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TCHC: West Don Lands Affordable Housing (589 King St E, 2x 4 + 8s, Core Architects)

There was someone in the hole last week when I was shooting the area and they were doing some surveying.
 
If this project will in theory go ahead in the months to come, can anyone comment on the speed which TCHC projects are completed? Is it comparable to the average condo project of a similar size? It would be nice to see that block completed to add to the street wall at the end of King east.
 
seadee said:
If this project will in theory go ahead in the months to come, can anyone comment on the speed which TCHC projects are completed? Is it comparable to the average condo project of a similar size? It would be nice to see that block completed to add to the street wall at the end of King east.
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The delay in this project was because they decided to move to a new architect mid-stream and the project was back and forth at the Design Review Panel. Some of their projects (the new one on Richmond for example) move quite fast, others (like this) are slower. Really quite like condominium developers!
 
There was some minor work going on on the site today, first for many months and I see they have submitted this permit:

Location: 589 KING ST E
TORONTO ON M5A 1M6

Ward 28: Toronto Centre-Rosedale

Application#: 09 189175 DRN 00 DR Accepted Date: Dec 20, 2011

Project: Multiple Use/Non Residential Building Permit Related (DR


PLEASE NOTE NEW DRAWINGS SUBMITTED ON OCT 14 2011. PROJECT RE DESIGNED NEW PROJECT DESCRIPTION - Construction of 3 buildings - 2 x 4 storey 1 x 8 storey - 243 residential units - Affordable housing building. Proposal to construct 3 residential buildings (with commercial at grade) - 1-8 sty building & 2-4 sty buildings with common underground parking (57 spaces). Total # of residential units = 243.(West Donlands)

Odd to start work on December 20 but ...
 
They have been putting in more piles this week so are getting ready to "do something". As they had already done amny at the King side before the 'pause' I suspect we will see concrete foundations getting in within next month - weather permitting.
 
Ugly, uninspired design by CORE Architects

I sincerely hope Toronto Community Housing’s eight-storey, 128-unit building located at 589 King Street East designed by CORE Architects will look better than the current renderings, because right now the building (and building behind it) looks like a hospital, government building or library of the 1970s.

If we're calling the area 'Toronto of the future', 589 King Street East had better undergo a redesign to reflect some more architectural innovation and uniqueness.

Given CORE Architects' portfolio, why has Toronto Community Housing accepted a design that looks like a brown box? Behind the brown box is a four-story building that resembles a cheap and outdated apartment complex of the 1960s. It makes me wonder whether CORE Architects outsourced the design to a North Korean firm to save money. I don't mean to be facetious, but what happened to the architectural flare and inspired designs we expected from prospective vendors when planning the new West Don Lands neighborhood?

I am a home owner and tax payer, and I live directly across the street from this new development. The adjacent River City development will look stylish and spectacular. In contrast, Toronto Community Housing’s buildings next to it, in their current design, betray attempts to modernize and beautify this area in Toronto we call Corktown.

Can someone please assure me the renderings are not final depictions of the brand-new 'buildings of the future'' at 589 King Street East.?

Crossing my fingers,
Eugene
 

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Welcome to the forum. re: TCHC building - it doesn't look particularly bad to me - no worse than private sector developments elsewhere in the city, and certainly doesn't compare badly re: Regent Park. Besides, it's social housing - do you really, really want the government to be spending money on the design aspects to push it from "competent" to superlative?

BTW, more renderings + site plan from WT board meeting:

http://www.waterfrontoronto.ca/uploads/documents/tchc_board_presentation_1.pdf

AoD
 
Yeah I find it rather attractive, very Montreal-style infact. I'd love to see Toronto's ugly strip plazas, dumpy houses etc along main streets replaced by stuff like this building. Before I refined my vision for the site, I named it a renderpornstar.

I get the feeling you may just be a Tchcimby--you don't want social housing in your front yard.
 
DSC said:
Yes, I think so. The Waterfront DRP did not like their design and eventually TCHC moved the project awat from them. I think it looks pretty decent myself and will fit into the area quite well.
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Decent mid rise infill I think. For public housing, it's pretty darn good...
 
AlvinofDiaspar said:
Welcome to the forum. re: TCHC building - it doesn't look particularly bad to me - no worse than private sector developments elsewhere in the city, and certainly doesn't compare badly re: Regent Park. Besides, it's social housing - do you really, really want the government to be spending money on the design aspects to push it from "competent" to superlative?
Click to expand...

The main component looks fine, but it's really top heavy. Because of that, I can't say it's even competent from an aesthetic point of view. It looks clumsy. Would I want the government to be supporting strong design? Definitely. The better our design standards, the more attention the city gets, and the more potential there is for international demand for the services of our architects. The government should support a high standard of design with buildings that look great. Look at the old low-rise Regent Park buildings for how government housing that is mundane and austere (but competent) appears after 50 years.
 
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