Toronto Karma Condos | 165.8m | 50s | Lifetime | a—A

[steveve]

Karma's scale model from BuzzBuzzHome:

i had no idea the top would have a round part (hockey puck?). nor did i know it would be divided into 2 halves like that ^^^

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

Yawn! But it's a great location for a highrise.

 

[KA1]

This is just rediculous. This is pretty close to inhumane.

The ultimate in developer greed.

Heard Mr. Brad Lamb on CBC'S 6.00pm news today stating that across Canada, his company is constructing 2000 units. Half of these units are 500 sq.ft in size or less. Obviously there is a demand for small size units -- from investors or end users.

 

[whatever]

I have to admit, I've been thinking of moving out of the city but one of the things that's held me back is that I know I'd still inevitably be spending piles of time down here. If that unit was priced around 150k I'd absolutely consider buying one as a pied-a-terre. It would be inhumane as a primary residence, but for someone to just use it as a glorified hotel room it would be perfect.

 

[CanadianNational]

I don't think the awkward overhang half-dressed to look like some kind of split between the upper and lower halves is a good thing. Aa's strengths are in staying sleek and simply comprehensible, and this abruptly plays against that to no good purpose.

 

[marsh]

This is nothing but glorified rooming houses. Aren't their zoning laws that regulate how small condos can be ? This is absolutely ridiculous. It is developer greed. Such planning does nothing for the longterm benefit and growth of Toronto.

 

[Bayer]

This is nothing but glorified rooming houses. Aren't their zoning laws that regulate how small condos can be ? This is absolutely ridiculous. It is developer greed. Such planning does nothing for the longterm benefit and growth of Toronto.

That's what I thought when I saw this.

 

[Mongo]

Originally Posted by marsh
This is nothing but glorified rooming houses. Aren't their zoning laws that regulate how small condos can be ? This is absolutely ridiculous. It is developer greed. Such planning does nothing for the longterm benefit and growth of Toronto.

You have just demonstrated to me that you know nothing about how condos are built. On an per square foot basis, the developer is almost certainly getting LESS than that they would net per square foot on larger units, due to the multitude of extra costs they must pay for additional units. The reason they offer such tiny units is that this is where the market is right now. The developer had a choice between offering a lot of low-profit small units that sell out, or all higher-profit large units that risk not selling, killing the entire project. Which do you think they will choose?

 

[Bayer]

I don't think this is about developer greed, but on the other hand, isn't urban planning about more than just supply and demand and external design considerations?

 

[Solaris]

You have just demonstrated to me that you know nothing about how condos are built. On an per square foot basis, the developer is almost certainly getting LESS than that they would net per square foot on larger units, due to the multitude of extra costs they must pay for additional units. The reason they offer such tiny units is that this is where the market is right now. The developer had a choice between offering a lot of low-profit small units that sell out, or all higher-profit large units that risk not selling, killing the entire project. Which do you think they will choose?

That is not true ... the reason why in ANY project, smaller units always fetch a higher per sq.ft. cost than larger units is because of the amount of basis features that need to be provided regardless of unit size (ie: kitchen cabinets and appliances), also seen as fixed overhead cost ... since for larger units a builder would only have to provide 1 kitchen and 1 set of appliances spread over the cost of a larger size unit they can bring the per sq.ft. cost down

Therefore cost are in fact INFLATED for small units to cover these fixed costs accured by a builder, as such a builder does not in fact make less profit on a small unit, contrary to your understanding

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

That's what I thought when I saw this.

The 3rd bedroom by the kitchen could be easily removed and become a dining room, the closet reversed and then there would be a proper entryway closet. Then it's a half decent two bedroom, except that there's only one bathroom and the pillar in the living area.

 

[Hipster Duck]

The 819ft2 unit reminds me of a student residence. Maybe that's the market they're going for. The 277 ft2 studio is perfectly acceptable for singles who prioritize a central location over anything else. Hopefully it doesn't cost more than $200k.

 

[toto]

The average size of a post war 3 bedroom bungalow in the burbs is about 900 Sq. Ft. There were five of us, living quite comfortably in one. My parents didn't even finish the basement, until we were teenagers. 900-1000 sq. ft. is the perfect size for a three bedroom unit. Anything more is wasteful.

 

[DC83]

That's what I thought when I saw this.

That's disgusting!
Our one-bed is of similar size, and though I feel it's kinda large, I could NEVER imagine 3 bedrooms shoved into it!
Seriously, when I buy a condo downtown, I'm aiming for an 80's era building. Though it may have a hideous exterior, the units are usually larger and cheaper!

 

[Tewder]

The average size of a post war 3 bedroom bungalow in the burbs is about 900 Sq. Ft. There were five of us, living quite comfortably in one. My parents didn't even finish the basement, until we were teenagers. 900-1000 sq. ft. is the perfect size for a three bedroom unit. Anything more is wasteful.

Times and needs have changed somewhat, no? The tiny bathrooms and kitchens in those places were standard, functional and little else. No such thing as home offices or main-floor laundry rooms either and forget about your big screen t.v.

I definitely believe that suburban housing is wasteful but the urban shoeboxes that developers expect us to live in seem to go from one extreme to another.