Toronto MaRS Centre Phase 2 | 112.77m | 20s | Alexandria | B+H

College Park said:
The glass looks beautiful, but it is going to cost MaRS a fortune to keep it cool inside come summer.
Click to expand...

Like most buildings going up in this city. No thought to the environment. People like floor to ceiling transparent glazing so that's what's built. :S
 
The reflective glass looks great and I love the scattered vertical fins. The other glass leaves something to be desired though, apart from the fritted podium glass facing College which is also pretty neat.

There is bracing up along University on the 'podium' where those horizontal orange (wood?) louvres are going to go up:

01%20-%20Mars%20Phase%20II%20-%20Rendering.jpg
 
What a lovely rendering. When do we get to the part of the project where University Ave, College St and the Queen's Park subway entrance are removed? How exciting that will be.
 
SP!RE said:
Like most buildings going up in this city. No thought to the environment. People like floor to ceiling transparent glazing so that's what's built. :S
Click to expand...

I don't normally sound in on comments, but really? What prominent buildings built recently - especially office space - have not had LEED standards and certifications? This complex is no different, and actually quite innovative in many ways. All glass exterior does not translate to "No thought to the environment"

http://www.marsdd.com/facilities/sustainability/

Oh yeah, and - WoW I love this complex. Dynamic mix of old and new and a perfect fit to the neighborhood.
 
Hmmm, I just can't get on board with this one. So often we are talking about modern glass buildings having to fit in contextually with older, brick-built environments which is certainly the case here in terms of the addition vs its original building. The issue for me is contextually wider though, in the clashing of the glassy tower with the landmark glassy tower across the street, where the dialogue between them feels awkward and where the new tower comes across as a boorish and disrespectful upstart. For me it's akin to deliberately designing a new brick flat iron building for beside the Gooderham and Worts building, and worse not realizing/acknowledging it to start with!

I do grant that the glass is nice but so what?
 
The scattered vertical fins make me think of a vertical DNA image.

dna-portrait.jpg
 
This is coming along just great, another win for University Avenue. The past decade has been really good to this boulevard, especially once they get those damn fountains fixed at Queen Street!. I haven't been by here in quite a while, but looking at those photos it's very dramatic how big this phase is, and how tall - it almost dwarf's Toronto General Hospital to the south in both it's size and height.
 
I don't really know where to post this, but one night I was walking down Queen (after a few drinks mind you) and got to University. We decided to get a group photo on the steps of the monument on the boulevard. It was September and I was wearing a t-shirt and shorts and light shoes. We crossed over the still broken fountain, and in the darkness and mental fogginess, I spotted a blue and green tube about 6 inches tall. I assumed it was used firework (not uncommon for where I'm from) and decided that I would be a good Samaritan and kick it back onto the street where a street cleaner would pick it up.

So I get a good sprint going, and kicked the tube right in the middle. 6 hours later in St Micheal's Hospital I had 4 stitches in my toe and had gotten 9 x-rays. The pole was metal and was sunk into the ground. It was the intake pipe for the fountains. I broke my toe on contact, then fell hard on the ground. I rolled a few times, cutting open both knees, spraining my wrist and thumb, bruised my hips and my head. I had to be carried into a cab. I still saw that pole for months until they FINALLY did something about that fountain.

So yeah, needless to say, it ruined my night, and I spent 3 days on crutches after that. I still have the scar on my toe. The icing on the cake was that I had started working a new job at a restaurant 1 month earlier and had to take a week off. It was pretty spectacular all around.
 
Geekaroo said:
I don't normally sound in on comments, but really? What prominent buildings built recently - especially office space - have not had LEED standards and certifications?
Click to expand...

Almost NO residential buildings are LEED certified in this city. Increasingly office projects are, but it's still not enough.
 
ProjectEnd said:
That is simply not true.
Click to expand...

Not to mention that having the name LEED attached to your project isn't a sign of your efficiency, and not all green buildings apply for LEED certification. There are far more out there that either exceed LEED standards or meet them, and don't apply for certification because it costs money to apply, and the process can be annoying to go through. LEED has become nothing more than a marketing ploy, as it is increasingly easy for anyone to achieve, and it sells easy.

Eg. All of Canadian Tire's new builds meet LEED standards and would qualify for certification (Silver), however the costs associated with applying and the process which the project must go through to get certified would result in extra costs and delays. Many older stores have also gone through energy retrofits to be brought up to the same standards as new builds. Walmart is also big on energy efficiency and meeting LEED standards, yet doesn't apply for certification either.

Minto and Tribute are two home builders that I can name off the top of my head that are also big on sustainability and energy efficiency. Minto uses this to sell homes, and does apply for LEED certification for a few of their big projects, but many more of their projects meet the standards too. Tribute does not rely on slapping the LEED name on their properties to sell units, however they also have high standards when it comes to efficiency and sustainability. Just because a developer isn't selling their project with LEED signs stamped to it, doesn't mean they aren't trying. Tridel is also big on LEED standards for its buildings.

When I did work with Tribute, it was mentioned that sustainability and energy efficiency is one of the top things on people's minds when purchasing a new unit. For a developer to ignore something that would make them more money makes no sense. It doesn't mean that all developers are going crazy with green construction, but most have caught on. Concord Adex has yet to catch on, but many of the buildings have gone on their own and been completely retrofitted to make them more efficient, so even without the developer caring, the residents still have the power to make changes that create massive savings for themselves, and for the environment.

Finding actual energy savings in a residential project is much tougher than that of an office project because each individual home owner has control of their unit. A developer can put in energy efficient bulbs, thermostats, toilets, taps etc., but the homeowner will most likely replace all of these at some point. As for heating and cooling, a more efficient building won't cost much more to heat or cool since the heating and cooling systems are always running due to the differing needs of each individual unit. Having your heat running 24/7 will not cost anymore than using it a few hours a day when living in a condominium.

Last but not least, MaRS phase II is going for LEED Gold Certification.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to post here.

Back
Top