07-16-2025, 09:27 AM
(07-15-2025, 05:15 PM)creative Wrote: Although I never working in the architecture business, I did work as a designer for over 30 years. I also taught design in college. Everyone coming out of design school wants to design the great projects that you see in design publications and websites. Unfortunately those great projects make up about 15-20 of all projects. The other 80-85% pay the bills and help to keep the lights on and people paid. You learn about these things after working in senior management. These project often come with restraints such as limited time, limited budget and sometimes clients who like to get involved in the design process. You do your best with what you have to work with and move onto the next project. I’ve got a great portfolio from the 20% that I gladly show anyone. The other 80% are ok but not my finest work. Most have a story that go along with them. Quite possibly this project falls under the 80% category. Maybe the architect is not overly proud of this project and it will never show up in their portfolio. I’ve seen a lot of really bad design over the years. I play a game to try and figure out what the designer had actually intended and what role did the client play in the final result. I have a little chuckle and move on. What’s done is done and it’s not changing. You can choose to let it continue to drive you crazy or move on. We all here understand your concerns as you have expressed them many times. You contribute much to this forum with new and exciting projects and I look forward to you continuing to do so. I do believe that it is time to let this project go.
I understand where you are coming from and get that not every project can be a winner, but I also feel like this is a complete cop out. The region sees easily 90-95% be the pay the bills type designs. The point is architects and designers can produce pay the bills type designs that look good with the same materials chosen for this project. We have conditioned ourselves to have such low standards that we will accept anything that has walls and a window. Travel to Scandinavia and see what can be mass produced in their cities. The have the same type of materials, skilled trades, architects and Engineers with the same 85% of project pay the bills requirement. You don't even need to go to Scandinavia, look what is being proposed or built in Winnipeg, Calgary, Kelowna, Halifax. They have and inverse of what we see in the region 15-20% are shitty project and and the rest are well designed.
Again this project just seems to get so much focus on this forum, but great local projects like The Stanely, Stride, Uptown 168, the carrick get absolutely nothing. Those are all well design mid-rise buildings that would fall under the mentioned 80% rule.