I like the direction HumBull**** is going! Utterly modern yet with a hint of old world flair on phase 4, with fantastic continuous streetwall facing the "square" (which doubles as parking--how European! ) between phase 1-2 & 3-4.
This aesthetic is popular in Berlin right now--old world details meet modern proportions and ideas.
Phase 4 would look fantastic in red brick, concrete, corten or really, any cladding system you could dream up.
The interior courtyard between phase 3 & 4 could be widened--there's plenty of room to rescale the buildings to meet the street a bit more urban style.
Note the generous rooftop terraces--share the love will ya!
You may wonder--WTF is that 2s lowrise between phase 3&4's Royal York Rd elevations? The answer is coming soon (I hope.)
Don't you just love updates? I've roughed in the retail areas on phase 3--not to original plan but it's quick & I'm running out of patience....
So you're cruising along the Kingsway in your Niva and decide to go to the village Robba for some over-priced crack. Thank god there's plenty of free surface parking--either on the street or in the "square!" There's a lada 3rd rate NimbyTecture to check out:
No one has challenged the NimbyTect rating of 1/10 for "massing concept design" so go ahead and get your votes in.
Or maybe you're coming down from Hash High and need a dry clean?
A quick sketch of my concept for 1183 Queen Street East -- Leslieville Town Manors -- as I find the current built reality rather awful. My "facelift" would look something like
as a base aesthetic.
Given more time I'd continue the pitch to the roof top but here I used the existing template at LTM--ie 5th floor terraces etc.
420 Bathurst to get a Walmart? For realz?! Hmm. The Nimbies aren't too happy about that are they? What if they got a conservative yet modern midrise condo--9s--with a smaller urban format Walmart as the retail component?
West facade with balconies:
East facade with upper 2s (could be 2-floor lofts) pitched back a bit:
Did you just escape from the market? Don't be alarmed--the Western General Hospital is taller and to your south. Can't handle the height? You can cool off in the hospital's chain retail food court. Or maybe you want to cross Bathurst from Nassau to check out the NimbyTecture?
420 Bastards (Bathurst) update: From Rise at Bathurst & St Clair to B.Streets at Bathurst & Bloor to 650 King at King & Bathurst to 111 Bathurst at Adelaide...there's a lotta black brick modern condo buildings going up on Bathurst--so why not join the club?
No Hipsters Please
I'll be honest--much of the existing housing stock near the corner of Bathurst & Nassau is garbage built after 1970, so I hope it one day compliments NimbyTect's 420 Bathurst's streetwall.
Looks great from Kensington Market! (Better than T&F's horror show at any rate.)
Can you handle the NimbyTect drama?
This sort of design is what I call "conservative." ie utterly realistic for this part of town. The Bathurst frontage is broken down into 4 "facades" that relate to the intimate Kensington Market vibe while forming a cohesive whole.
A Modest Proposal to redevelop crappy commercial strips across Toronto/GTA/Ontario/etc with a "template" design with a variety of facades/materials (perhaps both front and rear) replicating the success of prewar commercial strips only with modern design. Using the construction technique they're using at Volta Lofts, one marketing name, etc build in phases proper modern Canadian streetwall at an appropriate scale/density--between 3 & 6s. Got it?
(I happen to believe most Nimbies really want stuff like this--from Ossington to Humbertown to Thornhill to the Danforth. This is the sort of neighbourhood they ought to be building in MCC and along the Hurontario/Burnhamthorpe/Dundas/Cawthra/Eglinton strips.)
Emergency! I had to redesign 484 Spadina Avenue to reflect the requirements of the developer--student housing, 2s podium and 20s of student rental apartments within the Kirkor floorflate. Extremely tight budget! I had only one hour to work on the design! I decided it shall be a black brick podium with black concrete for the tower and colourful aluminum spandrel panels--reflecting the diversity of the students' origins (inspiration: colours of flags around the world, not exactly as illustrated) No balconies and reduced glazing for max energy efficiency. Remember: A new Silver Dollar bar on the first floor; fitness centre & office space on the second floor. I didn't want to create an eyesore so stuck with simple repetition of extruded boxes.
Let's think ahead shall we? c.2040s will College and Spadina look more like:
484 Spadina--at 22s--will set a height precedent for the area. Add in Tribute's The College (to the right not pictured) at 15s, that UofT DSAI student housing project in the mid-20s, the Bailey & Co student housing project next door and this area could be the next King and Spadina...or could it?
(Plus Scott Mission will probably be redeveloped, LLansdowne School as well and a bunch more sites imo.)
I don't like the Rogers Stirk Harbour design for the new North St Lawrence Market. It looks rather like a covered silage wagon--those that grew up on the farm will get my reference.
Why not take the farm theme to new heights? Could the Amish be brought in for free to do a barn raising here?
