The Great Canadian "If you were a developer (Just for fun)" Thread

[urbandreamer]

^I modified the tower slightly--6s podium mimicking the warehouse-style 1930s buildings south of Dundas on Spadina Avenue Toronto--with a 16s tower above for a total of 22s. The idea: kill boring grey spandrel and replace it with angled panels--perhaps even in a colourful pattern Balconies on east & west elevations alternate every other floor with French balconies for the rest.

484 Spadina Avenue Toronto = Hotel NimbyTect

Looking North towards UofT's Spadina Circle building:

[urbandreamer]

420 Bathurst Street Toronto is itching to become another dreary 3s Walmart with a ton of parking.

I humbly propose a more urban solution--ground level retail (could be an urban format Walmart) with 8s of condos above.





Is Bathurst ready to grow up and welcome new residents to Kensington Market?

[Surrealplaces]

This is an interior of a design for a library that I made up. It was more just for kicks, and I'm not an architect, so don't critique it too hard

[urbandreamer]

^Image isn't showing.

Update on my 420 Bathurst sketch. Change to black brick with concrete retail area:


Are you uncool enough to shop at NimbyMart?

[urbandreamer]

Here's something a little bit different: An urban planning exercise. My vision for the "Avenues" across Toronto and the 905--from Bathurst to Dufferin, Lawrence to Finch, Burnhamthorpe to Hurontario, Mississauga City Centre and beyond. Between 3 and 6s would be the ideal goal depending on context, with a variety of facades and materials with a common floorplate design to make it all affordable. What I wish would be the future "streetcar suburb." The first floor would be a combination of retail, office, live/work and studios depending on demand, perhaps with several blocks of retail then residential like you find in parts of Montreal or Toronto. Each pair of buildings/facades shares an elevator shaft. Around back is the alley side with generous balconies. Vehicle parking--depending on context/demand--via stackers, surface parking facing public space/squares or perhaps underground parking or neighbourhood parking garages. And of course--depending on cost--green roofs/gardens up top.





On this block, the facades vary in colour and texture/material creating visual interest while sharing a common modern aesthetic with the 5th floor pitched back promoting max sun exposure on the street below. Like in prewar blocks across Canada, each "block" could be by a different architect/developer yet all "talk to each other" with a common design language/roof lines/massing just like in the good old days....

With more updates to come.

[FrAnKs]

I wish I looked at that thread before.

All of it is very interresting & impressive. I wish I had the knowledge to use that software aswell.

You need alot of patience & imagination. I wait for more !

Otherwise, the closest things I do from this, are hand-drawn maps, but in a similar way, you need to create & imagine the whole urbanism plan. But the problem with Hand-drawn maps is you need to think about it TWICE before drawing it, cause you can't undo

Here are few examples :





















I did some sketches with AutoCAD aswell :





And I did a quick renovation concept with Photofiltre of an old abandonned house in Quebec city :



---------------

Unfortunately I did it all before 2010 when I was around 20 ... I don't get enough time these years when I started my career as a draftsman.

It miss me. It was fun.

[ih8pickingusernames]

^Looks haunted. Great location to film a horror movie.

[FrAnKs]

Yes indeed

[thomax]

Since this thread started back up, here is one of my designs I did in SketchUp for a development to go in between the Pigott Building and Commerce Place in Hamilton. Both towers are 80 floors:


Source: My Photo


Source: My Photo


Source: My Photo


Source: My Photo

[urbandreamer]

FrAnKs: Wow those are insanely detailed maps! Years ago I used to sketch out fantasy maps of cities but never to the precision of yours: love

Back to 484 Spadina Avenue Toronto. I recently found out the developer is planning student rental housing above a 2 storey podium containing a nightclub and a fitness centre. So with that in mind, I decided to redesign my concept to fit those requirements--likely a tight budget for example. A simple tower with colourful spandrel reflecting the "flags of the world" students come from to study at University of Toronto.

Looking SW down Spadina:


Looking NW at the podium:

[MolsonExport]

raze downtown Longueuil/Laval, and start all over again.

[urbandreamer]

Should the Queen and Spadina area of Toronto go mid-highrise?



I think so! (And retain its character/Victorian streetscape.)

Example: Queen and Spadina looking Southwest:

[urbandreamer]

Another couple of proposals for the Queen and Spadina neighbourhood:

1)Queen Street West and Vanauley Street--currently occupied by an ugly 1-2s fabric store built c.1950s.
Vanauley facade:

Queen:

Proposed material: raw concrete columns or precast panels mimicking them.
Inspiration: those awesome (from MPOV) wooden hydro poles that proliferate across Toronto and Ontario's rural routes.

2)Queen Street West just east of Spadina, currently occupied by a 1 storey recently-closed Le Chateau outlet.


Proposed material: brick
Inspiration: Victorian roofline meets Dutch modernism

[urbandreamer]

Another massing concept for the Queen and Spadina area of Toronto--passé district condos at 170 Spadina Avenue (Fad Condos site--that project appears to be on hold.)






And a Victorian-storefront-inspired/scaled lowrise just west of Spadina on Queen West:

As you can see the details and roof line meet the c.1880s Victorians next door yet with a cool modern edge:

[urbandreamer]

Update on 170 Spadina: Although I rather like the solid pitched roof and am not a strict follower of modernism's "form follows function" scriptures, here's an alternative approach to the roof that continues the pentagon "lattice" theme. The roof here provides a visual punctuation mark to the Queen and Spadina area and the pentagon "holes in the roof" function as portholes framing views out from the 3 storey glass box that serves as amenities--fitness, pool, kitchen, bbq area, and perhaps an upscale restaurant with an expansive patio/deck. And also serve as vents for the MechPH stuff.

I suppose the building could be an upscale boutique condo/hotel instead of pure luxury condos--target around 120 units.



The view into and out from typical units--the "lattice" would likely be an insulated laser-cut metal cladding with a layer of glazing--perhaps via hinged or sliding glass shutters--on the interior.

[urbandreamer]

I'm still in love with the idea of Spadina Avenue turning into Toronto's Broadway--intense density with a crazy variety of shops. Here's a few more design concepts I'm dreaming about lately:

Spadina Haus--half a block north of Queen:




rich$PA--Southeast corner Richmond and Spadina. I'm working on a cantilever over an old warehouse building to the south of this corner.

[urbandreamer]

Another look at my Richmond and Spadina Toronto fantasy:

[urbandreamer]

Found the time to add 4 more floors here (easy copy & paste job :p)


I think I've found my dream gig though: architectural designer. Different than an architect, more creative/visionary and less into the zoning details etc.

[kw5150]

Whoooooooooahhhhhhhh............BACK UP!

Look at those hand drawn maps and sketches. Very cool.

I used to draw something similar but never to that amount of detail. I will scan some of the stuff in that I used to draw when I was about 12 or 13 and post it in the next few days.

It was called "Oceanic City" ........

[urbandreamer]

Under construction: Spadina and Richmond - Toronto - NE corner.