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  #501  
Old Posted Jan 22, 2016, 5:47 PM
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Originally Posted by eastcoastal View Post
Or classic examples of not caring enough to do something interesting within the rules. I'd say a designer who blames the rules is lazy.
That's one way to look at it, and I don't disagree, but I think the rules should be crafted such that they encourage even lazy designers to create nice buildings.

Having a special allowance for decorative elements would have removed the tension between the height limit and the desire to cram in as much usable space as possible.

That being said, this was pre-HbD. The process actually has improved since this was built.
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  #502  
Old Posted Jan 22, 2016, 6:16 PM
Drybrain Drybrain is offline
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I wonder what the plan is for Halkirk House and the next phase of development along Hollis Street? I liked that modern-looking proposal for Benjamin Wier house but I think it may be modified or cancelled.
Really? It was in the news last June. I hope it's still planned.

I'd also like Halkirk to be built to complete the streetwall.
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  #503  
Old Posted Jan 22, 2016, 10:38 PM
RoshanMcG RoshanMcG is offline
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The crane from Dal's Sexton campus


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  #504  
Old Posted Feb 6, 2016, 10:08 PM
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Here is a recent Alexander rendering taken from page 41 of this document - https://www.killamproperties.com/sit...%20small_1.pdf

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  #505  
Old Posted Feb 6, 2016, 10:17 PM
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Glad to see it's been updated, the previous renders looked like a couple of buildings developed here in Vancouver around 1999, most notably The Mondrian Yaletown ..picture here :

http://downtown-vancouver-condos.com/mondrian-ii

Short-lived, sort of 1930's New York skyscraper look, needless to say they look very dated now.

This should age far better although it's nothing exciting and already looks a bit dated as well.
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  #506  
Old Posted Feb 6, 2016, 10:24 PM
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Originally Posted by connect2source View Post
Glad to see it's been updated, the previous renders looked like a couple of buildings developed here in Vancouver around 1999, most notably The Mondrian Yaletown ..picture here :
The Alexander is an old proposal. It first went through the approval process around 2003 or so and looked much like the previous generation of renderings. Originally it was also closer to 30 storeys. Something to keep in mind when people say that something like the United Gulf development must be completely dead because it was approved around 2007-2009.

fenwick16, thanks for posting that. The report says the tower is 24 floors, not 19, so I updated the thread. The discrepancy might be based on the height on Bishop Street vs. Lower Water.
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  #507  
Old Posted Feb 6, 2016, 11:16 PM
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fenwick16, thanks for posting that. The report says the tower is 24 floors, not 19, so I updated the thread. The discrepancy might be based on the height on Bishop Street vs. Lower Water.
I think that part of the discrepancy is that it is being counted from Lower Water Street as you stated. Also, once Killam Properties became involved and the developers decided to go with rental units instead of condo units, they might have lowered the ceiling heights by a foot or so to allow for a couple more residential storeys.

From Lower Water Street this project will be 65 meters plus the height of the mechanical penthouse, based on the original development agreement - http://www.halifax.ca/council/agenda...0909ca1114.pdf. I wonder if they are including the penthouse as one floor?
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  #508  
Old Posted Feb 7, 2016, 1:23 AM
counterfactual counterfactual is offline
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Originally Posted by someone123 View Post
The Alexander is an old proposal. It first went through the approval process around 2003 or so and looked much like the previous generation of renderings. Originally it was also closer to 30 storeys. Something to keep in mind when people say that something like the United Gulf development must be completely dead because it was approved around 2007-2009.

fenwick16, thanks for posting that. The report says the tower is 24 floors, not 19, so I updated the thread. The discrepancy might be based on the height on Bishop Street vs. Lower Water.
United Gulf will be dead until they sell to someone else, who is actually serious, or the City forces a buy back and re-invites proposals.

The Alexander was dead until they sold to Killam, who actually develop things.
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  #509  
Old Posted Feb 7, 2016, 5:15 PM
portapetey portapetey is offline
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Originally Posted by fenwick16 View Post

The rendering below is from the document that you provided a link to in your post - https://www.killamproperties.com/sit...ck%20Final.pdf



At first this new rendering looked radically different from what I was expecting (I was still expecting "1930 New York skyscraper look", which I REALLY like and wish this still was.)

But it's not so different from this rendering that fenwick16 had posted previously.

One thing I missed all along was that this had been bumped up to 24 stories, but I see above that this may count the Lower Water Street structure. So the tower itself is probably still 19?

(I just counted the apparent floors in the two renderings, and it looks like 19 to 21 plus the "cupola". Really hard to tell.)
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  #510  
Old Posted Feb 7, 2016, 5:43 PM
terrynorthend terrynorthend is offline
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Originally Posted by portapetey View Post
At first this new rendering looked radically different from what I was expecting (I was still expecting "1930 New York skyscraper look", which I REALLY like and wish this still was.)

But it's not so different from this rendering that fenwick16 had posted previously.

One thing I missed all along was that this had been bumped up to 24 stories, but I see above that this may count the Lower Water Street structure. So the tower itself is probably still 19?

(I just counted the apparent floors in the two renderings, and it looks like 19 to 21 plus the "cupola". Really hard to tell.)
I just counted up the tower in that rendering and got 21 + the green cupola. If you start at the Lower Water elevation, the podium adds two more floors, bringing it to 23 + the cupola. If the cupola contains habitable space, then that would account for 24 floors.

I'm still very interested in the makeup of the cupola. Some have said it is a copper (or copper-like) cladding. If so, I doubt it is an occupied floor. On the other hand, the rendering appears to show it as translucent. I.e., I can see the "hidden" lines of back-facing geometry, whereas upon inspection, the rest of the model is opaque - except where there are windows. This leads me to wonder if it is not a glazed space, maybe an arboretum, lounge, or otherwise. If so, this would be pretty amazing. Imagine it lit up from inside at night!
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  #511  
Old Posted Feb 7, 2016, 5:53 PM
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Originally Posted by portapetey View Post
At first this new rendering looked radically different from what I was expecting (I was still expecting "1930 New York skyscraper look", which I REALLY like and wish this still was.)

But it's not so different from this rendering that fenwick16 had posted previously.

One thing I missed all along was that this had been bumped up to 24 stories, but I see above that this may count the Lower Water Street structure. So the tower itself is probably still 19?

(I just counted the apparent floors in the two renderings, and it looks like 19 to 21 plus the "cupola". Really hard to tell.)
When I compare the 2015 rendering to the 2008 elevation drawing from the development agreement (below), I count two extra floors. The tower above the 5 storey high Lower Water Street podium was only 16 floors in the development agreement but is now 18 storeys; I doubt that it is added height though, probably just shorter floor to ceiling heights.

(source: development agreement - http://www.halifax.ca/council/agenda...0909ca1114.pdf )
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  #512  
Old Posted Feb 7, 2016, 6:08 PM
fenwick16 fenwick16 is offline
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Originally Posted by terrynorthend View Post
I'm still very interested in the makeup of the cupola. Some have said it is a copper (or copper-like) cladding. If so, I doubt it is an occupied floor. On the other hand, the rendering appears to show it as translucent. I.e., I can see the "hidden" lines of back-facing geometry, whereas upon inspection, the rest of the model is opaque - except where there are windows. This leads me to wonder if it is not a glazed space, maybe an arboretum, lounge, or otherwise. If so, this would be pretty amazing. Imagine it lit up from inside at night!
I am also interested in the cupola. In the development agreement it is labeled as a mechanical penthouse, however, it appears to be over 25 feet in height (around 8 meters over the 65 meter height of the tower).
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  #513  
Old Posted Feb 7, 2016, 7:12 PM
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I hope the cupola isn't built out of the same green Lego type material that makes up the mansard roof of the buildings at Summer Street and Spring Garden Road. Both copper and glass would be much nicer.
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  #514  
Old Posted Feb 8, 2016, 12:27 AM
worldlyhaligonian worldlyhaligonian is offline
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I hope the cupola isn't built out of the same green Lego type material that makes up the mansard roof of the buildings at Summer Street and Spring Garden Road. Both copper and glass would be much nicer.
My concern as well.

Real copper would be great. I'd take a precast like Salter's gate... I think too modern would look weird next to its surroundings.
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  #515  
Old Posted Feb 8, 2016, 4:24 AM
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  #516  
Old Posted Feb 8, 2016, 12:31 PM
fenwick16 fenwick16 is offline
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Thank you Dmajackson for the construction pictures. There are more pictures here - http://urbanhalifax.tumblr.com/

I didn't realize that they had poured so much concrete. Hopefully the winter weather will remain mild so they can continue to make good progress.
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  #517  
Old Posted Feb 8, 2016, 2:46 PM
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Originally Posted by worldlyhaligonian View Post
My concern as well.

Real copper would be great. I'd take a precast like Salter's gate... I think too modern would look weird next to its surroundings.

Some seriously ugly buildings in that neighborhood surrounding this project as per Dmajackson's pic. The worst of DT Halifax construction in the '80s and '90s. How Bishop's Landing ever won any kind of design award never ceases to amaze me, but it is better than the others we see there.
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  #518  
Old Posted Feb 8, 2016, 4:51 PM
beyeas beyeas is offline
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Originally Posted by portapetey View Post
(I was still expecting "1930 New York skyscraper look", which I REALLY like and wish this still was.)
Yeah I am with you on that. I had hoped that this was going to be a classic style point tower, just to add more variation to the skyline.
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  #519  
Old Posted Feb 8, 2016, 7:20 PM
worldlyhaligonian worldlyhaligonian is offline
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I wonder if they are going to use the stonewall they tore down somewhere in the development?

I hate the turqouise/orange colour scheme in the computer model rendering... the one with all white isn't so bad...

Groundfloor should be all stone/brick to match up with the brewery and Bishop's Landing. Bishop's landing isn't that bad... but the clocktower and some faux elements ruin it. I dislike all the triangular shapes.
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  #520  
Old Posted Feb 8, 2016, 8:10 PM
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Bishop's Landing is decent for its era, I guess. It's fairly cheerful area at street level, and the retail/residential mix is successful in creating a pretty lively, well-used space.

The scale and mix of uses is pretty good. The architectural quality, not so much.

As for the new tower, meh. It's not aggressively ugly. The Maple and the Roy are both much better though.
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