Winnipeg's Exchange District | East/West | Development

[rkspec]

Noticed on my drive home yesterday, there was a crew out at the old alexander docks with a bob cat doing some sort of grade leveling.
Wonder if this was basic spring maintenance after water levels went down, or if its something bigger?

[dmacc]

Originally Posted by rkspec

Noticed on my drive home yesterday, there was a crew out at the old alexander docks with a bob cat doing some sort of grade leveling.
Wonder if this was basic spring maintenance after water levels went down, or if its something bigger?

I thought CV put it up for sale/development a couple months ago.

[rkspec]

That must be it lol
sorry, i'm out of the loop on the project carry on

[Wpg_Guy]

https://www.padwinnipeg.com/

62M is a 41-unit residential development located at the edge of downtown Winnipeg and the Red River. Compressed between a freeway and the backs of neighbouring properties, the site was considered undesirable due to restricted views and a lack of street frontage. Lifted up on 35’ high stilts, the project overcomes the limitations of its surroundings with an iconic form and unprecedented sightlines.

The two storey, circular building is both spatially efficient and cost-effective. As a whole, the 360° plan provides the widest possible perimeter for glass with the smallest amount of exterior envelope to construct. In addition, all 40 units have identical, pie-shaped layouts that simplify assembly. Each 610 s.f. suite is arranged so that the entry and utility spaces occupy the narrow end, closest to the circulation core. This configuration frees the remaining square footage for a flexible, open living area that culminates in an expansive wall of floor to ceiling glass.

At ground level, 20 supporting columns spaced between alternating pairs of parking stalls form a ring just inside the building’s perimeter. The columns’ thinness is a clear
counterpoint to the band of housing, emphasizing the weight and mass of the building
floating above.

The landscape design is conceived as a sea of greenery surrounding the building, leaving an open, cloister-like volume beneath the soffit. The garden is comprised of 62 Jack Pines set within a bed of mixed pinecones. Rows of ferns will be planted between the pines, and a series of pinecone-shaped planting beds will be found amidst the trees and around the central elevator and lobby core.

http://jamesflorio.com/uploads/photo...hitects_01.jpg


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http://jamesflorio.com/galleries/97

[wags_in_the_peg]

nice pics, but just such a horrible location overlooking Disralei Bridge

[Biff]

The views facing downtown are incredible though. We had a dinner in the glass cube thing and had a great time.

[esquire]

^ Those photos are spectacular. The views from that building look amazing, some of the best in the city from a residential building. It probably does feel a bit like living in a no-man's land, though. The parts of the Exchange with street life are several blocks away, there isn't much in the immediate surroundings.

I thought the top cube was a shared living/dining room space, though? But it looks like there's a bathtub in there?!

I'd be curious to know how the residents find living in that building. I wonder what their take is on life in 62M so far.

[bomberjet]

I thought the glass cube part was owned by sasa from numbers architecture? He owns a unit in there I thought. Maybe I'm just crazy. Amazing views of downtown. It actually blocks the view from Disraeli, which I always loved coming into downtown.

[Biff]

Sasa does own it, you can rent it on Air BnB.

[Wpg_Guy]

I think they took it off air BnB now you book it through https://www.padwinnipeg.com/

When it was on BnB johanna hurme was the host.

[bomberjet]

Are there any blinds in there? Got a bed and a tub with windows all around! haha looks nice though.

Edit: I didn't realize there was actually a full suite in the centre part! Thought it was just a lookout type place. Which was odd since there's a tub in there haha. Pretty cool.

[buzzg]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ Those photos are spectacular. The views from that building look amazing, some of the best in the city from a residential building. It probably does feel a bit like living in a no-man's land, though. The parts of the Exchange with street life are several blocks away, there isn't much in the immediate surroundings.

I thought the top cube was a shared living/dining room space, though? But it looks like there's a bathtub in there?!

I'd be curious to know how the residents find living in that building. I wonder what their take is on life in 62M so far.

The glass part is an Airbnb unit, I know several people who have rented it.

The regular units are absolutely horrendous – it's like they designed the entire thing without consulting an engineer or thinking about mechanical systems until the units were already built.

They're finished soooo cheap. Front hall closet is almost entirely taken by HVAC. First thing you see when you walk in are all the electrical panels in the open. Half of the kitchen cupboards have air ducts running through them. The washer/dryer are in the kitchen. What looks like would be the only closet in bedroom is actually just the water cooler, and there's really nowhere to properly put a vertical wardrobe. The fact the core is outside is awful – get in a heated elevator to step outside again 3 storeys in the air (windy), before going in your unit with only 1 door. It's dark and dreary up there.

It's truly a marvel of horrible design. I was all for it in theory, and think it's cool on the outside, but it was executed horrifically and is an embarrassment to the architects, who clearly only cared about doing something "cool" and put no thought into what'd it would be like to actually live there.

Oh, and almost 2 years in, its just a giant gravel pit underneath – no landscaping has happened yet, and it is DARK.

[esquire]

^ Yikes. So basically it will be a pit stop for postsec graduates from the time they leave school until they can afford something better.

[buzzg]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ Yikes. So basically it will be a pit stop for postsec graduates from the time they leave school until they can afford something better.

At best. I have a friend that lives there and said it seems like there's very few owners that live there. Many are investments and rented out. There's currently 7 units (out of 40 total) available on Airbnb for today, so there's probably even more that are booked.

[buzzg]

Don't think I saw anyone post this, but here's some details on the top 3 ideas chosen for the Alexander Docks:

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/lo...483629263.html

I really like elements of all three. The winning one is a great idea as it works actively and passively, while not building too much expensive infrastructure that needs to be staffed and maintained heavily.

[esquire]

^ The winning project is gorgeous, but I have my doubts as to how well a swimming pool would work around there.

[buzzg]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ The winning project is gorgeous, but I have my doubts as to how well a swimming pool would work around there.

Lol I don't think it's a pool – looks like it's just river access. The designer hasn't been here and likely doesn't know that swimming in the Red River is not really something you want to do lol.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by buzzg

Lol I don't think it's a pool – looks like it's just river access. The designer hasn't been here and likely doesn't know that swimming in the Red River is not really something you want to do lol.

The graphic specifically says swimming

But yeah, even a floating swimming pool embedded in there or whatever would probably still be too much of an ongoing cost relative to the benefit. An ice rink there would probably work nicely, though.

[dmacc]

I was under the impression that there was more of a comercial or residential plan for the docks. This is just a park?

[buzzg]

Originally Posted by esquire

The graphic specifically says swimming

But yeah, even a floating swimming pool embedded in there or whatever would probably still be too much of an ongoing cost relative to the benefit. An ice rink there would probably work nicely, though.

Yes, and as you can see it's simply a walkway open to the river – look at the support columns. Like I said, designer probably didn't know you can't (shouldn't) swim in the Red.