WHISTLERINMUSKOKA
01-17-2007, 09:55 PM
Puttin' up the Ritz
COLIN MCCONNELL/TORONTO STAR
Richard Tucker is director of construction for Graywood Developments Ltd. The company broke ground Nov. 30 for the Ritz Carlton, and The Residences At the Ritz-Carlton.
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Luxury condo-hotel marries five-star comfort with engineering achievements
December 16, 2006
Stephen Weir
SPECIAL TO THE STAR
Richard Tucker's high school days were spent at the "Grove," a private boy's school in Lakefield, Ont. He was Prince Andrew's prefect and Mayor David Miller's classmate.
After leaving the Lakefield College Boys School, where he was the Grove's top engineering student and the Governor General's Medal winner, he decided his destiny was a little bit higher.
Tucker, now a well-known Toronto architect and master of construction, has indeed been looking up. Since graduating from MIT in architecture and the London School of Business, he has joined the very exclusive club of professionals who build big and tall buildings.
His construction resume includes London's Canary Wharf, Calgary's 38-storey Trans-Canada Pipeline Building and the Rogers Centre. He has overseen construction for projects totalling millions of square feet in Canada, the United States and England.
Now, Tucker is the director of construction for Graywood Developments Ltd., the company that broke ground Nov. 30 for the Ritz Carlton and The Residences At the Ritz-Carlton.
Located next to the CBC headquarters on Wellington St. (near Roy Thomson Hall), the project will include a five-star hotel and high-priced condo suites in an all-glass, 53-storey tribute to unbridled luxury.
"It is time that Toronto had this," says Tucker. "There are a few nice hotels in the city, but, no true five-star establishments. The Ritz-Carlton will be that and more. And, of course, that holds true for the 35 floors of private lounges, meeting rooms and condominiums that are on top of the hotel.
"Five-star means a whole different level of service on the part of the hotel," he adds. "Guests don't want to see how things — food, laundry, luggage — are moved around. We have designed a building that has a completely separate front of the house and back of the house. Through design, hotel staff, will seemingly appear out of nowhere, will pop up and answer (guests' needs). Food is prepared on the same floor as the restaurant, so that gourmet meals arrive seconds after leaving the grill."
Condo owners won't have to walk through the hotel lobby, no matter how exclusive it is. Instead, they have their own side entrance, 24-hour concierge and two private elevators to carry them to the 21st floor and a bank of condo-only elevators.
The private lounge on the 21st floor may end up being one of the city's most exclusive clubs — populated by movie stars, princes and politicians.
The Upstairs Downstairs approach to service will affect how the building is constructed. The site is very small — only about a half-hectare. At the same time, the style of the hotel and condominium requires that more space be dedicated to keeping guests, owners and staff at arm's length.
Private entrances, quiet elevators, out-of-sight service lifts and redundant power sources (to ensure the building is never without electricity) cost more and take up space. But since even the smallest condo will cost more than $1 million, the added costs won't be a problem for the developer.
The Ritz has also worked out an arrangement with the Royal Bank, which is right next door. The two buildings will share a common loading dock and freight entrance on the bank property.
The new building will be cantilevered from street level. The north and south glass walls (with virtually no concrete in sight) will slant out, so the building is wider at the top than the bottom.
"To make room for this expansion, there is a giant zipper up the side of the building," says Tucker. "It will be the building's signature look."
Tucker will be overseeing construction of the 153 luxury condo suites, each with a minimum of 36 metres of floor-to-ceiling glass — a curtain-maker's dream come true.
Wind tunnel modelling was used to ensure the 53 storeys of glass can withstand the high winds that often buffet the downtown core. A second environmental concern was also addressed: how to protect pedestrians on Wellington from falling icicles.
"Through a combination of heaters and the actual shape of all exposed areas, icicles and hard-packed snow will never be an issue," Tucker explains.
As they dig three levels deep into the ground in an area that once almost fronted Lake Ontario, the builders are confident the garage will stay dry and still be large enough to accommodate the vehicles of residents and hotel guests alike.
"The parking spots are yours to own, and they are priced at $49,000 each," says May Sheardown, Tucker's associate and sales representative. "And, provided you don't have a roof rack on a Hummer, every style of car can fit in.
"People want this because they can park their own cars. They don't have to rely on the valet service and they know exactly where their cars are."
The suites will be overbuilt as befits the Ritz. Redundant power generators mean the tower will stay cool, water pumps will function and the elevators will work even during blackouts. The building will be cooled with Enwave — a system that uses Lake Ontario water as a giant heat exchange unit.
The irony is many of the buyers probably won't be in the building all that much, especially in winter.
"If a person can afford a suite in the Ritz, they can afford a place in France, an apartment in New York or Hong Kong and a winter retreat in Palm Beach," says Tucker.
The site has been fenced off now! Info from urbantoronto.ca
COLIN MCCONNELL/TORONTO STAR
Richard Tucker is director of construction for Graywood Developments Ltd. The company broke ground Nov. 30 for the Ritz Carlton, and The Residences At the Ritz-Carlton.
Email Story Email story
PrintPrint
Text Size Text Size Text SizeChoose text size
Report Typo Report typo or correction
Email the author Email the author
Tag and Save Tag and save
Powered by Delicious
Luxury condo-hotel marries five-star comfort with engineering achievements
December 16, 2006
Stephen Weir
SPECIAL TO THE STAR
Richard Tucker's high school days were spent at the "Grove," a private boy's school in Lakefield, Ont. He was Prince Andrew's prefect and Mayor David Miller's classmate.
After leaving the Lakefield College Boys School, where he was the Grove's top engineering student and the Governor General's Medal winner, he decided his destiny was a little bit higher.
Tucker, now a well-known Toronto architect and master of construction, has indeed been looking up. Since graduating from MIT in architecture and the London School of Business, he has joined the very exclusive club of professionals who build big and tall buildings.
His construction resume includes London's Canary Wharf, Calgary's 38-storey Trans-Canada Pipeline Building and the Rogers Centre. He has overseen construction for projects totalling millions of square feet in Canada, the United States and England.
Now, Tucker is the director of construction for Graywood Developments Ltd., the company that broke ground Nov. 30 for the Ritz Carlton and The Residences At the Ritz-Carlton.
Located next to the CBC headquarters on Wellington St. (near Roy Thomson Hall), the project will include a five-star hotel and high-priced condo suites in an all-glass, 53-storey tribute to unbridled luxury.
"It is time that Toronto had this," says Tucker. "There are a few nice hotels in the city, but, no true five-star establishments. The Ritz-Carlton will be that and more. And, of course, that holds true for the 35 floors of private lounges, meeting rooms and condominiums that are on top of the hotel.
"Five-star means a whole different level of service on the part of the hotel," he adds. "Guests don't want to see how things — food, laundry, luggage — are moved around. We have designed a building that has a completely separate front of the house and back of the house. Through design, hotel staff, will seemingly appear out of nowhere, will pop up and answer (guests' needs). Food is prepared on the same floor as the restaurant, so that gourmet meals arrive seconds after leaving the grill."
Condo owners won't have to walk through the hotel lobby, no matter how exclusive it is. Instead, they have their own side entrance, 24-hour concierge and two private elevators to carry them to the 21st floor and a bank of condo-only elevators.
The private lounge on the 21st floor may end up being one of the city's most exclusive clubs — populated by movie stars, princes and politicians.
The Upstairs Downstairs approach to service will affect how the building is constructed. The site is very small — only about a half-hectare. At the same time, the style of the hotel and condominium requires that more space be dedicated to keeping guests, owners and staff at arm's length.
Private entrances, quiet elevators, out-of-sight service lifts and redundant power sources (to ensure the building is never without electricity) cost more and take up space. But since even the smallest condo will cost more than $1 million, the added costs won't be a problem for the developer.
The Ritz has also worked out an arrangement with the Royal Bank, which is right next door. The two buildings will share a common loading dock and freight entrance on the bank property.
The new building will be cantilevered from street level. The north and south glass walls (with virtually no concrete in sight) will slant out, so the building is wider at the top than the bottom.
"To make room for this expansion, there is a giant zipper up the side of the building," says Tucker. "It will be the building's signature look."
Tucker will be overseeing construction of the 153 luxury condo suites, each with a minimum of 36 metres of floor-to-ceiling glass — a curtain-maker's dream come true.
Wind tunnel modelling was used to ensure the 53 storeys of glass can withstand the high winds that often buffet the downtown core. A second environmental concern was also addressed: how to protect pedestrians on Wellington from falling icicles.
"Through a combination of heaters and the actual shape of all exposed areas, icicles and hard-packed snow will never be an issue," Tucker explains.
As they dig three levels deep into the ground in an area that once almost fronted Lake Ontario, the builders are confident the garage will stay dry and still be large enough to accommodate the vehicles of residents and hotel guests alike.
"The parking spots are yours to own, and they are priced at $49,000 each," says May Sheardown, Tucker's associate and sales representative. "And, provided you don't have a roof rack on a Hummer, every style of car can fit in.
"People want this because they can park their own cars. They don't have to rely on the valet service and they know exactly where their cars are."
The suites will be overbuilt as befits the Ritz. Redundant power generators mean the tower will stay cool, water pumps will function and the elevators will work even during blackouts. The building will be cooled with Enwave — a system that uses Lake Ontario water as a giant heat exchange unit.
The irony is many of the buyers probably won't be in the building all that much, especially in winter.
"If a person can afford a suite in the Ritz, they can afford a place in France, an apartment in New York or Hong Kong and a winter retreat in Palm Beach," says Tucker.
The site has been fenced off now! Info from urbantoronto.ca
