King West lofts/condos

[urbandreamer]

I always judge a building by its exterior; Electra I is minimal but good looking; Electra II (yellowish building I believe?) is hideous. DNA 1+2 are horrendous garbage! Cheap, boring to look at etc.

A condo makes a statement, just like a car. If Electra I is a year 2000 Audi A4, Electra II is a year 2002 Toyota Echo sedan, then DNA is a year 2006 Toyota Corolla: boring plain jane appliance.

Look East, where prices are cheaper. Or consider Brad Lamb's latest "Parc" project--the Condo Guide ad says architecture by aA so it should be good, unlike DNA.....

 

[simuls]

I agree that the exterior of DNA leaves much to be desired and that most condo developers are horrible when it comes to architecture. However, the location is impeccable, the interior is quite simple, modern, very well done, and speaking only for my suite, the best laid out (with great finishes) of almost any I've seen. But recommending something by Brad Lamb? You pay an extra $100 sq ft just for his name being associated with the building and you don't get it back in resale.

In my humble opinion - if we're talking strictly about architecture - Context has most builders beat. Unfortunately, Brad Lamb is almost always their exclusive broker.

As for judging buildings solely by their exterior, there was an interesting photo essay on torontoist.com that looked at Palmerston Ave., north of College when it was built. Now, it is regarded as a jewel of a street in Toronto with fabulous trees, great houses, etc., but if you look at the old photos, interestingly enough, it looks just like any modern suburban subdivision. Just goes to show, you never know how things might age.