Seriously we should email the city's design committee to let them know how we feel. Now that Toronto is at a phase where they will start to build increasingly taller buildings, it is crucial we get better designs. Or else we might end up with a cold, bland skyline for generations to come.

Why are the building designs so bland? Maybe its because the NIMBY types are the only ones who take the time to be in the Committee's ears. There are probably just a handful of them constantly voicing their fears.

We are the generation that can make a difference! A lot of people dont think too much about skyscrapers. The fact that you are posting on this forum means you are amongst the small slice of the population that do care. You need to get into the committee's ears to balance things outs.

It can work. For example, in Vancouver a billboard poking fun at Toronto was removed after a handful of people called in to complain. So what do you say?

Does anyone have an email contact?
 
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Tridelwebmaster said:
Hopefully this helps to clear up some misconceptions and gives you plenty of documentation to go back and make a full review.
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I appreciate the information... I'm not sure it changes the issue with respect to colour? I'm not on the inside track here, to be sure, but looking at the picture posted it seems fairly obvious what is missing.
 
Tewder said:
I appreciate the information... I'm not sure it changes the issue with respect to colour? I'm not on the inside track here, to be sure, but looking at the picture posted it seems fairly obvious what is missing.
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what TWM seems to be trying to point out is that the developers originally proposed something with colour, but the DRP turned it down.
 
...which is a really unfortunate cop-out and a complete misreading of how the process actually works.
 
innsertnamehere said:
what TWM seems to be trying to point out is that the developers originally proposed something with colour, but the DRP turned it down.
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Yes, tidelwebmaster has provided some interesting insight. It's very easy to look at a proposal and blame the developer, but often times it may be the regulations and "the process" which force the developer's hand. Tridel was willing to modify its proposal to win the support of the Design Review Panel. The minutes show that a number of options were presented and this option was chosen by the DRP. So how is Tridel to blame? The panel is an exciting addition to the city's planning process, but it's also a new concept and it is evident that the process could use a little more refinement. For example, I'm thinking this is an area that would benefit by public participation. Present three or four different concepts and give the public a chance to give their input on which one they like best.

What does the general public know about architecture and design? The same could be said about urban planning, yet public participation is an integral part of the process.

Just my two cents...

The current design looks bland to me, but the prior submission with the colours and flat iron shape looked intriguing. On a side note, I'm disappointed that the city limited the height of 90 Harbour so it would be no taller than the ICE towers, only for Ten York to rise above them all and to block ICE from the waterfront. What's the rational for using the height of ICE as the height limit for 90 Harbour?
 
Grump said:
Seriously we should email the city's design committee to let them know how we feel. Now that Toronto is at a phase where they will start to build increasingly taller buildings, it is crucial we get better designs. Or else we might end up with a cold, bland skyline for generations to come.

Does anyone have an email contact?
Click to expand...

Here's the panel (notice only ONE woman on the panel) -

Ontario Association of Architects:

Panel Chair: Gordon Stratford, Architect, Senior Vice President, Director of Design, HOK Canada
Vice Chair: Michael Leckman, Architect, Principal, Diamond and Schmitt
Ralph Giannone, Architect, Principal, Giannone Associates
David Sisam, Principal, Montgomery Sisam Architects Inc.
Roland Rom Colthoff, Director, RAW Design
Carl Blanchaer, Principal, WZMH Architects
Joe Lobko, Principal, DTAH

Ontario Association of Landscape Architects:

Sibylle von Knobloch, Principal, NAK Design Group
James Melvin, Principal, PMA Landscape Architects Ltd.
Adam Nicklin, Principal, PUBLIC WORK office

Ontario Professional Planners Institute:

Calvin Brook, Planner, Architect, Principal, Brook McIlroy

Professional Engineers Ontario:

Alun Lloyd, Principal, BA Consulting Group Ltd.
Brian Hollingworth, Director, IBI Group

Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals

Charles Hazell, Architect, Principal, Taylor Hazell Architects


Go crazy everyone, I'll be dropping them an email. They need to hear from us - designreviewpanel@toronto.ca
 
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dt_toronto_geek said:
Here's the panel (notice only ONE woman on the panel) -

Ontario Association of Architects:

Panel Chair: Gordon Stratford, Architect, Senior Vice President, Director of Design, HOK Canada
Vice Chair: Michael Leckman, Architect, Principal, Diamond and Schmitt
Ralph Giannone, Architect, Principal, Giannone Associates
David Sisam, Principal, Montgomery Sisam Architects Inc.
Roland Rom Colthoff, Director, RAW Design
Carl Blanchaer, Principal, WZMH Architects
Joe Lobko, Principal, DTAH

Ontario Association of Landscape Architects:

Sibylle von Knobloch, Principal, NAK Design Group
James Melvin, Principal, PMA Landscape Architects Ltd.
Adam Nicklin, Principal, PUBLIC WORK office

Ontario Professional Planners Institute:

Calvin Brook, Planner, Architect, Principal, Brook McIlroy

Professional Engineers Ontario:

Alun Lloyd, Principal, BA Consulting Group Ltd.
Brian Hollingworth, Director, IBI Group

Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals

Charles Hazell, Architect, Principal, Taylor Hazell Architects


Go crazy everyone, I'll be dropping them an email. They need to hear from us - designreviewpanel@toronto.ca
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Please tell me y'all are not going to bother busy people with real lives, occupations and things like that!
 
I think this project was under 'juridstiction' of the waterfront design review panel, which has different members than the DRP. If I recall Kuwabara is leading it.
 
Valkoholic is right, this project was handled by Waterfront Toronto's DRP.

42
 
Here are the Waterfront Toronto's Design Review Panel Members

Bruce Kuwabara, chair
Partner, Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects

George Baird
Partner, Baird Sampson Neuert Architects

Paul J. Bedford
Urban Mentor and Retired Chief Planner, City of Toronto

Claude Cormier
Principal, Claude Cormier + Associés

Brigitte Shim
Partner, Shim-Sutcliffe Architects

Betsy Williamson
Partner, WILLIAMSONWILLIAMSON Inc.,

Jane Wolff
Associate Professor
Director, Master of Landscape Architecture Program
University of Toronto John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design

Donald Schmitt
Architect and Principal, Diamond and Schmitt Architects Inc.

Pat Hanson
Founding Partner, gh3

Gerry A. Faubert
Managing Principal, Integral Group

I have great respect for this board, they've moved the waterfront along at a good pace and their oversight is tremendous. That said they kind of missed the boat at Ten York for a truly iconic tall building in that area, though from what can be seen from the renderings it's not terrible. They can be contacted through the Waterfront Toronto website.
 
...which is a really unfortunate cop-out and a complete misreading of how the process actually works.
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Perhaps you should offer your services to Tridel since it seems you know better how the process actually work than Tridel. Notwithstanding the tens of thousands of units Tridel has built over the years of course.
 
As an end-user who was considering this building, I'm okay with the design... yeah it could use a little more excitement with colour... and yeah, I’m a little disappointed that the building isn't taller... but what I'm more concerned about is the lack of balconies on 80% of the units... and how that might affect re-sale values for the whole building in the future. I'm also a little concerned about traffic around this building and what will happen with the Gardiner. So, I'd rather just watch to see what happens rather than live with the experience. And… I'll see what will become of 501 Yonge Street.

I wish Tridel all the best, on achieving its sale targets so it can start construction. And, I hope that all the real estate agents earn commissions selling this fabulous project, which should be given an A+ on achieving greatest in blandless. Once this project is finished maybe Tridel can try again to build something a little wee bit better.
 
Not sure why my last post got deleted? I was not talking about the treasury printer happiness to all the new buyers. I wanted to discuss between 1f+m and the best view from a 2bdrm unit. Did my post get moved?
 
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