(07-04-2021, 03:26 PM)tomh009 Wrote: However, if the developer is planning to within the zoning, there is no design approval, neither her nor in Toronto, unless I am much misinformed. Once the devleoper starts asking for variances, the city is able to negotiate, but then the question is how big those variances are, and what are the city's other priorities -- for example, providing green space, including ground-floor retail, incorporating affordable units into the development etc. The design will surely be on the list, but may not be the topmost priority.
Yes and no. If I was planning a 6 floor midrise that adhered to all the zoning...but then I revelated it to have a façade of corrugated sheet metal, there are things that can be done to deny that project. It has been years since I've worked on any projects in Waterloo Region so I don't know the specifics, but there are some strings that can be pulled as far as I know. I think they are just rarely pulled because the cities tend to not put much precedence on how nice a building looks in its environment. Tends to apply to most cities...if something looks truly awful, they'll find some way to stop it.
Edit: Also yeah, The Scott - if that's the name of it - isn't bad at all. Hard to believe it's from SRM! Haha. It doesn't try to hard and the materials are alright. I think it's the simplicity of things that works in its favour. It's bright, the features are modest and not overbearing and so it really brightens up the area with some warmth while adding some new, contemporary housing. If you stand on that corner and do a 360, you've got that old office tower (which is alright), a cold, forebrooding courthouse, some rundown post-war homes and a parking garage in the background. It definitely looks pretty good there.