General Rating of the project

  • Great

    Votes: 20 24.1%

  • Very good

    Votes: 40 48.2%

  • Good

    Votes: 13 15.7%

  • So so

    Votes: 5 6.0%

  • Not very good

    Votes: 5 6.0%

  • Terrible

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    83
DiscoStu said:
The Vancouver developer influence has definitely been positive for Calgary. We are still a few steps below Vancouver in terms of design quality and execution (and probably always will be due to money/climate/expectations), but they have definitely helped raise the standard.
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For a long time, I felt like Calgary was right up there in competitive design with Van, but the 2017 housing boom has allowed Vancouver to pull far ahead. I'm sure we'll close the gap if Calgary experiences a condo boom in the future.
 
Not sure if we were ever that close, but I do hope we try to close the design/quality gap more. In some ways, I think we've taken a bit of a step back in overall condo design the last few years...but that just may be my aversion to all the tacky patterning.
 
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DiscoStu said:
Not sure if we were ever that close, but I do wish we tried to close the design/quality gap more. In some ways, I think we've taken a bit of a step back in overall condo design the last few years...but that just may be my aversion to all the tacky patterning.
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Well for the longest time, Vancouver did have the tag of being full of "cloned buildings," but they've taken their quality up a whole another notch in the past few years. I guess that comes with the demand frenzy for a $600k studio apartment. But I do agree there needs to be more emphasis on design and material in Calgary.
 
The cost of the units does factor in for sure. It's the same in Toronto, the level of deign and the quality of materials is a notch above Calgary, that's one advantage to having a stronger condo market.

Things have picked here since the days of Pointe of View, though. If we can get back to a strong condo market I think we'll see some more thoughtful designs come out.
 
Surrealplaces said:
The cost of the units does factor in for sure. It's the same in Toronto, the level of deign and the quality of materials is a notch above Calgary, that's one advantage to having a stronger condo market.

Things have picked here since the days of Pointe of View, though. If we can get back to a strong condo market I think we'll see some more thoughtful designs come out.
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Vancouver is definitely on another level. Toronto does have some nice buildings but also tons of absolute garbage - many applying fancy materials and finishes to gaudy or clunky designs. In Calgary (and western Canada in general) there is a greater appetite in the marketplace for modern / contemporary design so we thankfully get less of the faux historical crap that litters southern Ontario.
 
Personally, I think a lot of the time it's not even a pure design issue here...but one of execution. There just doesn't seem to be a very high level of craftsmanship available or expected here, and we get a lot of sloppily executed facades/details/sidewalks etc. Even if the architecture itself isn't leading-edge, a little more pride of craftsmanship would go along way. I'd be fine with less, but better.
 
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I don't really buy that excuse. Sloppy concrete work, poorly applied stucco, mechanical boxes and utility poles in the oddest places, bad color pairing...that's not exactly the stuff that moves the real estate market. I'm not asking for gold plated sidewalks...just a little more effort and care into what we're already building.
 
DiscoStu said:
Personally, I think a lot of the time it's not even a pure design issue here...but one of execution. There just doesn't seem to be a very high level of craftsmanship available or expected here, and we get a lot of sloppily executed facades/details/sidewalks etc. Even if the architecture itself isn't leading-edge, a little more pride of craftsmanship would go along way. I'd be fine with less, but better.
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That does seem to be more often true in Calgary in terms of final design and exterior material. BUT, having lived in multiple apartment buildings in both Calgary and Toronto, in my experience the interior fit and finish quality is much better in Calgary. A lot of Toronto buildings I've been in/lived in had really poor finish quality (crooked installations, bad wiring etc.) on the interior of the apartments.
 
That’s been my experience as well. In Toronto they throw them up so fast I don’t even know how they end up with the exterior quality they have, but yes the interiors are not good. They last a couple years max before falling apart. In Calgary it’s opposite, cheap exterior, well-done interior… even in the more affordable buildings like N3 and Ink.
 
Absolute class act. The mural is a nice touch.

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