Ideas that Gehl
Jan Gehl from Copenhagen was speaking last night to an over-flow crowd. His is the gospel of new urbanism, taming the car, focussing on pedestrians and cyclists. Here are some of his observations.
Continue reading Ideas that Gehl
Category: downtown
Balconville
Balconville: some Ottawa building feature recessed balconies and some sport them on the exterior of the facade. The recessed ones look better, here are some examples. Continue reading Balconville
On the Left Track
Clive Doucet’s transportation plan has five key planks, only one of which thrills me. The rest leave me cold. Continue reading On the Left Track
CBC Newsclip available
CBC newsclip on the ridiculous transitway backups last week. Continue reading CBC Newsclip available
Idiot Proof
More on transit congestion in downtown Ottawa, our city’s inadequate response, and media coverage. Yesterday, I suggested a tunnel / grade-separation is required to prevent these confidence-sapping snafu’s from repeating endlessly. Continue reading Idiot Proof
Place de Dominos
Over the last while, workers have been busy on scaffolding painting the exterior of Place de Ville. The plain square glass box dates back to the late 1960’s. It lacks any sort of top or lid, and was bronze and black. Workers are painting various parts of it with primer, then the final coat of … bronze and black. In its current condition, it reminds me of the new building complex in New York, called the Domino. The building exterior is a box that has been articulated with various coloured squares. The building lots like a colourful domino, and is … Continue reading Place de Dominos
Place de Dominos
Over the last while, workers have been busy on scaffolding painting the exterior of Place de Ville. The plain square glass box dates back to the late 1960’s. It lacks any sort of top or lid, and was bronze and black. Workers are painting various parts of it with primer, then the final coat of … bronze and black. In its current condition, it reminds me of the new building complex in New York, called the Domino. The building exterior is a box that has been articulated with various coloured squares. The building lots like a colourful domino, and is … Continue reading Place de Dominos
Interprovincial transit opportunity to choose your mode
Prince of Wales rail bridge from Ottawa to Gatineau Tuesday from 5.30 to 8.30 at City Hall (main floor) there will be a public display of the options for interprovincial transit between Ottawa and Gatineau. Options include which mode of transit to use: Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) or LRT. Route options include connections via the Alexandra Bridge (or under it, in a tunnel under the river, and remember the tunnel under downtown Ottawa is already very deep down so this doesn’t require a steep slope, and the Rideau station has been designed with this connection in mind); a west connection on the Prince … Continue reading Interprovincial transit opportunity to choose your mode
Interprovincial transit opportunity to choose your mode
Prince of Wales rail bridge from Ottawa to Gatineau Tuesday from 5.30 to 8.30 at City Hall (main floor) there will be a public display of the options for interprovincial transit between Ottawa and Gatineau. Options include which mode of transit to use: Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) or LRT. Route options include connections via the Alexandra Bridge (or under it, in a tunnel under the river, and remember the tunnel under downtown Ottawa is already very deep down so this doesn’t require a steep slope, and the Rideau station has been designed with this connection in mind); a west connection on the Prince … Continue reading Interprovincial transit opportunity to choose your mode
383 Albert, transit oriented parking requirements
The pictures above show the Claridge proposal for three residential (condo) towers in downtown Ottawa. As noted in a post a few days ago, they are to be built on the lot between the Crowne Plaza Hotel and 151 Bay condos. The current parking lot location abuts Barabarella’s dancing establishment, which will remain after this project is built. The two 28 storey and one 22 storey towers will have approx 481 apartments. They are located directly above the proposed west downtown LRT station which is under Albert Street. Perhaps those delighted looking ladies in the photomontage just exited the LRT … Continue reading 383 Albert, transit oriented parking requirements
383 Albert, transit oriented parking requirements
The pictures above show the Claridge proposal for three residential (condo) towers in downtown Ottawa. As noted in a post a few days ago, they are to be built on the lot between the Crowne Plaza Hotel and 151 Bay condos. The current parking lot location abuts Barabarella’s dancing establishment, which will remain after this project is built. The two 28 storey and one 22 storey towers will have approx 481 apartments. They are located directly above the proposed west downtown LRT station which is under Albert Street. Perhaps those delighted looking ladies in the photomontage just exited the LRT … Continue reading 383 Albert, transit oriented parking requirements
Fence me in…
This Albert / Bay Street building used to have a deocrative iron fence around its side garden. It was removed about 20 years ago, but this segment was left behind, because the trees have incorporated the fence into their trunks. Continue reading Fence me in…
Fence me in…
This Albert / Bay Street building used to have a deocrative iron fence around its side garden. It was removed about 20 years ago, but this segment was left behind, because the trees have incorporated the fence into their trunks. Continue reading Fence me in…
Dubious new building
Double click on the picture to enlarge, and look for the horizontal “cracks” on the panels above the right-most garage door. This view is from Laurier Avenue of the back of the new Export Canada building that faces Slater and O’Connor. These concrete panels are in various shades of dark gray. I don’t know if they are supposed to show this much colour variation, or if they will age to a similar colour. But right now they are … of dubious delight. And a bunch of the panels show horizontal “cracks” and scratches that are visible now and will probably be … Continue reading Dubious new building
Dubious new building
Double click on the picture to enlarge, and look for the horizontal “cracks” on the panels above the right-most garage door. This view is from Laurier Avenue of the back of the new Export Canada building that faces Slater and O’Connor. These concrete panels are in various shades of dark gray. I don’t know if they are supposed to show this much colour variation, or if they will age to a similar colour. But right now they are … of dubious delight. And a bunch of the panels show horizontal “cracks” and scratches that are visible now and will probably be … Continue reading Dubious new building
Downtown delights
A view down a downtown driveway to a patio and spiral staircase to an upstairs balcony. Outside a fairly plain small office tower, a neat row of shrubs, fence, and bright colourful display of impatiens. Simply delightful. Continue reading Downtown delights
Downtown delights
A view down a downtown driveway to a patio and spiral staircase to an upstairs balcony. Outside a fairly plain small office tower, a neat row of shrubs, fence, and bright colourful display of impatiens. Simply delightful. Continue reading Downtown delights
Maclaren Tower – bye bye red brick
The two photos above are of the senior’s residence on Maclaren street. The photos were taken from the small part of the apartment lot that opens onto Somerset, beside Hartman’s grocery store. New balcony railings were installed earlier. Now framing is being attached to the red brick tower to put a new skin on the building (and hopefully upgrade the insulation at the same time). Soon, the only brick visible will be on the inset balconies, and the traditional red brick residential look will become some sort of panel exterior. This makes an interesting project for sidewalk superintendents. Continue reading Maclaren Tower – bye bye red brick
Maclaren Tower – bye bye red brick
The two photos above are of the senior’s residence on Maclaren street. The photos were taken from the small part of the apartment lot that opens onto Somerset, beside Hartman’s grocery store. New balcony railings were installed earlier. Now framing is being attached to the red brick tower to put a new skin on the building (and hopefully upgrade the insulation at the same time). Soon, the only brick visible will be on the inset balconies, and the traditional red brick residential look will become some sort of panel exterior. This makes an interesting project for sidewalk superintendents. Continue reading Maclaren Tower – bye bye red brick
Condo Development linked to LRT ? Will Claridge “play ball”?
The lot shown in the pictures below is bounded by Queen street on the right (north); Lyon in the foreground (east side); and Albert Street to the left (south). Claridge, a prominent Ottawa condo developer, owns it. Your photog is standing at the foot of the downramp from the Crowne Plaza hotel: This view is from the corner of Albert and Lyon, at the foot of the ramp up to the Crowne Plaza’s awful driveway ramp entrance. The red brick building at the far side of the lot is 151 Bay, a fourteen storey condo built by Teron in the … Continue reading Condo Development linked to LRT ? Will Claridge “play ball”?
Condo Development linked to LRT ? Will Claridge “play ball”?
The lot shown in the pictures below is bounded by Queen street on the right (north); Lyon in the foreground (east side); and Albert Street to the left (south). Claridge, a prominent Ottawa condo developer, owns it. Your photog is standing at the foot of the downramp from the Crowne Plaza hotel: This view is from the corner of Albert and Lyon, at the foot of the ramp up to the Crowne Plaza’s awful driveway ramp entrance. The red brick building at the far side of the lot is 151 Bay, a fourteen storey condo built by Teron in the … Continue reading Condo Development linked to LRT ? Will Claridge “play ball”?
a leaf falls …
Property owners take a variety of measures to discourage skateboarders from using walls as boarding surfaces. Usually, there are little clamps on the leading edge of the wall preventing a smooth run along the wall. A typical plain clamp is shown below. The other pictures are of a much more decorative and friendly-looking maple leaf that landed on the edge of the wall. Seen at World Exchange Plaza in downtown Ottawa. Continue reading a leaf falls …
a leaf falls …
Property owners take a variety of measures to discourage skateboarders from using walls as boarding surfaces. Usually, there are little clamps on the leading edge of the wall preventing a smooth run along the wall. A typical plain clamp is shown below. The other pictures are of a much more decorative and friendly-looking maple leaf that landed on the edge of the wall. Seen at World Exchange Plaza in downtown Ottawa. Continue reading a leaf falls …
Borrow, adapt, learn
The top two pix are of a small apartment building kitty korner the downtown Ottawa bus terminal. Its fun to look at as you walk by, the tilted windows add a nice sense of whimsy as do the flying roofs. Below is Strata Centre on the MIT campus in Boston. It is full of fun angles, and the interior spaces — a sort of atrium-cum-courtyard piazza — are fun to walk in. It has a number of architectural jokes, including heavy brick walls that start in mid air two or three floors above your head (they are suspended walls), and I … Continue reading Borrow, adapt, learn
Borrow, adapt, learn
The top two pix are of a small apartment building kitty korner the downtown Ottawa bus terminal. Its fun to look at as you walk by, the tilted windows add a nice sense of whimsy as do the flying roofs. Below is Strata Centre on the MIT campus in Boston. It is full of fun angles, and the interior spaces — a sort of atrium-cum-courtyard piazza — are fun to walk in. It has a number of architectural jokes, including heavy brick walls that start in mid air two or three floors above your head (they are suspended walls), and I … Continue reading Borrow, adapt, learn