102 Fountain Street South (former Preston Springs Hotel) | 26, 24 & 22 fl | Proposed

[bravado]

My favourite is going to be the claims that our infrastructure can't handle it, which has a kernel of truth, but no proposals to upgrade that infrastructure.

[ac3r]

Updated the OP post.

Wow...Urban Agency?!? I had to do a double take. Maybe there is a second Urban Agency out there but they are an incredibly talented architectural firm. If they are contributing to this then very nice! They do work all over the world so it's odd they'd be hired to do this, but I'm all for it if so. I love the podium design as well as the tower design. It has their touch to it. If you're unfamiliar with them, check out their portfolio: https://urban-agency.com/projects

Question now is whether it will get approved hah. I have my doubts.

[nms]

Perhaps the 25% below grade portion is relative to Abraham St? (eg 100% above grade relative to Fountain St?)

The lower levels look nice with the arches. Unfortunately the tops of the towers aren't anything to write home about. If the tops weren't just boxy glass, I'd be more excited.

[ac3r]

That's what makes them nice. The simplicity of the towers with the simplicity of the arches which are a timeless feature in architecture - a perfect shape to use in project that sits on such a historic site - work in such a way that it makes no attempts at grandeur over the natural surrounding landscape which is what drew people to the area in the first place.

Honestly one of the best designs I've seen used in this region. It's not even built but I could do a whole write up on the aesthetics of this. I love it.

[westwardloo]

That's what makes them nice. The simplicity of the towers with the simplicity of the arches which are a timeless feature in architecture - a perfect shape to use in project that sits on such a historic site - work in such a way that it makes no attempts at grandeur over the natural surrounding landscape which is what drew people to the area in the first place.

Honestly one of the best designs I've seen used in this region. It's not even built but I could do a whole write up on the aesthetics of this. I love it.

I agree 100%. The tower portion is what I like the best. It is consistent from top to bottom, but has subtle design differences floor to floor that make is pleasing to the eyes. All they used was a balcony column design that changes every two floors, which is a master stroke of architecture that adds so much to the building without radically changing its footprint.  Along the inner elevations they included random inset balconies that give the building a chaotic feel, but it works so well.  

The podium is unique and is easily one of the best in the region. That is not saying much, for some reason our developers and architects suck/ don't care about designing podiums. 

Again I would give this project less then a 10% chance of being built with its current proposal. This is what I see being built in 2030's at some point. 

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.9850582,...&entry=ttu

[cherrypark]

Damn, can we get some of these Cambridge proposals in KW? This looks great. A shame there wasn't more to be done to save the hotel when there was a chance a long time ago, but this would make for a high quality replacement in a prime part of town.

[ac3r]

Again I would give this project less then a 10% chance of being built with its current proposal. This is what I see being built in 2030's at some point. 

On a positive note I think the design of the podium and simplicity of the towers will help sway things in its favour for potential approval. There is an elegance to the design that really works. The towers have variation that lets them be interesting to the eye, but the way in which it achieves that is simple. A design like that can remain unobtrusive, but if one takes a moment to look then they become intrigued. But it's the arches in the podium I think really suit this by virtue of being in Cambridge.

Cambridge takes a lot of pride in its historical past and that is especially reflected in its architecture. Throughout the city but particularly in the cores, you find countless examples of historic architecture - everything from preserved ruins, functional buildings retaining their original design but also examples of historic buildings that underwent adaptive reuses with new additions. A couple good examples would be the Old Post Office redone by RDHA and the University of Waterloo School of Architecture which was done by Levitt Goodman Architects.

My first impressions of this is that use of arches and the vertical lines on the towers imply respect to historicism, setting the building on equal level with those that came before it and which sit next to it. It has a unique contemporary identity, but has architecture that borrows from the past without being kitsch. The fact it isn't white/grey/black is great too. It doesn't even use a large colour palette - it's basically just a lot of brown - but again it's simplicity of it.

I would hope that the City of Cambridge approves this more or less as-is, or at least doesn't pressure the developer to make drastic changes, because it is a really nice looking project. I know there will be the usual comments from the public and no doubt council members as well on the usual nonsense - traffic, parking, shadows etc - but that aside, I see no reason to not approve this. Cambridge rarely gets it right but they do sort of have a good track record when it comes to saying yes to good projects. The previous examples of the post office and campus are some examples and so is the rather surprising fact they approved the really nice Cambridge Mill project given its size, so maybe they'll bag another one if they approve this. It would balance out the Gaslight District monstrosity at least. :'P

[bravado]

I wish there was a way to get the much more active KW housing crowd to lend their voices with stuff like this because I can’t state this more clearly: city council will only hear the worst possible local voices on stuff like this. There is almost no core of YIMBYs other than weirdos like me.

[Joedelay Highhoe]

I'm already sad this project is going to get cancelled because of a dozen or so homeowners who don't want to see towers anywhere near their backyard oases. Hopefully they get a MZO.

[urbd]

Slabs, slabs and more slabs in this region... the podium is nice, but why can't architects incorporate any stepbacks in towers these days? It would help greatly with massing and human scale.

[bravado]

Just wanted to post for the enthusiasts out there, there's a bunch more documents on the City website now: 

https://www.cambridge.ca/en/build-invest...tions.aspx

[ac3r]

Slabs, slabs and more slabs in this region... the podium is nice, but why can't architects incorporate any stepbacks in towers these days? It would help greatly with massing and human scale.

They're ugly and avoided as much as possible unless dealing with NIMBYs that feel buildings are too tall.

[panamaniac]

Setbacks are ugly?

[bravado]

To my untrained semi-traditionalist eye they seem like unnecessary complication. All the buildings that we all agree are beautiful from ages past are symmetrical and often just a box shape with decoration...

Setbacks Stepbacks seem like an arbitrary modern choice that comes from modern buildings being taller than ever, not a proper aesthetic one. It’s also another way to rob valuable living space from buildings, driving up costs and using space inefficiently.

Edit: as for setbacks, like from the curb, also nonsense but probably for another thread…

[cherrypark]

Setbacks are ugly?

Step backs, as in making the upper floors narrow as they go up. Can google the discourse around the "angular plane" and step backs in Toronto for a month's worth of reading and debate. Has a way of making every new development look like a sailboat or Incan temple.