Architectural & Urban Design in Ottawa/Gatineau

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

Frankly, 4 to 9 storeys is human scale. I think it is horrendous that we built Claridge Icon at the entrance of Little Italy. It is not particularly welcoming. I have no problem with towers, but Icon would have been better a block or two over.

"Human scale" is really all about how the building interacts physically with the street, and culturally-economically with the land uses around it.

The west end of whatever Place Bell is Called This Year is not "human scale". It's ugly, boxy, tall, and full of parking. At street level, though, you have a welcome respite from the weather thanks to the overhang, and busy retailers of consumer staples on either corner of the building generating comers and goers, plus people coming and going from other retail, service, and residential destinations nearby.

"tall" and "human scale" aren't opposites, and are only in opposition to one another when we stupidly let them be.

[urbanforest]

The Icon is no less human scale than Carling. That hellish stroad gap between the restaurants and shops on Preston and the green space and waterfront at Dow’s lake is the real bummer.

[phil235]

Originally Posted by urbanforest

The Icon is no less human scale than Carling. That hellish stroad gap between the restaurants and shops on Preston and the green space and waterfront at Dow’s lake is the real bummer.

That will change when it is reconstructed in the next few years. At least I think it will. Doug Ford’s ridiculous bike lane legislation may prevent them from going to 4 car lanes on a stretch that is virtually empty 95% of the time.

[ponyboycurtis]

I'm trying to remember who it was and I want to say it was a Not Just Bikes Video but they spend a good portion of the video explaining the ideal ratios of a streetscape. Basically the width of the street or walking path relative to the building heights.

Which is kind of why you feel like you can endlessly walk around European old towns or to a lesser extent old arterial roads in Ottawa like certain strips of Bank or Richmond.

That being said I have no issue with the height of Icon aside from the ground floor feels a bit souless.

Agreed that the arcade/collonade at Place Bell on the Gloucester? side does quite a bit to mitigate the monolithic feel of the building.

I am 100% with Uhuniau on this.

" "Human scale" is really all about how the building interacts physically with the street, and culturally-economically with the land uses around it."