CHICAGO | Highrise Projects & Construction - Page 346

untitledreality · #**6901** Posted: **Jan 17, 2012, 9:26 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nowhereman1280

^^^ This city needs another Herb Greenwald which is who I want to be some day.

Exactly. The developer needs to trust the architect.

the urban politician · #**6902** Posted: **Jan 17, 2012, 9:59 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by untitledreality

Obsession with the bottom line inevitably means that the developer has a preconceived notion of what a project is going to be which is a major constraint on any architect. If a developer only said to an architect "this is my site, I need 200 units and at 250,000SF I can afford a build out of $175/SF it would be much easier. Unfortunately none do.

^ Point taken, but your initial complaint was with architect's being forced to work with "price obsessed developers" and I was just responding to that. Most developers are price obsessed.

untitledreality · #**6903** Posted: **Jan 17, 2012, 10:46 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by the urban politician

^ Point taken, but your initial complaint was with architect's being forced to work with "price obsessed developers" and I was just responding to that. Most developers are price obsessed.

Poor word choice on my behalf. Maybe "vision obsessed"? "market obsessed"? "comparables obsessed"?

Nowhereman1280 · #**6904** Posted: **Jan 18, 2012, 12:01 AM**

^^^ You mean most architects are forced to work with developers who are egotistical. That is a big problem with architecture because both architects and developers tend to be extremely egotistical and therefore clash. The developer usually ends up winning because he is the boss.

I am obviously somewhat egotistical myself, but I've always wanted to hire architects that I'm obsessed with and just be like "I want to build a 250 unit building here and it can't cost more than $150/SF, give me 3 options to pursue and they all better be your best work."

Frankly my main motivations are A. Money and B. Using money to make Chicago even better than it already is.

Joe Zekas · #**6905** Posted: **Jan 18, 2012, 2:47 AM**

Alan Schachtman, the principal in charge of K2 for the Fifield-Wood joint venture, gives me an update on the status of construction in this video at YouTube.

observer · #**6906** Posted: **Jan 18, 2012, 4:28 PM**

With rear exceptions, developers are not 'the boss'. They ussually scrape only enough money to buy a property (with as little down as possible) and pay architects and engineers for design to get a GMP from a contractor (and some even skip that). The bank or fund they are borrowing money from to do the project is 'the boss' (and usually can't get a loan until they have a GMP from a contractor (which means value engineering it down do the bones most of the time). Many developers would spend money like drunken sailors on thiers architects and/or thier own 'vision' if they could get financing for it....but since it's not thier money (most of the time), it's not up to them.

Nowhereman1280 · #**6907** Posted: **Jan 18, 2012, 6:29 PM**

^^^ Ehhhh not so much. Banks do not get actively involved in the project. Banks have lending requirements that developers must work within, but those have nothing to do with what styles, floor plans, shapes, and sizes developers can make their buildings. The bank basically gives the developer the maximum cost/SF they can build according to the business plan the developer has put together. The bank could care less whether the building is the Elysian or Aqua as long as the business plan is solid.

Developers are the ones in control, that's just how it works. Their job is not just to scrape together enough money to do this and that, it's to bring together all the parties necessary to build a building and manage the entire process. That's like saying the CEO isn't the "boss" in a company just because the board of directors can veto his business plans.

J_M_Tungsten · #**6908** Posted: **Jan 18, 2012, 10:42 PM**

1-18
Sono

Dan in Chicago · #**6909** Posted: **Jan 19, 2012, 8:39 PM**

In cooperation with the other Chicago moderators I've begun to update the 1st-page Boom Rundown list. It will take a bit of time to get it where it should be.

We agreed to switch the building links to a new website that many of us are involved in called phorio.com (it's already cited by the World Almanac as the source for building heights, along with the CTBUH).

Couple of questions for anyone who cares...

1. Most of the planned buildings should be taken off the list because the proposals are long-dead. Should I go ahead and do this now, or does anyone want time to save them in a personal list? Any input into what is actually dead or not, just PM me.

2. Phorio is going with a more "metric" definition of a high-rise: 10 floors instead of 12. Do you guys want the list to be expanded to include 10 and 11 story buildings?

george · #**6910** Posted: **Jan 19, 2012, 8:54 PM**

I'm in favor of an expanded hi-rise list including 10-11 floors.^

emathias · #**6911** Posted: **Jan 19, 2012, 9:54 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by george

I'm in favor of an expanded hi-rise list including 10-11 floors.^

As long as we're not including ranch-style homes, I'm okay with it ...

george · #**6912** Posted: **Jan 20, 2012, 6:46 PM**

^

Alliance · #**6913** Posted: **Jan 21, 2012, 12:34 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan in Chicago

In cooperation with the other Chicago moderators I've begun to update the 1st-page Boom Rundown list. It will take a bit of time to get it where it should be.

We agreed to switch the building links to a new website that many of us are involved in called phorio.com (it's already cited by the World Almanac as the source for building heights, along with the CTBUH).

Couple of questions for anyone who cares...

1. Most of the planned buildings should be taken off the list because the proposals are long-dead. Should I go ahead and do this now, or does anyone want time to save them in a personal list? Any input into what is actually dead or not, just PM me.

2. Phorio is going with a more "metric" definition of a high-rise: 10 floors instead of 12. Do you guys want the list to be expanded to include 10 and 11 story buildings?

CTBUH's new criteria has made it distinctly out of step with other traditional sources. For example it lists Aqua as 261.8 meter / 859 feet (correct imo) as opposed to Pholio's more traditional measurement.

Loopy · #**6914** Posted: **Jan 21, 2012, 2:16 AM**

...

the urban politician · #**6915** Posted: **Jan 21, 2012, 2:41 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loopy

Design for new Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago is starting to Shape up.

To be sited on West side of McClurg Court between Erie and Ontario.

^ Now that's a design I can get into!

J_M_Tungsten · #**6916** Posted: **Jan 21, 2012, 3:30 AM**

^^^ sweet! Another vacant lot could bite the dust! Streeterville is starting to fill in nicely.

chicubs111 · #**6917** Posted: **Jan 21, 2012, 3:44 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loopy

Design for new Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago is starting to Shape up.

To be sited on West side of McClurg Court between Erie and Ontario.

That doesnt look like a 40 story tower to me?...is this supposed to be the building in streeterville that is supposed to have a uniquie desgine that will blow us away that i heard of or is that another medical facility proposal?

Loopy · #**6918** Posted: **Jan 21, 2012, 3:51 AM**

...

Chicago_Forever · #**6919** Posted: **Jan 21, 2012, 3:51 AM**

Lol, I know...wtf happend? It looks to be really short of 40 stories and that design isn't blowing anyone away. It's nothing but a huge, short, fat box. I really hope this isn't the final design.

ardecila · #**6920** Posted: **Jan 21, 2012, 3:53 AM**

Cool. It's still just a gussied-up box, but it's nicely gussied-up.

It's about time a major Chicago project goes to SOM instead of those hacks over at SCB. I was hoping for some more dynamic massing, though.

The pixelated ceiling of the "gap" reminds me of the rooftop bar at Jean Nouvel's Sofitel in Vienna. I wonder if the intent is similar, to find/identify a signature restaurant to take this space?