1445 replies to this topic

[Rob Randall]

I guess my eyes aren't working this morning because I looked at that first picture and I saw an off-kilter cylindrical tower viewed from below.

[lanforod]

That looks... ew. The location is decent for developments like this, but I sure hope there is a lot of improvement in design.

[E2V]

Construction has started at 833-835 Dunsmuir Road in Esquimalt. A 7 floor condo development, I believe.
Are there any particulars or a thread on this?

[Mike K.]

Thanks!

 

No thread, but there is this profile page: https://victoria.cit...-dunsmuir-road/

 

It will be five-storeys tall with 34-units.

[lanforod]

On Viewmont in Royal Oak (close to Brydon Park), new townhomes coming from Mike Geric: https://thereeve.ca/

 

This is well under construction now finally. Prices from 699k to 759k. 8/32 units sold. First homes completion late summer sounds like, the rest next year.

[VIResident]

Note to self:  When considering a new build purchase visit city planning dept. (in any city) to inspect architects stamp on original building plans.  No stamp and perhaps I don't buy, and if I do I certainly don't pay as much as those surrounding buildings that do have that stamp.  . (FYI - Architects fees typically add 8 to 10% on the total)

 

Langford sued for giving OK to building that has no architect

Snippets from https://www.timescol...tect-1.23853919

 

"The lawsuit incensed Langford Mayor Stew Young, who said the municipality’s responsibility is to make sure a building is up to code — not to be a gatekeeper for a private professional organization.

 

“They want to get municipalities to do their enforcement. They’re the ones making the money, but I’ve got to do the enforcement for no money,” Young said.

He said adding another step to the approval process increases costs — something that should be avoided when there’s a housing crisis.

“They’re going after Langford because we’re small. I don’t have the money to go defend people that are building units and don’t use an architect,” Young said."

Edited by VIResident, 13 June 2019 - 05:16 AM.

[Mike K.]

Just to add to the above, Langford is being sued by the Architectural Institute of B.C. over a building at 669 Hofmann. That building, as some of you may recall, was left partially constructed for well over a year after construction began.

[Jackerbie]

^ FWIW, the requirements to retain a licensed architect are established in the BC Architect Act.

[jasmineshinga]

CBC coverage.

 

https://www.cbc.ca/n...legal-1.5171355

 

in all fairness, the Architect's Act is a PITA to parse, I spent much of my exam prep trying to memorize the various occupancy-determined limits of Architect-free design which are allowed.

[Rob Randall]

So how does one go about building a townhouse without an architect? I assume you have your "designer" sketch up (or download) your basic plans and then your general contractor draws up the actual working plans that the trades use? Seems sketchy, no pun intended.

[Victoria Watcher]

well most houses involve no architect.

[Mike K.]

You just buy the plan off the Internet or reference it out of a book.

 

Many larger buildings are also designed "without an architect," but the work is actually done by an architect that isn't licensed in BC and requires another architect to merely sign off on their work. I guess the developers of the Hofmann building weren't required by Langford to have the work signed off.

[Jackerbie]

So how does one go about building a townhouse without an architect? I assume you have your "designer" sketch up (or download) your basic plans and then your general contractor draws up the actual working plans that the trades use? Seems sketchy, no pun intended.

 

well most houses involve no architect.

 

Not every building requires an architect. As jasmineshinga noted, the Architect Act outlines the exceptions. For example, I think the requirement kicks in for residential construction over 5 units.

[jasmineshinga]

So how does one go about building a townhouse without an architect? I assume you have

 

Not every building requires an architect. As jasmineshinga noted, the Architect Act outlines the exceptions. For example, I think the requirement kicks in for residential construction over 5 units.

 

 your "designer" sketch up (or download) your basic plans and then your general contractor draws up the actual working plans that the trades use? Seems sketchy, no pun intended

 

Correct - for townhouses and smaller residential protects a designer (or Architectural Technologist) can oversee the construction drawings for up to 4 units. Architects have to get on board for 5+ units (other occupancies have other trigger points. 11 beds in a motel for example). Many occupancies are area based, so I could draw up plans for a 569 square metre commercial buld, but not 570+. It gets more complex from there with limits to open spans, can't do schools at all, on and on...

 

Overly complicated compared to some jurisdictions - such as Alberta where it generally boils down to 3-storeys, 500 square metres.

 

Sometimes I miss Alberta.

[Kapten Kapsell]

It should be a fairly simple procedural update for Langford to update its processing of building permit applications:  just have the person(s) processing the application see if the development has five or more units and, if it does, check to see that the plans were stamped/signed off on by an architect.  

 

Stewart Young doesn't sound credible when he claims that making such a 'check' would add to the cost of housing.  Yes, it's more expensive to use an architect, but that's a cost paid by the applicant.  It shouldn't cost Langford much to enforce the rules.  "They want to get municipalities to do their enforcement. They’re the ones making the money, but I’ve got to do the enforcement for no money" Young says, but that logic doesn't hold up: the municipality is actually making revenue from property taxes of the buildings they issue permits for.  And Langford is charged with enforcing other bylaws that don't necessarily drive revenue...

Edited by Kapten Kapsell, 13 June 2019 - 12:14 PM.

[Victoria Watcher]

it seems odd.

[Jackerbie]

Plans are in for "The Rise on 5th," a four-storey apartment at 9570 & 9574 Fifth Street in Sidney.

• 16 units, including five 1BR, eight 2 BR, and three 3BR units 
• 16 parking spaces behind the building
• Design by KPL James Architecture
• Plans: http://www.sidney.ca...ifth_Street.pdf
• Tracker: http://www.sidney.ca...pplications.htm

[Nparker]

At 5 floors it should be called "The Bump on 5th".

[aastra]

That looks sharp. So are any of these spiffy little Sidney projects actually getting built or what? I thought Mike K. was supposed to be preparing an extensive photo essay for us not too long ago? Did he skip out on that?

[Jackerbie]

^ I'll snap some pics if I'm in Sidney next weekend. There have been a few projects started or completed recently, such as Leeward by Aryze. They've got a write-up with photos on their website: https://aryze.ca/project/leeward/