Ugly Canada 2 (Only architecture, planning and design faux pas)

[megadude]

House in North York where you can't see what's happening on the street. Orignally built for vampires so only minimal amount of daylight gets in. I guess that's why the new owners added skylights.


photoupload

[O-tacular]

I dunno, that looks like a cool mid century home to me. I wonder if there are windows in the back facing the yard.

[megadude]

Yeah I don’t mind the style but I find the lack of windows or window size very odd.

[905er]

that house is beautiful.. has no business being on this thread. A little landscaping is all it needs.

[GenWhy?]

I love the inner layout of these homes. Was always a big fan of the hallways being along the exterior wall of the house and windows on both sides of the hall allowing light to pass from the exterior to the living room via the hallway.

[megadude]

Originally Posted by 905er

that house is beautiful.. has no business being on this thread. A little landscaping is all it needs.

I guess I should’ve been more clear. I find the window “situation” ugly. Looks like you’re prevented from seeing the world in front of you without opening the door.

Anyway, I don’t mind the style but I personally don’t find the house beautiful at all. Looks very uninviting from the front.

[TorontoDrew]

Originally Posted by megadude

House in North York where you can't see what's happening on the street. Orignally built for vampires so only minimal amount of daylight gets in. I guess that's why the new owners added skylights.


photoupload

This house is awesome! I bet the interior is all retro and tastefully decorated. It also looks like it backs onto a ravine so it probably has a ton of windows and natural light on it's back side.

[megadude]

I was in Simcoe today. This house sold so link no longer works but here's the pics. I wanted to pass by the Fall Fair and this house is basically across the street. The road it's on fascinates me too. The last streetview around it is from 2012 and the road itself doesn't have any streetview. And it's gravel. Simcoe is so intriguing to me. My second time being there. I love driving around their downtown. This house is so mysterious. Former fortune teller's home?


From point2.com for the smaller pics and Revel Realty for the bigger pics:

Originally Posted by megadude

Ummm...what? This could be the set of a movie. Whether it would be for a comedy or a horror is TBD.

Also, the street it's on is possibly private as there's no streetview and the last and only streetview to the entrance to that street is from 10 years ago.

I'm going to Simcoe next month. I am tempted to stop by and knock on the door and/or interview neighbours to get the low down on this situation.

https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/2...-street-simcoe

[O-tacular]

Former fortune teller's house is right!

[HomeInMyShoes]

Ugly or not?

https://www.google.ca/maps/@50.44239...7i13312!8i6656

It's a serious question. It was a debated building at city meetings this week.

[phone]

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes

Ugly or not?

https://www.google.ca/maps/@50.44239...7i13312!8i6656

It's a serious question. It was a debated building at city meetings this week.

If I had to go with "ugly" or "not ugly", I'd go with not ugly, because really, while it's obviously not pretty, it's just very plain. Ugliness connotes something offensive or obtrusive, when this just blends totally into the background as a typical building of that era and type, without a second glance.

[thewave46]

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes

Ugly or not?

https://www.google.ca/maps/@50.44239...7i13312!8i6656

It's a serious question. It was a debated building at city meetings this week.

Maybe they should change the name to King Charles now?

As for the building itself, meh? It fits into the neighbourhood, so it doesn't stand out as particularly good or bad. It's not cutting edge modernity plunked into traditional Victorian neighbourhood allegedly destroying character.

It just is.

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes

Ugly or not?

https://www.google.ca/maps/@50.44239...7i13312!8i6656

It's a serious question. It was a debated building at city meetings this week.

I don't find that ugly but there's something Clockzillian about this one down the street:

https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Hus...4d-104.6091446

And this is bleak AF:

https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Hus...4d-104.6091446

Why the massive fence around the parking lot?

[HomeInMyShoes]

Originally Posted by O-tacular

I don't find that ugly but there's something Clockzillian about this one down the street:

https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Hus...4d-104.6091446

And this is bleak AF:

https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Hus...4d-104.6091446

Why the massive fence around the parking lot?

The parking lot is actually outdoor space and tennis courts. I played on them a few times growing up.

I'm asking because it's one of our newest heritage buildings. I'm all for preservation of all eras of structures because the architectural record should be more than the ancient, but this is middling at best for the period.

Regina 'eyesore' apartment building gets heritage designation

Calling it an eyesore is way more than a little hyperbolic. If that were an eyesore we must have a freakishly spectacular built environment. We don't. As evidenced by the examples above.

[WhipperSnapper]

It is ugly. There's a lot of majot modification too. Beige stucco wasn't common when this was built. Did someone famous live there? Was it the first high rise? Was it designed by Trudeau's uncle?

""Edit. I read the article. I detect cronyism at play

[HomeInMyShoes]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

It is ugly. There's a lot of majot modification too. Beige stucco wasn't common when this was built. Did someone famous live there? Was it the first high rise? Was it designed by Trudeau's uncle?

""Edit. I read the article. I detect cronyism at play

I think you would probably be correct. Outside of modifications that I may not know about, here is a similar era building that is a much more apt option if we are talking about preserving something here.

https://www.google.ca/maps/@50.44094...7i13312!8i6656

Maybe it's already on the list.

Regina's heritage list (here) appears to be a mechanism to allow demolition of actual architectural heritage while helping friends of council. They've saved a few things over the years that should have been, but the failings of the process are too numerous.

[Gresto]

On the way to and from the cottage, we often pass this dumbfoundingly window-deprived house. We always joke about the serial killer dismembering his victims inside. At least he recycles his bottles of chloroform and hydrochloric acid.

https://www.google.ca/maps/@44.29059...7i16384!8i8192

[WhipperSnapper]

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.6858...7i16384!8i8192

This one is more subtle than the other examples posted. It's still peculiar until I say it was built by a motorcycle gang

[WhipperSnapper]

Originally Posted by Gresto

On the way to and from the cottage, we often pass this dumbfoundingly window-deprived house. We always joke about the serial killer dismembering his victims inside. At least he recycles his bottles of chloroform and hydrochloric acid.

https://www.google.ca/maps/@44.29059...7i16384!8i8192

I now know where to go when the zombies rise. Surely an awesome gun collection within too.

[niwell]

I don’t hate the Regina “heritage” building but I seriously doubt the actual heritage component. Doesn’t seem like a particularly good example of modernism and we’ve lost better high rises of the era in Toronto.

Also a bit confused as to what economics would actually see that demolished for something new in Regina. There’s got to be plenty of better opportunities.