What's the consensus?

  • Great

    Votes: 9 16.7%

  • Good

    Votes: 21 38.9%

  • Okay

    Votes: 14 25.9%

  • Not Great

    Votes: 3 5.6%

  • Terrible

    Votes: 7 13.0%
  • Total voters
    54
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Source https://twitter.com/brettgarneau
 
Thoughtful discussion on the cladding / renderings.

The reality is, innovation is really really hard. Especially in the mid-rise infill market. Especially in the current calgary market. Especially switching from condo to rental. Especially in covid times when lumber prices double just as you start framing.

You don't have the same margins as high rise development. I'm not even talking about cost of construction but rather the execution team. You need to run super lean, and those folks need to grind hard to maintain design integrity (eg renderings) while actually pulling the project off (and ensuring sufficient success to continue developing!!)

I would suggest not holding your breath on the cladding.. at the end of the day, this is still a super exciting, interesting, and innovative project. Cladding aside.. Publicly accessible courtyard with three courtyard facing CRUs - does this even exist in AB? Two full sized murals by local artists. 6 CRUs and 63 dope apartments. It's a win across the board, for both the community and the fans of design/development.
 
Good points @bgarneau Development in general is a tough go from the start. Trying to do a super cool project makes it even tougher.

The renderings for this one look great, and a lot of people will expect a totally awesome project, but might get a very good project instead.
That is still a win IMO. Regardless of the exterior materials and which ones are used, the project will still be more creative and above the typical design that we see in Calgary.
 
My thought s are pretty much the same as the above posts. However the final product turns out, one thing for sure is that it will be better than what we typically see. For example, I like the area projects done by Sarina, they're what I would call solid, and good additions to the neighborhood. Courtyard 33 will be a notch above those other ones.
 
bgarneau said:
Publicly accessible courtyard with three courtyard facing CRUs - does this even exist in AB?
Click to expand...

Are there many examples of this anywhere in North America? I'd really be interested if anyone knows of any precedents. There might be some buildings like this built in Yorkville (Toronto) in the 1970s, but I can't think of any specific examples off the top of my head.
 
Silence&Motion said:
Are there many examples of this anywhere in North America? I'd really be interested if anyone knows of any precedents. There might be some buildings like this built in Yorkville (Toronto) in the 1970s, but I can't think of any specific examples off the top of my head.
Click to expand...
I can't think of any that are mixed use, or are new builds. Market Square in Victoria has a semi enclosed courtyard with CRUs, but it's not mixed use and not a new build. I recall something similar in Philadelphia, but same thing , not mixed use or a new build.
 
It's cost-driven by code requirements for structures with more than 4 wood stories, or so it's been explained to me. There's enough additional fire-proofing requirements that it's cheaper to just put in a concrete 2nd floor.
 
Surrealplaces said:
My thought s are pretty much the same as the above posts. However the final product turns out, one thing for sure is that it will be better than what we typically see. For example, I like the area projects done by Sarina, they're what I would call solid, and good additions to the neighborhood. Courtyard 33 will be a notch above those other ones.
Click to expand...

I agree that Courtyard 33 will be a notch above everything else that has been completed on 33 Ave and 34 Ave recently.

I don’t mind the Sarina buildings, but if I had one major knock on them, it’s that they aren’t particularly inviting for pedestrians, because the main floors are not at grade with the sidewalk (I believe there is another forum that has discussed this issue at length).

I’ll give Coco a pass, because it doesn’t have any commercial or retail, but I don’t love how Avenue 33 is not level with the sidewalk, except at the corner of 33 Ave and 20 St.

Harrison appears to have a similar design (level with sidewalk on west end of building, elevated/stairs on east end end). I know this is likely difficult/expensive due to the downward slope of 33 Ave from west to east, but this really bothers me about these buildings.

The 1600 Block does seem like it will be level with the sidewalk so that’s a positive.

think my favourite recently completed building in the neighbourhood would probably be the Marda building, but I expect Courtyard 33 to surpass it.

All I really want for the neighbourhood now is for the City to begin executing the Streetscape Masterplan. I know the work on the Max BRT station is technically part of it, but I’d like to see other aspects of the Plan come together so 33/34 Aves start to feel like more of a cohesive main street. I don’t imagine my wish will come true any time soon in the current economy.
 
noticed the same corner one block east has been cleared and fenced off, not as large lot as this
 
potatopizzafan said:
that lot has been cleared for a few years. used to be a cool old house converted to a restaurant, lots of trees around it. Then it got developed into a dirt and grass lot....yay
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I never figured out why that old house got knocked down. The restaurant that was there moved into the "Marda Loop Market" at 34 Ave and 20 St.
 
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