Reimagining Ottawa’s architecture

[Proof Sheet]

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

I'm not overly lookist with buildings, being all about them ground and lower floors, but even this one has me involuntarily humming the Soviet national anthem.

I think Mr. Bald and Bankrupt would like them

[Harley613]

Originally Posted by Proof Sheet

I think Mr. Bald and Bankrupt would like them

Totally 100 percent

[Proof Sheet]

Originally Posted by Harley613

Totally 100 percent

Throw in a mosaic or oddly shaped bus stop and he's all in.

[Harley613]

Originally Posted by Proof Sheet

Throw in a mosaic or oddly shaped bus stop and he's all in.

You forgot a Babushka...

[Proof Sheet]

Originally Posted by Harley613

You forgot a Babushka...

and some down and outs drinking 150 proof white lightning and being general gopniks.

[J.OT13]

Victoria. I especially like the low-rise. Ottawa's incapable of designing somthing that nice.

Originally Posted by zoomer

Perhaps a looming negative to the finer grain streetscape is this five tower all rental two stage approved development for downtown by Starlight where site work for stage one has begun. On the other hand 1500 new rentals is never a bad thing for a downtown.



Source

And it’s not all mid or high-rises, this large development over much of a city block is now under construction (excavation stage) at the edge of the historic old town:



Source

[J.OT13]

Never thought I'd say this, bit I wish Ottawa was more like Vaughn.

Originally Posted by TorontoDrew

I think this is Phase 1 of Park Place in south Vaughan at Highway 7. The Master plan will be centrered around a linear park and it will be connected to the Line 1 Subway.

source: urbantoronto.ca

The development includes 1,100 units across two buildings soaring 48 and 56 storeys with heights of 166m and 192m, respectively. Designed by globally recognized Hariri Pontarini Architects.


A view of part of the park with future massing models.


If Vaughan actually ends up looking like this it will be worth a visit in the future.


The podium of Phase 1

[phil235]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Never thought I'd say this, bit I wish Ottawa was more like Vaughn.

Pretty sure that Vaughan will look nothing like that. As much as we aren't fans of the charc whites, they are integrated into the urban fabric far better than these types of developments. I strongly suspect that these will end up as drive-in, drive-out islands of density.

That's generally the case with most of these towers in smaller cities that we are jealous of. Even the Station Park development in Kitchener is car-oriented, even though it is downtown-adjacent. The towers are inward-looking, oriented around a car drop-off, and I strongly suspect that most residents will still end up driving unless they are going to the universities or something right on the ION.

While our developments don't do much for the skyline, they are generally better for street-level interaction, which is actually more important from a city life perspective.

[Fading Isle]

Originally Posted by phil235

Pretty sure that Vaughan will look nothing like that. As much as we aren't fans of the charc whites, they are integrated into the urban fabric far better than these types of developments. I strongly suspect that these will end up as drive-in, drive-out islands of density.

That's generally the case with most of these towers in smaller cities that we are jealous of. Even the Station Park development in Kitchener is car-oriented, even though it is downtown-adjacent. The towers are inward-looking, oriented around a car drop-off, and I strongly suspect that most residents will still end up driving unless they are going to the universities or something right on the ION.

While our developments don't do much for the skyline, they are generally better for street-level interaction, which is actually more important from a city life perspective.

Yeah, Vaughan's manufactured "downtown" is plopped right in the middle of an industrial area, full of slightly more modern looking stroads, and surrounded by highways. It's not a pleasant, walkable able area so far and I highly doubt it will be in the future. The only thing it has going for it is a subway station (which looks palatial compared to every station in Ottawa).

[phil235]

Originally Posted by Fading Isle

Yeah, Vaughan's manufactured "downtown" is plopped right in the middle of an industrial area, full of slightly more modern looking stroads, and surrounded by highways. It's not a pleasant, walkable able area so far and I highly doubt it will be in the future. The only thing it has going for it is a subway station (which looks palatial compared to every station in Ottawa).

Yeah, we stayed in a hotel in "downtown Vaughan" in the spring. We were probably 300m from the subway station. We were heading to Downsview, so it should have been a short subway ride, but our hotel was on the wrong side of the highway, and there was literally no way for us to get there unless we drove.

[Harley613]

We are arguing with NIMBY/BANANAs about 27 story CharcWhites here in Ottawa, meanwhile Mississauga from my plane window just now:



Depressing

[OTSkyline]

M City Towers are in the 60-80 story range. Can you imagine that here?

30 story is now somewhat accepted, 40 stories is "pushing the limits" in Ottawa.

[acottawa]

• Video Link

[vtecyo]

You know - just for laugh - I asked Bing Co-pilot/AI/GPT whatever it is - to generate an image of an apartment building in Ottawa in the style of Roderick Layhey Architecture - and man - AI can do some weird stuff. I don't know if this design is in any way practical for an apartment building - but I like it more than what they actually design:

[originalmuffins]

Originally Posted by vtecyo

You know - just for laugh - I asked Bing Co-pilot/AI/GPT whatever it is - to generate an image of an apartment building in Ottawa in the style of Roderick Layhey Architecture - and man - AI can do some weird stuff. I don't know if this design is in any way practical for an apartment building - but I like it more than what they actually design:

I know we joke about Kowloon Walled City a lot, but this would quickly become that LOL.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by vtecyo

You know - just for laugh - I asked Bing Co-pilot/AI/GPT whatever it is - to generate an image of an apartment building in Ottawa in the style of Roderick Layhey Architecture - and man - AI can do some weird stuff. I don't know if this design is in any way practical for an apartment building - but I like it more than what they actually design:

Wow, it even got the height right!

Beside the mass that's impossible based on our laws, this actually looks quite good in design and materials. Better than most RLA projects, so in that sense, it got it wrong.

Should have been four walls going straight up from the street 28 floors, charcoal brick with tiny windows. Add a courtyard to make it nice and legal.

[OTSkyline]

Save for the mass, this actually looks good and better than most projects going up in Ottawa. This is incredibly generous of Chat GPT, what I would've drawn would've been much less of a compliment haha.

The step-downs, lots of glass, white accents, usable balconies, etc.. Looks like a mid-rise version of the tower at Zibi.

[vtecyo]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Wow, it even got the height right!

Beside the mass that's impossible based on our laws, this actually looks quite good in design and materials. Better than most RLA projects, so in that sense, it got it wrong.

Should have been four walls going straight up from the street 28 floors, charcoal brick with tiny windows. Add a courtyard to make it nice and legal.

Well - to be fair - I think I did prompt it specifically for a 30 story apartment building. If I recall correctly i asked it for "create an image of a 30 story apartment building in Ottawa in the style of Roderick Lahey Architects".

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by vtecyo

Well - to be fair - I think I did prompt it specifically for a 30 story apartment building. If I recall correctly i asked it for "create an image of a 30 story apartment building in Ottawa in the style of Roderick Lahey Architects".

So AI not so I.

[OTSkyline]

Beijing just opened a new library. Look how beautiful it is. I feel like something similar could've been very fitting for ours, given the pillars & ceiling make it look like trees or forest.