally Posted by Anorak

I agree with your point that 30-40 storey towers shouldn't be everywhere, but how can you get just as much density with mid-rises?

Let's take a 40,000 square foot lot as an example. The City allows a maximum 6 FSR on this lot, so that gives you a total of 240,000 buildable square feet.

You could build a an 8 story midrise on most of the block with 30,000 square feet floorplans

Or you can build a a 35 story tower with 7,000 square foot floorplates.

[officedweller]

Thanks for posting.

Interesting about the height.
Emily Carr next door had a very strict height limit - which caused it to be a big wide box.

[dpogue]

Over the weekend they got a crane erected in the pit for construction of the office tower in front of the Emily Carr building.

[Anorak]

Originally Posted by Jebby

Let's take a 40,000 square foot lot as an example. The City allows a maximum 6 FSR on this lot, so that gives you a total of 240,000 buildable square feet.

You could build a an 8 story midrise on most of the block with 30,000 square feet floorplans

Or you can build a a 35 story tower with 7,000 square foot floorplates.

Wouldn't the 35 story tower in this case be better as the remaining 33,000 square feet could be made into something else, say a park?

[Jebby]

Originally Posted by Anorak

Wouldn't the 35 story tower in this case be better as the remaining 33,000 square feet could be made into something else, say a park?

You don't need a park on every block.

[Vanelevatorman]

+1 for the highest possible towers everywhere that is practical. No need for a park, but a commercial podium of two floors would be great, especially with the new transit coming....eventually.

[dpogue]

Two photos I took yesterday:


The crane and excavation for the PCI building on Great Northern Way.


Cladding the new Emily Carr University building.

[officedweller]

Canvas from GBL Twitter:

Sept 2nd:


https://twitter.com/GBLArchitects

Aug 23rd:


https://twitter.com/GBLArchitects



https://twitter.com/GBLArchitects

https://twitter.com/GBLArchitects


https://twitter.com/GBLArchitects

[officedweller]

The Emily Carr Building has gained some colour!
(reminds me of the NEFC elementary school, with patches of colour on white)


http://thebigidea.ecuad.ca/progress/

[officedweller]

399 East 1st Ave.

Current design:


https://changingcitybook.com/2017/02...st-1st-avenue/

UDP rejected design:


https://changingcitybook.com/2017/02...st-1st-avenue/

[BodomReaper]

Pretty impressive density for the site. Imagine if all of the False Creek Flats would get zoned for this.

[osirisboy]

Why did they reject the first design

[Jebby]

The rejected design was much better.

[Vin]

Originally Posted by osirisboy

Why did they reject the first design

Maybe they hate the Rubik cube shown on the rendering?

But we should get used to Vancouver watered-down design preference, to expect otherwise is just to pursue the impossible.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by osirisboy

Why did they reject the first design

Panel’s Consensus on Key Aspects Needing Improvement:

Overall, the site massing and layout does not fit together well based on past guidelines, and does not appear to be generated from the context of the site;

The pixel / voxel articulation is a superficial applied expression and is not 3 dimensional enough, for example the unit planning and how it relates to the massing and expression of the building are not integrated;

The layering and materiality could be further developed;

The landscaping is too commercial and corporate and doesn’t take into consideration the live-work residential uses;

There should be more amenity space for the live/work residents;

There should be a more credible separation between the live work/space evident in the unit plans.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by Vin

Maybe they hate the Rubik cube shown on the rendering?

But we should get used to Vancouver watered-down design preference, to expect otherwise is just to pursue the impossible.

The Rubik cube is still there - it's between the yellow and the green buildings, so you can't see it in the model photo.

[LeftCoaster]

Originally Posted by Jebby

The rejected design was much better.

Correction, the rendering for the rejected design was much better.

I think the new design is just as complex and interesting as the first, you're just looking at a design massing for UDP vs sales renderings. It's also a totally different angle.

Also, it's Onni so let's keep our expectations in check either way.

[officedweller]

With the current design, the colour repetition on the spandrel below each window reminds me a lot of the towers at Wall Centre False Creek
(though those were dull colours) with a few protruding boxes like the Residences at West.

The checkerboard blocking in the rejected design looks different than most buildings in Vancouver.

[officedweller]

From the webcam today showing the PCI office building in front:


http://thebigidea.ecuad.ca/progress/

[Feathered Friend]

My partner and I took a walk last Saturday and made sure to grab some photos of the new Emily Carr. I do wonder how they'll deal with the noise from the M-Line when it expands.