amazing project, but this is not London or Singapore. project will go from this....
47289-141478.jpg


to this.
61J44QB02hL._AC_SY741_.jpg

 
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There is lots of potential here. Although the renders have a bit of sci-fi feeling to them (especially as this is Toronto we are talking about), the design firm is amazing and I suspect that we will get a lot of 'out of the box' buildings (for Toronto). This is a damn good thing for the waterfront, the city and the architectural bar that will be raised.
 
cd concept said:
I wasn't thinking about this developer showing a flyby video of this rendering but that's even a bonus !!! I love watching the idea more buildings being added to the city's core in flyby mode from Koops!
Click to expand...

I'm working on it. It's a big job, 5 towers and that long mid-rise... maybe tomorrow, we'll see.
 
CRAZY OR WHAT!!! Thanks Koops for you work. But the millions dollar question is does anyone know the hieght and storeys of these towers? Because they all seemed to have passed the 150m mark I'm my perspective !
 
I keep seeing numerous posts about Toronto is going to screw this up or change the design from beautiful to mediocre. So the big question is, with so many people using Urban Toronto does know one in here or the numbers that Urban Toronto has is able to change this thought with the Toronto design board, who makes these final decisions, and why do we not have any strength? People on here can keep complaining I get it but is there nothing that all of us can do to change this mindset? Just curious.
 
Dinamo5 said:
I keep seeing numerous posts about Toronto is going to screw this up or change the design from beautiful to mediocre. So the big question is, with so many people using Urban Toronto does know one in here or the numbers that Urban Toronto has is able to change this thought with the Toronto design board, who makes these final decisions, and why do we not have any strength? People on here can keep complaining I get it but is there nothing that all of us can do to change this mindset? Just curious.
Click to expand...

The changes which most people fear; and don't always occur, but do too often, are rarely the fault of any Design Review Panel (now and again....but I digress).
They are also rarely the fault of planners..

They are usually the responsibility of developers, who choose to 'value-engineer' and remove more expensive elements and/or materials in favour of cheaper/less challenging ones.
The default, at-law, is that that is their prerogative. The City has a good deal of sway in terms of height, and massing, although even there, the process of appeal to OLT shows a relatively limited effect, much of the time.

There are some exceptions, in which government can hold a proponent to the render, to at least some degree:

1) If the developer is making a truly extraordinary ask, that they believe won't gain approval except by virtue of its interesting design, they can choose to enter a legally binding agreement with the City, typically secured through the S.37 agreement
which may bind the developer to certain materials or choices.

2) If the site involves protected heritage buildings, the City may have some ability to protect those and to dictate certain design features that directly abut said buildings

3) If the City or another government body is the owner of the land, and chooses to place a covenant on sale; and/or remains the owner and dictates certain conditions in exchange for lease of the lands.

*****

Number 3 is key here.

Waterfrontoronto is the primary owner of Quayside, along with the City of Toronto (1.5 acres) ; in the legal terms of the contract they sign w/the proponent here they can choose to insert language protecting key design elements.

That language will almost always include some flexibility, as there is a considerable distance between a concept render and an approved building, and working drawings to build same.

Frankly, it's challenging to craft wording just right at an early stage; but it can be done, if the will is there.
 
@AlexBozikovic is out w/his take on the new Quayside, and it's a positive one.

www.theglobeandmail.com

After Alphabet, Toronto’s waterfront gets low tech and high design

Waterfront Toronto has announced a new development team for the 12-acre site known as Quayside, the same one on which Sidewalk Labs had focused its plans five years ago
www.theglobeandmail.com www.theglobeandmail.com

(not paywalled at time of posting)

There are a couple of excerpts I think are worth pulling forward:

1645025692771.png


***

1645025733859.png


The last sentence is key, that the remaining buildings for which we have not seen detailed renders will be subject to design competitions all their own.
 
Northern Light said:
The changes which most people fear; and don't always occur, but do too often, are rarely the fault of any Design Review Panel (now and again....but I digress).
They are also rarely the fault of planners..

They are usually the responsibility of developers, who choose to 'value-engineer' and remove more expensive elements and/or materials in favour of cheaper/less challenging ones.
The default, at-law, is that that is their prerogative. The City has a good deal of sway in terms of height, and massing, although even there, the process of appeal to OLT shows a relatively limited effect, much of the time.

There are some exceptions, in which government can hold a proponent to the render, to at least some degree:

1) If the developer is making a truly extraordinary ask, that they believe won't gain approval except by virtue of its interesting design, they can choose to enter a legally binding agreement with the City, typically secured through the S.37 agreement
which may bind the developer to certain materials or choices.

2) If the site involves protected heritage buildings, the City may have some ability to protect those and to dictate certain design features that directly abut said buildings

3) If the City or another government body is the owner of the land, and chooses to place a covenant on sale; and/or remains the owner and dictates certain conditions in exchange for lease of the lands.

*****

Number 3 is key here.

Waterfrontoronto is the primary owner of Quayside, along with the City of Toronto (1.5 acres) ; in the legal terms of the contract they sign w/the proponent here they can choose to insert language protecting key design elements.

That language will almost always include some flexibility, as there is a considerable distance between a concept render and an approved building, and working drawings to build same.

Frankly, it's challenging to craft wording just right at an early stage; but it can be done, if the will is there.
Click to expand...
Thanks for that info, very interesting.
So is it right to say that it's our developers and architects in this city that are the problem. Then how do people make actual change so that we don't have a bland skyline, simple buildings etc.
I would have thought more people on this site would have connections with the developers/achitects of this city to make positive change when it comes to exterior design and street level appealing designs etc.
Maybe one day I guess.
 
cd concept said:
CRAZY OR WHAT!!! Thanks Koops for you work. But the millions dollar question is does anyone know the hieght and storeys of these towers? Because they all seemed to have passed the 150m mark I'm my perspective !
Click to expand...
You're welcome!

From the render it looks like the shortest tower is about equal in height to Monde, which is 150 metres tall. The 2 tallest towers appear to be about 200 metres, and the other 2 I made 180 and 170 metres. But, these are just massing models, and they will change as the real buildings are revealed at a later date...
 
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