urbandreamer
recession proof
That is the main problem with today's planning ideals: You simply can't create "instantly-vibrant urban spaces." You can however make things easier and more likely to happen.
I've mentioned this in another thread--what I call "soft design." Soft design blunts hard edges. Humans have soft edges. Clean crisp lines look great...inside! But outside, I believe subconsciously we view hard edges (eg: that gorgeous pointy bit by aA in the DD, those crude bland sheets of glass covering Aura, those faux pos crap in MCC, NYCC etc) as a threat. A hard edge is literally like a "knife" attack on the street's vibrancy. Friendly design, not confrontative. Look at car design--those that have "pouty" snouts like the old Suburu Tribeca, the mid-90s Ford Scorpio were utter market failures. If you can't see a relationship between car and building design ... well you shouldn't be in the biz imo
When I actually create architecture I like (I do like the stuff I create and I try my best with the skills I'm still learning, but I'm thinking within the realms of reality--ie working from "worst case scenario pov")--not the current and previous proposals where I'm pretending to be the developer of a current site in question--I hope to better illustrate what I mean. Another one of my main urbanism ideals is what I call "on foot by the foot." I believe far too many politicians, planners, developers, architects etc see life from the view of their black BMWs & Audis... Get out and explore the area on foot, by the foot! If you can't get that basic principle right, your project is doomed--imo
I see a little bit of "on foot by the foot" in aA's current rendering for 501 Yonge--but only at CRU level. The entire podium up to about the 6s mark is crucial to see the ultimate success.
Toss your planning books in the trash, throw your Jane Jacobs "Bible" in the trash!!!, and use simple common sense: What has worked for thousands of years?!
Some points then:
"On foot, by the foot"
"Soft Design"
"Break it down"
"Think like a Nimby Act like an Architect = NimbyTecture"
I've mentioned this in another thread--what I call "soft design." Soft design blunts hard edges. Humans have soft edges. Clean crisp lines look great...inside! But outside, I believe subconsciously we view hard edges (eg: that gorgeous pointy bit by aA in the DD, those crude bland sheets of glass covering Aura, those faux pos crap in MCC, NYCC etc) as a threat. A hard edge is literally like a "knife" attack on the street's vibrancy. Friendly design, not confrontative. Look at car design--those that have "pouty" snouts like the old Suburu Tribeca, the mid-90s Ford Scorpio were utter market failures. If you can't see a relationship between car and building design ... well you shouldn't be in the biz imo
When I actually create architecture I like (I do like the stuff I create and I try my best with the skills I'm still learning, but I'm thinking within the realms of reality--ie working from "worst case scenario pov")--not the current and previous proposals where I'm pretending to be the developer of a current site in question--I hope to better illustrate what I mean. Another one of my main urbanism ideals is what I call "on foot by the foot." I believe far too many politicians, planners, developers, architects etc see life from the view of their black BMWs & Audis...
Get out and explore the area on foot, by the foot! If you can't get that basic principle right, your project is doomed--imo I see a little bit of "on foot by the foot" in aA's current rendering for 501 Yonge--but only at CRU level. The entire podium up to about the 6s mark is crucial to see the ultimate success.
Toss your planning books in the trash, throw your Jane Jacobs "Bible" in the trash!!!, and use simple common sense: What has worked for thousands of years?!
Some points then:
"On foot, by the foot"
"Soft Design"
"Break it down"
"Think like a Nimby Act like an Architect = NimbyTecture"
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