Architecture Today’s Post

The key to a #successful #build starts with the #land itself! This post dives into site considerations like maximizing space, ensuring privacy for all occupants, and prioritizing parking & amenities. Corner lots can be a game-changer, and every #property offers unique #opportunities. Remember, a little planning goes a long way! #realestate #coachhouse #gardensuites #gardensuitetips #planning #lots #property #durham #durhamregion #oshawa #realestateinvestor #realestateinvesting #investmentopportunity #thinkbeforesyoubuild #northlakesdevelopments

"Discover Serenity at Northern Green County – Your Dream Destination Awaits" "Step into a world where dreams scale new heights – Northern Green County invites you to a life of grandeur amidst lush landscapes. The image showcases a breathtaking aerial view of the project's location, a tapestry of green fields that beckon a life of peace and prosperity. The central focus is the outlined property space, marked distinctly with a location pin, symbolizing the precise spot where your future home could be nestled. An artistic representation of a contemporary home, perched atop a slice of earth, reflects the project's philosophy of harmonious living with the environment. The promise of 'Crafted for those who dream bigger' resonates through the visual narrative, assuring that this is a place for those who aspire for more than just a house, but a home that's an extension of their ambitions. With contact details and a website mentioned, Northern Green County is more than an upcoming project – it's the dawn of a new beginning, a community that’s gearing up to welcome you to a lifestyle where every day feels like a step towards a brighter, greener future. Anticipate the excitement of 'Coming Soon' and let Northern Green County be the canvas for your dreams." #NorthernGreenCounty #ComingSoonHomes #EcoFriendlyHomes, #SustainableHomes, #ModernLivingSpace, #NatureAndComfort #DreamBigLiveBig, #NewBeginnings, #BuildYourDream #GreenLiving #GreenFuture #SereneSuburbia #UpscaleRealEstate

Management of surface water runoff - Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems in London - functional sensible design

Ready to elevate your lifestyle? If you’ve been considering making a move to Devonbosch, now’s the time - only 5 units are left in Phase 1, and they’re still available at 2023 prices. And let’s face it - it is rare to find a development that offers both a beautiful living environment and the potential for real growth. I’ve seen how quickly things are moving here, and securing one of these last units is a chance to be part of something truly special. Whether you’re looking at a 2 or 3-bedroom apartment, this is an opportunity to invest in a community that’s designed with the future in mind, both in terms of lifestyle and value. Take a moment to explore the available layouts - starting from R3,450,600. If you’ve been on the fence, I’d recommend acting soon. Reach out if you’re interested. I’d love to see you make Devonbosch your home. #DevonboschLiving #FutureHome #PropertyOpportunity #CommunityLiving

Stephen Harper, handed over Downsview Park and adjoining lands to Canada Lands Company who disfigured the park along Keele street building ugly condominiums/commercial spaces, then, a huge acreage inside to more numerous bird-cage condominium buildings, also, they squared off a huge portion for temporary entertainment stages, preventing us Downsview Community and other Park Visitors accessing the mound and parking, when there is any event taking place. No consideration was taken that the big splash that Canada Lands Company makes about encouraging bio-diversity in the remaining parkland, with a mini-forest, growing wild grasses instead of flowers, is all a hoax when the corporation is only interested in slowly (bit by bit) sucking up all of these grounds to their only interest - daily revenue to their bottom, line. Don't know if Harper gets a portion of that profit. But it seems Canada Lands Company has enamoured Doug Ford, Olivia Chow and City Councillor Pasternak, who are all so happy to appear in photo ops of this corporation, when they announce more and more of the land being built for their own ends. The hoax is the temporary entertainment clearing allows for ear splitting reverberations throughout the parklands when any event is taking place (because so far all these events have used big band speaker music that a building nearby echos the sound, making us visitors feel there is an earthquake happening). Imagine if we humans cannot bear the sounds vibrating the ground, what do you think the small animals in the forest are feeling? They will soon disappear if these concerts will be an ongoing disturbance. What biodiversity is that? (The neighbouring apartment units on the surrounding streets also vibrate with these sounds and way beyond bedtimes.) Now why is the Premier, the Mayor and the City Councillor then, not thinking of these issues. Why are these officials so "unaware"? Unaware, or, just don't care? Take a look at this: if they build this up, they need space for ticket-holders, so will the mound (like they do now when there is an event) too become part of the entertainment centre and here we go again - yet another big portion of the park is sucked up for revenue by Canada Lands Company. When/where is it going to end? Canada Lands Company operates all these land grabbing through a sub company that was not even administered as a Crown Corporation by going through the normal channels of passing through Parliament. Even though all these shenanigans were done through Stephen Harper and the Conservatives, Justin Trudeau and the Liberals who could have reversed some of this, and/or forced Canada Lands Company, a Crown Corporation to honour the rules, did nothing. The question is why? https://lnkd.in/gmmuC99T Then here's more land being sucked up: https://lnkd.in/geePKHk8

Making a renovation profit in capital cities usually requires renovating apartments. They present a unique battlefield. Here’s a candid breakdown of the pros and cons: Pros: ✅ Affordability: Apartments typically come at a lower price point than houses. Great for those looking to get into renovating on the ground floor. 🙌 Maintenance Freedom: Wave goodbye to the woes of external maintenance—no yards, no roofs. Just focus on maximizing the interior space. 🚚 Logistics Dream: Many buildings have lifts and loading docks, making material handling a breeze. Perfect for swift, efficient turnarounds. Cons: 📝 Red Tape Rodeo: Want to change more than the paint color? Brace yourself for a barrage of paperwork and approvals that, if not managed expertly, can turn your timeline into a waiting game. 🔊 Close Quarters: Neighbors. Everywhere. Your renovation noise is their latest headache. Diplomacy is key. 🛑 Regulatory Maze: In NSW, the class 2 building regulations are a labyrinth. One wrong turn, and you might find yourself back at the drawing board. While the challenges might seem daunting, every obstacle is an opportunity to refine your strategy and enhance your creative approach. Renovating apartments is about adapting and overcoming in the dense heart of the city. For the bold, the rewards are high 🏙️ #renovation #renovating #homerenovation #sherenovates #apartmentrenovation

Development Projects I'm Most Proud Of: Chater House, Roman Road, Bethnal Green This is going back a while. It was the 1990s and I'd just moved from Southampton to London and taken on my first team manager role for South London Family Housing Association. I was given this project to take on a somewhat 'unloved' ex-Council block and turn it into a Shared Ownership scheme. I felt that, to make a success of this, some imagination was going to be required. Working with the Employer's Agents and Architects, we put a lot of work in to the design. We picked up on some elements of the architectural style of the existing building and settled on an art-deco theme to build upon. The flats were re-configured, and this resulted in creating a couple of maisonettes at the end of some of the upper floors. Space was at a premium in these, so we created maisonettes with spiral staircases (I can't imagine making a choice like that now!). I also remember we paid a lot of attention to the interiors of the new lifts in the block, including installing a faux-walnut finish. All the front doors had port-hole style round windows in them. It wasn't the cheapest refurbishment, but it stacked up financially, and it looked what I considered to be very attractive at the end of the job. The proof of the pudding was in the sales, which were impressively quick. I looked the building up and found the photo below on Flickr. I think the building still looks attractive decades later, and the flats seem to be holding their value on the resale market. For many years since, I've frequently asked colleagues what the USP is for the individual schemes they're working on. Design matters. It's what gives places longevity and enhances people's lives. I know that there's a shortage of affordable housing and an ambition to deliver more at volume, but let's not just throw up ugly crap that we'll be ashamed of as our careers reach maturity. There are lots of projects ongoing where people put the effort in to creating an attractive place for a community to thrive, but that's not always the case. Like me, later in your career you'll want to look back on projects you've been involved in and enjoy a little heart swell about places where you really made a difference. Make it happen!

I think Paul Read is right. It would be fantastic if people in the UK affordable housing sector shared something about schemes that have been career highlights and explained why. I tag Paul Read to go first, as it was his idea! He can tag others to contribute next! It will be interesting to see if there are common denominator or surprising factors that could benefit affordable housing going forwards. #AffordableHousingStory

This week marks 30 years since Munira and I landed in Perth. Looking back, what’s changed? In 1994 there was little apartment diversity – mostly bottom and top end. The growth of mid-tier apartments since then has been good, but there’s still not nearly enough. The suburban carpet has been rolled out far beyond what we could have imagined, and the arterial roads to get there are wider and uglier. Suburban housing has morphed from wide and welcoming McHomesteads with actual gardens to characterless dogboxes in three shades of grey, shoehorned behind a double garage, and squashed together with barely a tree in sight. The transition to framed construction is under way, but double glazing is still, bizarrely, yet to become a thing. The planning system has gone from simple to ridiculously complex, and most people still can't distinguish between heritage and nostalgia. The quality of design has improved for larger projects (DRP’s have helped in a big way) but worsened for small projects. With a few exceptions, Perth still lacks an appreciable ‘design culture’. The Perth CBD has more towers and a bit more life on the streets but is becoming increasingly irrelevant to most Perthlings who live too far away to enjoy it. Perth still has the same traffic problem – not enough of it. Congestion is vital to achieving the tipping point where walking, cycling and public transport is a more appealing option. The food is way better, and the five and a half -day week has become seven with (some) shops open on Sundays, and the weather is still mostly glorious. However, buying a cuppa after 2pm remains a challenge and kitchens still close at 8.30pm. Perth has become more socially diverse with migrants like us coming from all over the world. Maybe that will help further erode the small-town conservatism that still prevails. Despite being told by the architects’ institute in 1994 that “people like us should go back to where we came from”, Perth has been good to us and, so, we thank those who have made us feel welcome and useful.  We’ve tried hard to make Perth a better place in our time here, and here’s hoping that the next generation will find the will, the skills, and the opportunity to try and do likewise. 

Density is a critical component of city building. Building up a city’s main avenues is an important part of the success. It’s good to see developments taking place along the avenues, in #Windsor, even if sporadically. 3-4 story, #mediumscalemediumdensity building can drive the demand for more, better, and varied types of transit, housing, and amenities along our main street commercial corridors. #urbandevelopment #avenues #density #urbanism #urbanhousing