Urban Development and Proposals Discussion

[Urban Outdoorsman]

I mean, although 5/1's may be the norm in colder climates, I can almost guarantee you that you won't be seeing many in hot tropical climates. My experience is that buildings in the tropics strongly favor cinder block construction, which ironically produces another type of monotony. I've spent quite a bit of time in Thailand and the Dominican Republic and I can tell you both have very similar architecture (at least new buildings do).

 

[JesseLikesCities]

I hope we see a boat load of five/ones pop up if we get a building boom. Time to re-introduce a recent question. Which major project will be the next to break ground? As far as I know there are only a few that were rumored as possibly close, due to permit action etc.. West Village Tower III, Sovereign, and Gallery First and Tenth.

Color me ecstatic if a mix used super tall was next on the list right here:

 

[Patrick.1980]

I mean, although 5/1's may be the norm in colder climates, I can almost guarantee you that you won't be seeing many in hot tropical climates. My experience is that buildings in the tropics strongly favor cinder block construction, which ironically produces another type of monotony. I've spent quite a bit of time in Thailand and the Dominican Republic and I can tell you both have very similar architecture (at least new buildings do).

5/1s will become popular in tropical countries too. They’re the way to do density without building high rise towers and is a decent compromise for buyers and builders.

I’ve seen them in Malaysia and Indonesia. Different style of buildings that look more like a 1990s pointe of view project, but basically the same function.
High rise towers wil be popular too but will be no less cookie cutter. Same for suburban houses. Check out these townhomes from KL

 

[YourBoy007]

Damn mass produced buildings! Everything looks the same!

View attachment 457578

This is a single city. So, not my point.

 

[YourBoy007]

Give me a sea of 5/1s vs winding crescents of two storey front drive vinyl siding shitboxes.

Why settle for either?

 

[ahuch]

Give me a sea of 5/1s vs winding crescents of two storey front drive vinyl siding shitboxes.

Having lived in a wood frame 4 storey before, I wouldn't wish that fate on my worst enemy. I think I can still hear my neighbors upstairs.

 

[Nawads]

Having lived in a wood frame 4 storey before, I wouldn't wish that fate on my worst enemy. I think I can still hear my neighbors upstairs.

This is the problem. If we are going to use 5/1s or wood construction to achieve more medium density in out cities. The code should be updated to make sure there is better sound proofing in these wood-construction buildings with multiple units.

 

[YourBoy007]

This is the problem. If we are going to use 5/1s or wood construction to achieve more medium density in out cities. The code should be updated to make sure there is better sound proofing in these wood-construction buildings with multiple units.

I think since China is using concrete for everything, we should too.

 

[haltcatchfire]

This is the problem. If we are going to use 5/1s or wood construction to achieve more medium density in out cities. The code should be updated to make sure there is better sound proofing in these wood-construction buildings with multiple units.

STC has been increased in the recent code.

 

[Calgcouver]

I’ll take 5 over 1´s over towers everyday of the week. Here is my favourite one right now completed in San Francisco recently: https://themadelon.com/gallery/

 

[AJX]

I think since China is using concrete for everything, we should too.

I would like that too, but then who pays for the extra cost? The costs in China are much different than in Canada. For one thing we don’t have pay wages slightly above slave labour.

 

[AJX]

Why settle for either?

What’s the alternative then? High rise towers everywhere? High rises towers here and there are great, but a city of nothing but high rise towers is a city I wouldn’t want to live in.

 

[Golfing guy]

This is the problem. If we are going to use 5/1s or wood construction to achieve more medium density in out cities. The code should be updated to make sure there is better sound proofing in these wood-construction buildings with multiple units.

My condo is wood construction but it has cement sub floors. Can’t hear anything from neighbours up or down

 

[Surrealplaces]

My question for @YourBoy007 is whether the issue is with the scale and massing of the 5/1s or the materials, or both? I'm not a huge fan of all 5/1s, but for the most part they are they offer a good way to build up corridors and urban fabric. I think they do this better than any other form (high-rises/rowhomes/duplexes/SFHs) I don't want to see only 5/1s, but I'd rather see an artery type avenue lined with smaller assorted 5/1s than any other type of build. High rises are great in the Beltline and in clumps here and there, and rowhomes/duplex/and SFHs are fine in behind the corridors.

 

[CBBarnett]

My question for @YourBoy007 is whether the issue is with the scale and massing of the 5/1s or the materials, or both? I'm not a huge fan of all 5/1s, but for the most part they are they offer a good way to build up corridors and urban fabric. I think they do this better than any other form (high-rises/rowhomes/duplexes/SFHs) I don't want to see only 5/1s, but I'd rather see an artery type avenue lined with smaller assorted 5/1s than any other type of build. High rises are great in the Beltline and in clumps here and there, and rowhomes/duplex/and SFHs are fine in behind the corridors.

I am not an architect nor an expert in building codes, but a few critiques of the 5/1 (and other North American designs) that I found persuasive are on the floorplate and unit design.

Point Access Blocks are pretty common everywhere outside of North America due to more permissive building codes everywhere else, particularly around elevators and fire stairs. Essentially they are low or mid-rise buildings that have a single stair/elevator to connect the units vs. a common corridor in the middle that are common in 5/1 design here. Here's a diagram:

The rationale goes that point access blocks can look relatively similar to a 5/1, but offers better floorplate efficiency because they don't have that common corridor in the centre to connect 2 or more fire stairs and elevators due to our building codes. It's all incremental stuff but adds up; that extra bit of space goes to the units, and makes 3 bedroom apartments cheaper, with better light and air and generally easier to fit into a building. Buildings are often narrower too as you don't have to fit that common area in the middle. Skinnier buildings mean more space on the ground for other things like gardens and public space.

A little bit higher efficiency means money can be left over for better materials too - although as we have seen this is hardly a guarantee as money isn't the single factor in poor exteriors in Calgary.

There's probably a few good resources out there, but I like this one as quick overview of the benefit and gap with 5/1 design: https://www.larchlab.com/point-access-block-policy-brief/