Architectural & Urban Design in Ottawa\Gatineau

[Marshsparrow]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Nimby

Calls Ottawa a "blah and ugly" place then in the same sentence accuses someone else of living in a "privileged bubble"

Thx for the chuckle and calling me on that - apologies - not at my finest this morning - apologies to GeoNerd as well... I'll switch my narrative to Ottawa being the most beautiful city ever - nothing else compares, we are a beacon of urbanism and architecture and esthetics the world has never seen before - other cities come and marvel - positivity does feel so much better

[Kitchissippi]

Originally Posted by Marshsparrow

Perhaps for the 1% in the enclaves you have mentioned life is beautiful and asthetic - try venturing outside of your priviledged bubble and from a whole-of-Ottawa perspective (and again not counting Parliament radius and the greenspaces) Ottawa is blah and blight. Failing to see that - does the new builds and what we are doing to certain areas inspire confidence? Right, didn't think so.

For practically any city in the world, once you take the pretty-fied 1% and green spaces, what's left is blah and blight. I've ventured through the outskirts of cities like Amsterdam and Aukland to Bangkok and Zurich, and they're equally depressing. It's just different blah and blight that might seem exotic to an outsider, but it's blah and blight all the same. I'll take Ottawa's blah and blight over Toronto's or Vancouver's because there's less of it in volume.

[Nepean]

Originally Posted by Kitchissippi

For practically any city in the world, once you take the pretty-fied 1% and green spaces, what's left is blah and blight. I've ventured through the outskirts of cities like Amsterdam and Aukland to Bangkok and Zurich, and they're equally depressing. It's just different blah and blight that might seem exotic to an outsider, but it's blah and blight all the same. I'll take Ottawa's blah and blight over Toronto's or Vancouver's because there's less of it in volume.

Excellent point Kitchissippi. While I have lived in Ottawa for several years now, I have previously lived in several cities in Canada and abroad. Vancouver's downtown eastside, large parts of Toronto, rougher parts of Montreal, and many neighborhoods in London, UK and Paris are awful. Yes, Merivale road in Nepean, large parts of Carling, and many sections of Kanata are ugly and blah, but while I would not want to live in these suburban areas, they are much better than the depressing sections of many cities.

[Harley613]

Good idea moving this to the proper thread mods

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by YOWetal

The problem is the progressives aren't interested in any of that. They might individually but the progressive voting block wants all 4 story buildings and hates the private sector too much.

I'd love if it the municipal progressives were all for four-storey buildings, but they aren't. They are firmly in bed with the "TOO TALL PERMANENT CHILD-KILL PROPERTY VALUES NEIGHBOURHOOD CHARACTER WHAT ABOUT THE TRAFFIC I HAVE RIGHTS TOO" crowd.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by Harley613

I wonder if anyone on the current council has even noticed what it happening to this city. Do they realize that cheap lazy uninspired local developers are hiring cheap lazy uninspired architects to build DOZENS of copy paste Charcoal and Ivory brick Minecraft-designed towers that will transform this city into some kind of twisted modern day take on a Siberian city during Soviet times? Are we alone in noticing what is happening here?

The colour of the buildings is of zero relevance. Pass it on.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by Marshsparrow

Outside of a two block radius of Parliament Hill and our greenspaces - Ottawa is a very blah and ugly city.

Go for a walk, and take a camera.

[roger1818]

I just discovered this discussion.

Originally Posted by YOWetal

Isn't it summer when it is more of an issue? If in the sun walls of window can help in the winter.

Kind of but not really. In terms a heat transfer, according to Bayview Windows website, a Triple Pane (Krypton) window has an equivalent of R4.3, where as a basic insulated wall is R13 (the higher the R value, the better).

Now in winter, the warmth of the sun coming through a southern facing window (if there is no tinting or spectrally sensitive coating) will help warm the room, reducing the need to heat in the winter to help the window, but in summer that heat becomes a massive liability, especially when you consider there are more hours sunlight in summer the summer than winter, and the sun is higher, so it has more heat.

For smaller buildings, trees and awnings can be used to provide seasonal shade, but they don't work well on towers. Another option is smart glass, that can be computer controlled to tint out the sun in summer, but let the heat pass through in the winter, but that is very expensive.

In the end, while windows look nice, and are important to provide natural light, walls perform better in our climate.

[Kitchissippi]

I think the subtext of this video points out how subjective and ephemeral the concepts of 'utopia' and 'blight' can be. The irony that poorly scrawled graffiti ended up being used to sell regentrification.

• Video Link

[Marshsparrow]

Not really sure where this fits... there are so many construction cranes up throughout the city - does someone keep a count and has it ever been this high before?

[rocketphish]

Originally Posted by Marshsparrow

Not really sure where this fits... there are so many construction cranes up throughout the city - does someone keep a count and has it ever been this high before?

It's not up to date, but there is a thread for that:

https://skyscraperpage.com/forum/sho...d.php?t=238982

[silvergate]

https://slate.com/business/2021/12/s...=pocket-newtab

Interesting read on how two-staircase architecture impacts the size and design of units in a building.

[rocketphish]

Local architects hope European trip inspires ideas for Ottawa

Mia Jensen, OBJ
October 23, 2023 4:18 PM ET

A select group of Ottawa-based architects is jetting across the Atlantic this month to see how European cities are adjusting their design principles for a post-pandemic way of life.

According to chief operating officer Melissa Reeves, local architecture firm Linebox Studio will be taking part in a two-week design trip to Berlin, Hamburg and Copenhagen to learn how those cities have succeeded in creating exciting, vibrant and liveable spaces.

“(The cities) are comparable in size to Ottawa, but in terms of what they’re doing as far as design, it’s just incredible,” said Reeves. “Ottawa’s really lagging. Sometimes we say Ottawa isn’t big enough or we don’t have the money, but there are other cities around the world that are smaller than us but punching way above themselves.”

Based in Ottawa, Linebox’s portfolio includes residential, commercial and retail spaces. But Reeves said design priorities have shifted since the pandemic. For example, the company has built more than a million square feet of office space, but the increased permanence of hybrid work models has drastically shifted office-space needs.

She said the goal of the trip is to get a fresh perspective from cities that are already succeeding.

“We’re hoping to bring some of those ideas back and keep the energy going,” she told OBJ Monday. “We’re going in with eyes wide open. We want to see how cities are deciding to adapt to a post-pandemic way of life, not just in office work, but in city life as well. It’s something that’s important to us because it’s one of the challenges we’re still facing.”

European design principles are a significant influence for architects at Linebox, she added. For example, she said context and character are often fundamental considerations in the process for European design, which is one of the things Linebox tries to do. The company also tries to build buildings that are made to last.

“When you’re putting up a building, there’s a sense of immense responsibility, because you’re putting a change in the urban landscape,” said Reeves, who operates the company alongside her husband, Andrew. “We’ve designed with legacy in mind. We don’t want to be temporary. We want things to have a sense of permanence and there’s a sense of importance to that as well.”

Another goal of the trip is to expand the understanding of sustainability in design, while also discovering ways of teaching and promoting architectural appreciation.

“Appreciation for good architectural design isn’t always there,” she said. “We’ve come up against a race to the bottom, where the lowest price wins and the value for design isn’t there. We’re going to see cities that really see good architecture and design as essential and that’s going to be really refreshing and enlightening.”

https://obj.ca/local-architects-hope...-ideas-ottawa/

[Richard Eade]

So, they spend the money to go and see some interesting architecture.

They come back to Ottawa thinking "That's cool. I think I could do something like that here."

They pitch it to a client who replies "I just need a box to put people in. I don't even need interior walls."

The architect tries again "Maybe you want to try something else. Something that makes a statement."

The client asks "Does this 'something else' make it cheaper? Because the 'statement' that I want is a bank account statement with a huge number on on it."

[J.OT13]

Linebox and who? Linebox is already doing decent designs. It's RLA and Neuf (I know, Montreal based) that need to go explore outside Ottawa.

[Harley613]

RLA would do well simply by exploring outside of Minecraft

[SL123]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Linebox and who? Linebox is already doing decent designs. It's RLA and Neuf (I know, Montreal based) that need to go explore outside Ottawa.

My thought exactly! Its not linebox that needs fresh ideas they're the only one already bringing that to the table

[Harley613]

If Montreal is '10 years behind Vancouver', what is Ottawa? 40?

Vancouver developers and architects are really stepping up the game.

https://ici.radio-canada.ca/info/lon...ouver-montreal

L’audace architecturale de Vancouver, vue de Montréal

Jean-Sébastien Cloutier (Consulter le profil)Jean-Sébastien Cloutier

Publié à 4 h 00 HNE
Partager l’article

Maxime-Alexis Frappier est un architecte montréalais qui accumule les prix. Tombé amoureux de Vancouver il y a 10 ans, il s’est fait un nom là-bas et continue d’y développer des projets. Le plus récent est la tour Pacific by Grosvenor, un immeuble résidentiel haut de gamme de 39 étages situé à l'entrée du centre-ville. C'est là que nous l'avons rencontré pour discuter des atouts d’une ville qui a, selon lui, 10 ans d'avance sur Montréal en matière d’architecture.

"C’est ce que Vancouver a à offrir. On a le sentiment d’être enrobé un peu par le paysage!"

L'architecte pointe l'horizon, cet écrin de montagnes et de mer derrière le centre-ville. Nous sommes dans l'un des penthouses de sa tour. Et la vue est époustouflante.
Portrait de Maxime-Alexis Frappier.

L’architecte Maxime-Alexis Frappier sur l'un des balcons de la tour Pacific qu’il a conçue.

Photo : Radio-Canada / Jean-Sébastien Cloutier

Chaque nouveau projet au centre-ville doit tenir compte de cet environnement naturel.

Ils ont mis en place certains cônes de vision protégée à des endroits très stratégiques. Indiscutables, immuables. Et ça, pour moi, c'est la grande richesse, ici.
Une citation de Maxime-Alexis Frappier, ACDF Architecture

Certaines règles existent aussi à Montréal pour conserver, par exemple, la vue sur le mont Royal, mais elles sont parfois moins strictes dans la pratique, constate l'architecte.

À Vancouver, au contraire, un angle du Pacific a dû être arrondi de 45 centimètres pour respecter un de ces cônes de vision.
Vue de l'immeuble.

Le Pacific de l'architecte Maxime-Alexis Frappier, à Vancouver

Photo : Radio-Canada / Jean-Sébastien Cloutier

Il vante aussi Vancouver pour la priorité qu'elle donne à l'environnement immédiat de chaque nouvel immeuble : l'impact sur les bâtiments environnants par son ombrage et le vent qu’il redirige, par exemple, et aussi sur les piétons, une grande priorité.

"Ce qu'on a développé, c'est un jeu de balcons et d'articulations sur les façades est et ouest, avec des surfaces qui sont un peu inspirées des couleurs grisâtres de Vancouver", explique M. Frappier.

"On nous pose toujours la question suivante, toutes les deux ou trois phases : "Quelle est votre contribution à l'espace public? [...] Comment votre bâtiment, même s'il est de grande hauteur, va-t-il être capable d'enrichir l'expérience du piéton au niveau de la rue?"" souligne-t-il.
Des silhouettes ornent les piliers à la base de l'immeuble.

Au pied de la tour, une œuvre de l’artiste Lyse Lemieux. À Vancouver, chaque projet doit tenir compte de son impact sur les piétons.

Photo : Radio-Canada / Jean-Sébastien Cloutier

Du balcon de la tour Pacific, on aperçoit, juste à côté, la Vancouver House, du célèbre architecte danois Bjarke Ingels. Inauguré en 2020, ce gratte-ciel est devenu emblématique de la ville, avec sa forme spectaculaire plus étroite à la base qu’au sommet.

Un rappel aussi de l'importance de l'espace au centre-ville. "On nous limite à une superficie de plancher de 7500 pieds carrés par étage, ce qui est très petit", note Maxime-Alexis Frappier.
La Vancouver House.

La célèbre Vancouver House, de l’architecte danois Bjarke Ingels

Photo : Radio-Canada / Jean-Sébastien Cloutier

L'architecte aime l'approche de Vancouver, qui favorise les développements près de son centre et des transports en commun.

"Ça, c'est une occasion que Montréal ne doit pas manquer, estime-t-il. Il faut favoriser une grande densification et démystifier la crainte qu'on a de la hauteur."
Pourquoi n'est-ce pas aussi spectaculaire à Montréal?

Maxime Alexis-Frappier nous montre deux autres édifices récents du centre-ville de Vancouver à l'architecture originale.
Un immeuble aux lignes courbes.

La nouvelle tour résidentielle Alberni, du Japonais Kengo Kuma, près du port de Vancouver.

Photo : Radio-Canada / Jean-Sébastien Cloutier

Un projet qu'il apprécie particulièrement est la nouvelle tour résidentielle incurvée de 43 étages du japonais Kengo Kuma.

Et, pas tellement loin, la tour de condos de luxe The Butterfly sera bientôt inaugurée. Elle évoque la nature éphémère des nuages omniprésents dans le ciel de Vancouver.
Un gratte-ciel tout en rondeurs.

Le Butterfly, dont l’architecture évoque des nuages, sera bientôt inauguré.

Photo : Radio-Canada / Jean-Sébastien Cloutier

Les projets architecturaux audacieux et récents y sont bien plus nombreux qu'à Montréal.

"La ville se développe et s'embourgeoise depuis des décennies avec un taux de développement très, très, très élevé, explique M. Frappier. Chacun des projets des concepteurs veut se démarquer. [...] Ici, on peut sentir qu’il y a une énergie, une quête de nouveauté et d’innovation."

Bien sûr, l'argent est un facteur. Il y a beaucoup à Vancouver d'investisseurs, de promoteurs et d'acheteurs fortunés, dont la présence favorise les projets plus luxueux.

Oui à l’audace, croit Maxime-Alexis Frappier, mais pas sans limites. "Alors qu’on a devant nous des défis environnementaux monstrueux à surmonter, est-ce que l’architecture héroïque, sculpturale, très coûteuse, avec une empreinte environnementale plus forte, est la voie à prendre?"

M. Frappier, à qui on doit notamment le nouvel Hôtel Monville, à Montréal, convient que les architectes québécois ont une bonne réputation à Vancouver, une ville où leur métier est très respecté. "On veut être efficaces dans notre construction, on veut dégager des sous parce qu'à Montréal, on fait des miracles avec très, très peu de budget, en réalité."

Cette année, il va continuer de faire la navette entre Montréal et la Colombie-Britannique. Il adore ses visites là-bas, mais il insiste : il aime la métropole québécoise, où il développe aussi plusieurs projets et où, il tient à le préciser, il se fait de très belles choses en architecture.