Hopefully they use this large site appropriately. I always worry when institutions have big chunks of land because it is frequently wasted on surface parking or landscaping etc. An 8 storey building with high lot coverage on this site would be massive.
And yes, thanks for doing the photo tour. I love getting the construction updates and I don't think I'll be back in town for a while.
I just had a look at the building footprint vs. property size - the building footprint is about 35-37% of the property. It has a few jogs & offsets that make it appear bigger than that as well. An other interesting thing about this building is that being a nursing home/old folks home, there is a ridiculous standard for ventilation which requires huge mechanical equipment. To conceal this, the architect has shown a huge vaulted attic (think it is also intended to mimick the church). This will add about 20-25 feet of height to the building, essentially turning this into a 10-11 storey building.
I have also heard that the builder (Shannex) is touting this building as their crown jewel, so they are saying they will be sparing no expense. From what I have seen, the exterior is to be mostly masonry & stone. We will see if their resolve to spend on this one is true...
I just had a look at the building footprint vs. property size - the building footprint is about 35-37% of the property. It has a few jogs & offsets that make it appear bigger than that as well. An other interesting thing about this building is that being a nursing home/old folks home, there is a ridiculous standard for ventilation which requires huge mechanical equipment. To conceal this, the architect has shown a huge vaulted attic (think it is also intended to mimick the church). This will add about 20-25 feet of height to the building, essentially turning this into a 10-11 storey building.
I have also heard that the builder (Shannex) is touting this building as their crown jewel, so they are saying they will be sparing no expense. From what I have seen, the exterior is to be mostly masonry & stone. We will see if their resolve to spend on this one is true...
No photo since the site isn't lighted right now but the foundation wall has been poured on the west (parking lot) side. The building is going to have a massive set back on College Street for the drop off area. The foundation is continuing right to the back door to the church so the hallway connecting the buildings will be interior and not just a simple exterior path.