tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89628634061077795522023-12-10T19:45:18.943-05:00modern ottawaDiscovering design and architecture in the city of Ottawa and what it has to offer.MoOt - Modern Ottawa Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09861918077927383609noreply@blogger.comBlogger189125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962863406107779552.post-75984319168260426412013-05-03T16:51:00.001-04:002013-05-03T16:51:16.438-04:00new beginnings<div style="text-align: justify;">
As you may have noticed recently, the number of blog posts on M2JL STUDIO and Modern Ottawa has decreased significantly over the past few months. That’s because I’m starting a new chapter and embarking on a new and more creative adventure that involves drawing, painting, sketching and more. It’s something that I’ve been putting off for a long time but now it’s time for me to just make the jump, fully immerse myself in it and see where this takes me.</div>
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<span class="s1">So in the light of this new beginning, I started a new blog...</span></div>
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<a href="http://mariejudith.blogspot.ca/"><img alt="" border="0" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRIKyIva96BPdLS6tkV-eBB1SQdEzHWpfND6AGC13tYEiceZiMIaFs-MsZjqSM1aiMVy5HSfWh9xAm3Ms4txARAiaL_A3slcOopKo1WuXGVrbkBzGtB6_gCzVx0tVFsHjVtN2VMlFwJWU/s640/1000x200banner.026.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div>
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I like to refer to it as my online creative lab. It’s a work in progress, but I like where it's going. You’ll find all kinds of drawings and sketchnotes on various topics, urban sketches from around town and from my travels as well as updates on our new puppy : Newton. I hope you’ll join me and come along for this new ride:<span class="s1"></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><b>NEW BLOG <span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span></b></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><b><a href="http://mariejudith.blogspot.com/">mariejudith.blogspot.com</a></b></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><b>NEW TWITTER ACCOUNT <span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span></b></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><b><a href="http://twitter.com/MJSketchbook">@mjsketchbook</a></b></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><b>NEW FACEBOOK PAGE</b></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/MJ-likes-to-draw/235055489911207?ref=hl"><span class="Apple-tab-span"> </span>MJ-likes-to-draw</a></b></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><b>I also want to thank you for your time and your comments. It’s been fun and enlightening. I certainly learned a lot and I hope you did too. I look forward to bring what I learnt thus far to this new venture and make it even better.</b></span></div>
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<span class="s1">Finally I’d like to leave you with this inspiring poster (source unknown), that describes what I intend to do. Hopefully it will also inspire you to do the same. :) </span></div>
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MoOt - Modern Ottawa Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09861918077927383609noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962863406107779552.post-83127797788699792122012-12-25T21:26:00.002-05:002012-12-25T21:27:09.173-05:00happy holidays<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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MoOt - Modern Ottawa Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09861918077927383609noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962863406107779552.post-57503097997405668252012-12-12T13:01:00.001-05:002012-12-25T21:58:26.148-05:00sneak peek inside the modbox<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Here's a sneak peak of a standard <a href="http://modbox.ca/project/mechanicsville-lofts/" style="background-color: white; color: #888888; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">Mechanicsville Lofts</a> unit. You really get a good idea of the loft feel and how nice and open it will be. I really like the heated concrete floor. It's such a great feature. This is a great opportunity to increase the amount of beautiful modern interior design in the city. Definitely something I'd love the get my hands on :)</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Photos : <a href="http://www.linebox.ca/">Linebox Studio</a></span></div>
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MoOt - Modern Ottawa Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09861918077927383609noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962863406107779552.post-67333561993783879822012-12-09T19:55:00.000-05:002012-12-09T19:55:22.034-05:00new modbox homes in Ottawa<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20121209.001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Modern Ottawa Blog | Modbox loft-style home Linebox Studio Lake Partneship Inc" border="0" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20121209.001.jpg" title="" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://modbox.ca/">ModBox</a> is a boutique property development company focusing on building modern residences in select Ottawa neighbourhoods. The brainchild of modern architectural firm <a href="http://www.linebox.ca/">Linebox Studio</a> and builder <a href="http://www.tlpi.ca/">The Lake Partnership</a>, this joint venture is currently working on a new loft-style condos in Mechanicsville called <a href="http://modbox.ca/project/mechanicsville-lofts/">Mechanicsville Lofts</a>.</div>
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This building project is their response to the lack of hard lofts in the city of Ottawa. Though their project is not an actual loft conversion from an existing industrial building, it said to include "<i>five main features that define a true hard loft; high ceilings, open spaces, exposed building materials, large windows and an urban location</i>" with the added benefit of comfort and energy efficiency. </div>
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This will definitely upgrade the current look of this area which, in my opinion, looks old and not very practical for modern living. You can see from the screen captures from Google Street-view what will surround the new building. </div>
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I'm not a big fan of the little houses like the one on the right of the new building below. Let's hope this new project will encourage more updates in that area. </div>
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Looking through the specifications and floor plans currently available online, there are definitely some key features that give this building a true loft feel : 11 foot ceilings, 1200 square foot open spaces, polished concrete floors with radiant heat, exposed timber columns and beams, floor to ceiling windows, a small scale building (only four floors and 6 units) and a private elevator accessing each unit directly. <span style="text-align: left;">This is pretty much as close as you can get to a modern hard loft in Ottawa right now.</span></div>
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The ground floor features a large open space that includes a garbage/recycling area, a mail room and two lobbies (one in the front and one in the back), as well as a ground floor unit. I assume the stone gardens will be spectacular, based on Linebox studio's previous work. </div>
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It's unfortunate that the back of the building is used for five cars when there are six units. I personally would have opted for common enclosed backyard and an underground parking instead. That way, each unit would have a parking spot and there would also be space for extra storage (bikes, winter tires and other seasonal items), and visitor parking.</div>
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Although, some consider Mechanicsville to be an "urban area" in Ottawa, it's not quite there yet. Residents will greatly benefit from a car to do their grocery shopping and to got out to pubs, movies, restaurants, etc., especially in the winter. The building is mostly be surrounded by houses, a church and a park. </div>
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The proposed layouts on the floor plans look nice. My favorite is the penthouse (of course!), with the extra private deck and green roof. </div>
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The residents will also have access to a common rooftop terrace, perfect for parties and gatherings. </div>
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All in all, it's a great upgrade for the area. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Source : </span><a href="http://modbox.ca/" style="font-size: small;">ModBox</a></div>
MoOt - Modern Ottawa Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09861918077927383609noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962863406107779552.post-72872679662424284542012-10-13T16:09:00.000-04:002012-10-13T16:22:02.370-04:00CANVAS : WHERE ART MEETS ARCHITECTURE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<img alt="MoOt | Modern Ottawa - Modern Semi detached luxury home Ottawa South Canvas Surface Development Christopher Griffin concrete art" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20121013.001.jpg" />
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<a href="http://www.surfacedevelopments.com/">Surface Development</a> recently joined forces with artist <a href="http://christophergriffin.ca/">Christopher Griffin</a> to create two unique semi detached homes facing the Rideau River in Old Ottawa South. Griffin is known for his "concrete painting" where he carves patterns into concrete stuccos, as <a href="http://modernottawa.blogspot.ca/2009/08/modern-building-oresta.html">shown previously on MoOt</a>. This time he performed a live art installation using his technique on the building project. </div>
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Griffin (shown in the video below) got his inspiration from the river and natural surroundings. After finding out that the river is home to a walleye fishery in Ottawa, he decided to integrate them into his concrete painting. It's a great way to visually connect the building to the nature surrounding it and definitely makes the building a lot more interesting and unique. Perhaps this could become a signature design feature unique to Ottawa. How fun would that be. </div>
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Jakub Ulak, who designed this project, took his collaboration with the artist a step further by commissioning paintings from Griffin so that each homeowner gets an original piece of art from the artist who inspired the project CANVAS. Also, a copy of the art will be enamel printed on movable glass panels that will be used as privacy screens on the second floor balconies. At the same time they will act as outdoor artwork, giving the effect of being in an outdoor art gallery to the people walking by outside. </div>
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The <a href="http://surfacedevelopments.com/?q=node/88">floor plans</a> look very promising. Each home has essentially 5 stories of living spaces, including the basement and the rooftop living space equipped with an outdoor kitchen. The homes are currently under construction and should be ready soon. Check out the video tour below presented by the founder for a sneak peak of the interiors under construction. Hopefully there will be an open house. It would be fun to see the finished product. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">source : <a href="http://www.surfacedevelopments.com/" style="text-align: justify;">Surface Development</a> | <a href="http://christophergriffin.ca/" style="text-align: justify;">Christopher Griffin</a></span></div>
MoOt - Modern Ottawa Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09861918077927383609noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962863406107779552.post-35127173524410088082012-10-09T22:42:00.000-04:002012-10-09T22:42:56.041-04:00MORE LAMBS ARE COMING TO TOWN<img alt="MoOt | Modern Ottawa Condominium Brad Lamb Soba South of Bank" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20121009.001.jpg" /><br />
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Looks like Brad Lamb, a well known real estate broker and developer based in Toronto, will be contributing to the much needed modernization of Ottawa. Now that <a href="http://www.gothamottawa.com/">Gotham</a> is under construction, the newest modern addition to the city's collection of Lamb buildings is <a href="http://sobaottawa.com/">Soba</a>. </div>
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The old commercial building currently at the future location of Soba wasn't horrible looking and certainly could have become an interesting 3-story residential loft, but it wasn't spectacular either. </div>
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Instead, we'll be welcoming a unique 23-story building designed by <a href="http://www.corearchitects.com/">Core Architects</a> and <a href="http://www.iibyiv.com/">II BY IV</a>. The new building is a complete change and will definitely stand out. I really like the fact the shape of the building is a little more complex than a simple box and that they will be using black bricks. </div>
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The interior looks promising as well and definitely reminds me of modern boutique hotels with unique textures and finishes, blurring the line between building components and pieces of art, as you can see in the images of the lobby, the common room and elevator area below.</div>
<img alt="MoOt | Modern Ottawa Condominium Brad Lamb Soba South of Bank" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20121009.005.jpg" />
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<img alt="MoOt | Modern Ottawa Condominium Brad Lamb Soba South of Bank" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20121009.006.jpg" /><br />
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On the 6th floor, you'll find the Sky Garden Club featuring an outdoor pool and cabanas. It reminds me a bit of day club hotel pools I've seen at boutique hotels in Las Vegas. <img alt="MoOt | Modern Ottawa Condominium Brad Lamb Soba South of Bank" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20121009.004.jpg" /><br />
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Architecturally, Soba definitely is a great addition to the neighborhood and hopefully it will encourage more people in the industry and the city to update and beautify the area. </span>MoOt - Modern Ottawa Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09861918077927383609noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962863406107779552.post-72593190552191700212012-09-11T22:14:00.001-04:002012-09-11T22:14:05.597-04:00TRENDS IN DESIGN - PART 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<img alt="Modern Ottawa | MoOt | Trends in Design by Urban Capital" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120911.001.png" /></div>
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<a href="http://urbancapital.ca/">Urban Capital</a>'s <a href="http://modernottawa.blogspot.ca/2010/09/trends-in-design-coming-to-ottawa.html">Trends in Design series</a> is back in Ottawa with three new design presentations to inspire and share ideas with the city, starting this week. The topics sound really interesting.</div>
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<b>Night 6 </b>| SEP 13 2012</div>
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<b>Designing Modern Furniture</b> </div>
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<a href="http://gusmodern.com/">Gus*</a> is a really neat modern furniture design company with a lot of beautiful pieces. Furniture designer David Podsiadlo will be talking about the process and challenges of designing, manufacturing and selling modern furniture. </div>
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<b>Night 7 </b>| OCT 11 2012</div>
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<b>Graphic Design is Our Access to the New World</b></div>
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<img alt="Modern Ottawa | MoOt | Trends in Design by Urban Capital" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120911.002.jpg" /></div>
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The <a href="http://www.ocadu.ca/">Ontario College of Art and Design University</a> has a very unique architecture that has most definitely become a landmark in Toronto. Roderick Grant who's a professor, designer and co-chair of the Graphic Design Program, will be talking about the relationships between graphic design and the world we live in. </div>
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<b>Night 8 </b>| NOV 8 2012</div>
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<b>Landscape Design without Grass </b></div>
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If you've been to Montreal, you're probably familiar with Claude Cormier's awesome projects like the <a href="http://www.claudecormier.com/project/pink-balls/">Pink Balls</a> or the <a href="http://www.claudecormier.com/project/lipstick-forest/">lipstick forest</a> in Montreal. I noticed his work in Montreal before but never knew who designed them. Now I know! He's got a lot of very interesting projects in various cities around the world and one in <a href="http://www.claudecormier.com/project/plaza-canadian-museum-of-civilizations/">Gatineau</a>. I can think of a lot of places where his work would greatly enhance the city of Ottawa... starting with Sparks Street :) That should be fun. </div>
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Check out my previous posts about last year's presentations on the links below. </div>
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<b style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;">NIGHT 1</b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"> | </span><b style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://modernottawa.blogspot.ca/2010/09/trends-in-design-night-1.html">Fashion Trends</a></b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"> </span></div>
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<b style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;">NIGHT 2</b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"> | </span><b style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://modernottawa.blogspot.ca/2010/11/trends-in-design-night-2.html">New Thinking in Designing Cities</a></b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"> </span><br />
<b style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;">NIGHT 3</b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"> | </span><b style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://modernottawa.blogspot.ca/2010/11/trends-in-design-night-3.html">Where Industrial Design is Taking Us</a></b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"> </span><br />
<b style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;">NIGHT 4</b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"> | </span><b style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://modernottawa.blogspot.ca/2011/01/trends-in-design-night-4.html">Architecture in Our New Century</a> </b><br />
<b style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;">NIGHT 5</b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"> | </span><b style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://modernottawa.blogspot.ca/2011/02/trends-in-design-night-5.html">Interior Design Thinks Small</a></b></div>
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Tickets are available via Urban Capital's website at $20 per night or $40 for all three evenings. All the proceeds will go to <i><a href="http://migratinglandscapes.ca/">Migrating Landscapes</a>,</i> Canada's official entry for the 2012 <a href="http://www.labiennale.org/en/Home.html">Venice Biennale</a> in Architecture. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">source : <a href="http://urbancapital.ca/">Urban Capital</a>' | <a href="http://www.gusdesigngroup.com/">Gus*</a> | <a href="http://emilycarrrecruit.wordpress.com/2011/09/12/graduate-studies-at-ocad-university-information-session/ocadu_sharpcentre_dayview/">Emily Care Recuit</a> | <a href="http://www.claudecormier.com/">Claude Cormier</a> | <a href="http://blog.mycondomylife.com/cityzen-developments/2012/05/migrating-landscapes-spring-2012-venice-biennale.html">Cityzen</a> | <a href="http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/22718/venice-biennale-2012-canadian-pavilion.html">Design Boom</a></span></div>
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MoOt - Modern Ottawa Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09861918077927383609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962863406107779552.post-17220994706683132742012-07-19T00:38:00.001-04:002012-07-19T00:38:12.182-04:00MODERNIZING THE BEER STORE IN OTTAWA<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Being from Montreal(Quebec) where you can buy alcohol pretty much anywhere (the SAQ, the supermarkets, the corner stores, the gas stations, etc.) the <a href="http://www.thebeerstore.ca/">Beer Store</a> is a <span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">bizarre and </span><span style="background-color: white;">foreign concept</span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"> to me. And the ones where you can't even get the beer yourself are even weirder. But ever since I first went to a Beer Store in Ottawa, I always thought it would be neat to revisit its concept, modernize its design and turn it into a boutique store specializing in various types of beers from all over the world. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">On a recent trip to <a href="http://www.thedistillerydistrict.com/">the Distillery District in Toronto</a>, I discovered that my vision already exists! There's actually a Beer Boutique and it looks amazing. </span></div>
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<img alt="MoOt | Modern Ottawa | Beer Boutique Toronto Distillery District" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120718.002.jpg" /><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">The design is a mix of rustic and modern style with brick walls and old wooden shelves. Everything is displayed neatly and you can pick up your own beer. It's also very clean and doesn't smell! Check out the light under the shelves reflecting on the floor. </span></div>
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How awesome is the design of the cash area? It's simple but effective. Notice the industrial looking light fixture above the main display table. It goes very well with the style of the area which is a refurbished /moderrnized industrial victorian style. <br />
<a href="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120718.006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120718.008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120718.006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="MoOt | Modern Ottawa | Beer Boutique Toronto Distillery District" border="0" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120718.006.jpg" /></a><a href="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120718.008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="MoOt | Modern Ottawa | Beer Boutique Toronto Distillery District" border="0" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120718.008.jpg" /></a><br />
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It's not a huge store, but they managed to add really neat displays in various parts of the store.<br />
<img alt="MoOt | Modern Ottawa | Beer Boutique Toronto Distillery District" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120718.004.jpg" style="background-color: white;" /><br />
<img alt="MoOt | Modern Ottawa | Beer Boutique Toronto Distillery District" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120718.005.jpg" /><img alt="MoOt | Modern Ottawa | Beer Boutique Toronto Distillery District" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120718.007.jpg" /><br />
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I would love to redesign a Beer Store in Ottawa. I already thought of the color scheme that I think would suit the Westboro area very well (shown below). I'm thinking a new location on Richmond Rd, west of Churchills would be great. The American Apparel Store, located on the corner of Roosevelt, is closing, perhaps it's a great opportunity!<br />
<img alt="MoOt | Modern Ottawa | Beer Boutique Toronto Distillery District" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120718.009.jpg" style="background-color: white;" /><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Photos : <a href="http://modernottawa.blogspot.com/">MoOt</a> | <a href="http://www.contemporist.com/2012/04/23/amstel-campus-by-oiii-architects/">Contemporist</a> | <a href="http://www.freddyinspace.com/2009/04/oooooooh-canadaaaaaa.html">Freddy in Space</a> | <a href="http://thinkgood.ca/tag/the-beer-store/">Think Good</a> | </span></div>
</div>MoOt - Modern Ottawa Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09861918077927383609noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962863406107779552.post-15391599946975725672012-06-12T23:10:00.000-04:002012-06-12T23:10:13.737-04:00KARIOUK'S INNOVATIVE CONDO REDESIGN IN OTTAWA<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<img alt="MoOt Modern Ottawa Blog Mondrian Condo Interior Design by Kariouk Architect" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-201200612.001.jpg" />
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Two years ago, I wrote an article for the Ottawa Citizen called <a href="http://www2.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/homes/story.html?id=7ef04d8e-1a55-4fa5-9466-31182ebf4a9d">It's a Dog's Life</a> where I described Paul Kariouk's ingenious dog friendly entrance design. At the time he was planning to move into a new unit in the Mondrian, with plans to design a second dog shower and have a bronze tile with his late dog's paw print set into the floor in his bedroom. I recently came across photos of the <a href="http://www.kariouk.com/">architect</a>'s condo remodel, and it is amazing. He completely transformed the initial basic floor plan to better suit their needs and make the space feel much larger. </div>
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Above is what the original plan looked like. The many walls made the space very choppy and the options to arrange furniture were very limited.<br />
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<img alt="MoOt Modern Ottawa Blog Mondrian Condo Interior Design by Kariouk Architect" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-201200612.003.jpg" /></div>
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In the updated floor plan, the architect managed to maximize the amount of natural light and significantly increase the amount of storage and living space.</div>
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Superimposing the two plans, you can see how he increased the amount of living space and considerably reduced the amount of wasted space, especially when it comes to the bathroom. </div>
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Looking towards the kitchen, you get a better sense of the amount of storage that is now available in the unit. The entire back wall is storage, hiding a micro office on the left, kitchen supplies in the centre and a small european style washroom on the right. In the front, under the counter, there's a hidden mini bar and television.<br />
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<img alt="MoOt Modern Ottawa Blog Mondrian Condo Interior Design by Kariouk Architect" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-201200612.006.jpg" />
The shower enclosure with an extra sink also serves as a piece of art right in the middle of the space. I imagine that is also the new doggy shower (Nice upgrade).<br />
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For those who are not too keen on standing naked in a semi-transparent glass enclosure in the middle of a room, a drapery system was installed for more privacy. A more minimalist alternative would have been to use <a href="http://www.electricglasswall.com/">electric glass walls</a> instead. But it's probably quite a bit more expensive as well.<br />
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I like the way he was able to conceal the concrete columns by adding more sculptural interest and storage in the space. <img alt="MoOt Modern Ottawa Blog Mondrian Condo Interior Design by Kariouk Architect" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-201200612.009.jpg" />
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You can see in the top right photo, the bronze tile with Hannibal's paw print next to the bed as planned. The architect's new big dog is shown above next to a sleek doggy water fountain. Kariouk definitely designs with his dog's in mind, which is most likely one of the reason why the entire floor is tiled. I'm definitely taking notes for when I get to adopt my own dog.<br />
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Check out the video below for a tour of his 850 sq. ft unit. You can also find out more about the ideas behind his concept <a href="http://www.kariouk.com/projects/2/redeveloper-apartment">here</a> </div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/31656402" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe> <br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/31656402">Redeveloper Apartment</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user9163265">Chris Davis</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Source : <a href="http://www.contemporist.com/2012/06/01/redeveloper-apartment-by-kariouk-associates/">Contemporist</a> | <a href="http://www.kariouk.com/projects/2/redeveloper-apartment">PdK Kariouk Associates</a> | </span></div>
MoOt - Modern Ottawa Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09861918077927383609noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962863406107779552.post-14262544844940601592012-04-09T22:43:00.002-04:002012-04-09T22:43:49.692-04:00WANNA BUILD A GREAT NEIGHBORHOOD? IKEA WILL SHOW YOU HOW<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Here's an inspiring example of how non-governmental organizations can get things done in a city. Instead of waiting years for the city to update a derelict neighborhood, IKEA recently purchased over 1.1 million square feet of land (26 acres) in East London, with the intention to not only develop the area, but also to create a new and improved neighborhood. The project is <a href="http://strandeast.com/">Strand East</a>.<br />
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The plan for Strand East is to completely transform the neglected area into a vibrant community made to live, work and play. It's an ambitious project created with the users in mind. This goes way beyond building and selling real estate. </div>
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This is what the area looked like before they got their hands on it.</div>
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This is what they are planning to do with the land. </div>
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This is an example of how quickly things can get done. The project is already underway with the tower and the first restaurant currently under construction. The restaurant is set to open in July of this year. There are a lot of interesting features they plan to add to this new neighborhood that many other cities can learn from, including Ottawa. Things like water taxis. Imagine water taxis on the ottawa river during the summer.</div>
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What I like the most about their vision (aside from the fact that things are getting done) is that they are making their concept centered around the community, the people that will actually use the space. Check out the little presentation video below about what makes a place a great place. This is what we should keep in mind when developing the city.<br />
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If I could, I would emulate what IKEA is doing here, in certain areas of the city, starting with the Sparks Street! </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Source : <a href="https://www.facebook.com/StrandEast">Strand East on Facebook</a> | <a href="http://strandeast.com/">Strand East </a>| </span><span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: left;"> </span><a href="http://www.fastcoexist.com/1678724/a-london-village-built-on-the-principles-of-ikea" style="font-size: small; text-align: left;">Fastcoexist</a><span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: left;"> | </span><a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/welcome-to-ikea-land-furniture-giant-begins-urban-planning-project/article2388705/" style="font-size: small; text-align: left;">Globe and Mail </a><span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: left;">| </span><a href="http://strandeast.com/" style="font-size: small; text-align: left;">Strand East</a><span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: left;"> | </span></div>
</div>MoOt - Modern Ottawa Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09861918077927383609noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962863406107779552.post-12682099982194599032012-04-03T02:11:00.002-04:002012-04-03T02:33:43.498-04:00OTTAWA INFILL HOME COMPLETE DOCUMENTARY<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A couple months ago I posted a <a href="http://modernottawa.blogspot.ca/2011/11/ottawa-infill-home-documentary.html">sneak peak </a>of <a href="http://vimeo.com/travisboisvenue">Travis Boisvenue</a>'s video on infill homes in Ottawa. Here's the complete video, where you can see three variations in the city. What do you think?</div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/38472985?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe>
</div>MoOt - Modern Ottawa Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09861918077927383609noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962863406107779552.post-5094182229087461002012-03-27T02:27:00.000-04:002012-03-27T02:27:25.824-04:00MINTO PARK'S IMAGINARY MAKEOVER<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A little over three years ago, the city had plans to improve street furniture with their <a href="http://modernottawa.blogspot.ca/2009/03/ottawas-street-furniture-design-bus.html">Integrated Street Furniture Program</a>. I'm not quite sure what happened to that, but I'm assuming these are the types of projects that die in this city with the change of governing bodies. It's unfortunate. Perhaps, it would be better if these types of projects were handled by <a href="http://www.ottawa.ca/en/city_hall/councilcommittees/mayor_council/councillors/index.html">the councillors of each ward</a>.<br />
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<img alt="Modern Ottawa Blog Street furniture Minto Park" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120327.003.jpg" />
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I often dream of redesigning various public spaces around town, and the Minto Park in Centertown is one of them. It's a relatively small park nestled between Elgin St and Cartier St. It's in an area near houses and a main street that's relatively busy. I often see people walking their dogs when I'm in the area. There are picnic tables and benches, but the outdoor furniture is quite dated and tired. It could benefit from a little makeover in my opinion.</div>
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<img alt="Modern Ottawa Blog Street furniture Minto Park" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120327.002.jpg" /><br />
There are three focal points, consisting of (1) a memorial for women victims of domestic abuse, (2) a large planter surrounded by grass, and (3) the bust of an Argentinean general. It's a weird combination. They are completely unrelated to one another.<br />
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<img alt="Modern Ottawa Blog Street furniture Minto Park" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120327.004.jpg" />
<img alt="Modern Ottawa Blog Street furniture Minto Park" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120327.005.jpg" /><br />
The bust was apparently chosen because <a href="http://capitalneighbourhoods.ca/english/centretown/story-294.aspx">it was available in the city's collection</a>. The memorial on the other hand, was erected after a series of particularly brutal murders of women in Ottawa in 1991. Also, a memorial service is held each year in honor of these women. It would therefore be more meaningful to make it the focal point of the park and eliminate the sculptures that take away from it. This would make for a more coherent design.<br />
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<span style="text-align: justify;">If it was up to me, I would move the memorial at the center, add flowers (maybe white tulips) and remove the bust. To complete the design, I would install two modern sculptures like the ones from Antony Gormley. I think the ones named Shrive (on the left) and Gut 1 (on the right), are particularly fitting. They would be facing the memorial.</span><br />
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Then, I would soften the natural color palette of the park by planting lots of cherry blossom and magnolia trees. This would create a breathtaking view for the surrounding residents and visitors, almost like and enchanting forest. Since pink is a very feminine color, it would tie in well with the memorial. I imagine it would become a great spot for beautiful pictures too!</div>
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After that, I would update all the chairs and trash bins which look too severe and dated. Replacing them with lighter and curvier furniture to give it a more feminine look in keeping with the theme. The brown picnic tables, chairs and trash bins would be replaced by bright pink steel tables, benches and light trash bins. </div>
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Finally I would replace the old light posts with these eco-friendly solar lights called Invisible Street. They seamlessly blend with the natural surroundings. I would make sure there would be enough light so that the park would feel safe at night as well. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Source : <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=minto+park&hl=en&ll=45.417009,-75.688199&spn=0.001755,0.002717&sll=45.423275,-75.656662&sspn=0.164579,0.347786&t=h&hq=minto+park&z=19&iwloc=A&layer=c&cbll=45.416978,-75.688199&panoid=isOUFA3Gy75n30YZ15E-6A&cbp=12,171.36,,0,10.88">Google Streetview</a> | <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minto_Park">Wikipedia</a> |<a href="http://www.antonygormley.com/">Antony Gormley</a> | <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/zebriana/sets/">zebriana</a> | <a href="http://www.panoramio.com/photo/41156312">Lucybear</a> | <a href="http://houseandhome.com/design/fermob-louisiane">House and Homes</a> | <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/politefight/5926793911/">Jessica MP</a> | <a href="http://www.vilagrasa.com/eng/products/air/benches/berta">vilagrasa</a> | <a href="http://www.casamania.it/it/prodotti/prodotti_dettaglio.php?linea=home&cat=1&id=61&lng=">casamania</a> | <a href="http://blog.naver.com/PostView.nhn?blogId=kirhars&logNo=30048099554&viewDate=&currentPage=1&listtype=0">Hong Joo's Design Story</a> |</span></div>
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</div>MoOt - Modern Ottawa Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09861918077927383609noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962863406107779552.post-19583649365790165472012-03-21T14:15:00.000-04:002012-03-21T14:17:38.087-04:00A CHAIR NAMED OTTAWA<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<img alt="modern furniture ottawa blog Karim Rashid Ottawa Chair BoConcept" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120321.010.png" />
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Neat little fact: <a href="http://www.karimrashid.com/">Karim Rashid,</a> who attended <a href="http://www.carleton.ca/">Carleton University</a>, recently designed a collection of furniture and accessories for <a href="http://www.boconcept.ca/">Bo Concept</a> named after Ottawa. (Perhaps a nod to his past?). I just hope there's a lot more like him coming out of Carleton University. </div>
<img alt="modern furniture ottawa blog Karim Rashid Ottawa Chair BoConcept" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120321.011.png" />
<img alt="modern furniture ottawa blog Karim Rashid Ottawa Chair BoConcept" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120321.012.png" />
<img alt="modern furniture ottawa blog Karim Rashid Ottawa Chair BoConcept" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120321.013.png" />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Source : <a href="http://www.karimrashid.com/">Karim Rashid</a> | <a href="http://trendland.net/ottawa-collection-by-karim-rashid-for-boconcept/ottawa-collection-karim-rashid-boconcept-4/">Trendland</a> | <a href="http://www.contemporist.com/2012/01/26/the-ottawa-collection-by-karim-rashid-for-boconcept/">Contemporist</a> |</span></div>
</div>MoOt - Modern Ottawa Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09861918077927383609noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962863406107779552.post-6217424421682442332012-03-15T04:04:00.000-04:002012-03-15T04:04:09.484-04:00THE NEW LANSDOWNE : PROBLEM SOLVING - PART 3<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<img alt="Modern Ottawa Blog Lansdowne project Aberdeen Pavilion" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120307.001.jpg" /> When it comes to the current plans of the Aberdeen Pavilion in the New Lansdowne, the design documents state that it will be a "major visual and programmatic amenity that will
enhance the imageability of the entire redevelopment site" and the plan is also to keep it as a "multi-purpose, all-season, public exhibit hall and meeting space". Based on this, I see two main problems that should to be addressed in order for the designers to achieve their goal :<br />
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<li>There's not enough visual focus on the Aberdeen Pavillion </li>
<li>The Aberdeen Pavillion has no clearly defined function or identity</li>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Making the Aberdeen Pavilion the focal point</span></b><br />
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<a href="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120307.002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Modern Ottawa Blog Lansdowne project Aberdeen Pavilion" border="0" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120307.002.jpg" /></a></div>
One of the most identifiable buildings in Lansdowne Park is the Aberdeen Pavilion. It's the first image that comes to mind when you think of the area, so much so that it's now part of the New Lansdowne logo. Therefore it's only natural to want to preserve the view of the building from Bank Street. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case. <br />
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If you take a closer look at the latest elevations, the new buildings have been positioned in such a way that a good portion of the Aberdeen building will be hidden and lost behind. Why not give the building a little more breathing space by widening the road and keeping the area symmetrical? It shouldn't be too hard to do and would make a big difference. Attention to details like this improves the quality of the design.<br />
<a href="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120307.005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Modern Ottawa Blog Lansdowne project Aberdeen Pavilion" border="0" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120307.005.jpg" /></a><br />
Also, notice how little space there is for cars and much space they are taking at the same time. There's one parking lane and one traffic lane on each side. Considering the number of retail stores that are expected to be there, it would most likely always look like this and take away from the design of the space. A better solution would be to move the Aberdeen Way underground and create an underpass to keep the area in front of the building for pedestrians, terraces and bikes. There would be an opportunity to widen the sidewalk as well and keep them equal on both side of the building.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The Aberdeen Market : Giving the Pavilion a Clear Purpose </span></b><br />
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In order for the Aberdeen Pavilion to take centre stage, it needs an identity, a clear purpose for being there. Otherwise it won't be much different that what it already is : a large under-appreciated open space, most likely to be hidden behind old burgundy chairs and flimsy black curtains.</div>
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The Arberdeen Pavilion has great architectural features. It'a a large clear span steel frame with pressed metal exterior cladding. The interior space has a great tall ceiling and lots of windows letting in a great amount of natural light. This space would be perfect for a permanent market.</div>
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<a href="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120307.004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Modern Ottawa Blog Lansdowne project Aberdeen Pavilion" border="0" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120307.004.jpg" /></a></div>
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So what we need there is not only a permanent farmer's market, but a culinary destination, much like the San Miguel Market in Madrid, Spain. A place where you can not only buy fresh local food, but you can also eat freshly prepared dishes, try local wine and beers too. It should be a place where locals and tourists can gather and experience food and enjoy life. <br />
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<a href="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120307.010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Modern Ottawa Blog Lansdowne project Aberdeen Pavilion Madrid Mercado De San Miguel Market" border="0" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120307.010.jpg" /></a><a href="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120307.009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Modern Ottawa Blog Lansdowne project Aberdeen Pavilion Madrid Mercado De San Miguel Market" border="0" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120307.009.jpg" /></a></div>
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Check out the video below of the San Miguel Market to give you a better idea.<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/XKOQiF_S8NY?rel=0" width="640"></iframe></div>
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The Aberdeen Market could also be a place where chefs from around the world come and compete to create dishes based on local ingredients. Imagine the good this would do for the city. Twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall, we bring top chefs from around the world to compete and prepare creative dishes based on local food. we could create two annual festivals around this. I think such a function would be a lot more successful that a simple multi-purpose building. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Souce : <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Aberdeen_Pavilion_-_Inside_-_Winter.jpg">Wikipedia</a> | <a href="http://niagaracooks.blogspot.com/2011/12/ottawas-christmas-market.html">Niagara Cooks</a> | <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ciaochow/">Ciao Chow (flickr)</a> | <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/homeanddesignshow/">Home and Design Show (flickr)</a> | <a href="http://www.mercadodesanmiguel.es/blog/">Mercado De San Miguel</a> | <a href="http://www.madrid.com/photo_tour/san_miguel_market_madrid/san_miguel_23">Madrid.com </a>| </span></div>
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</div>MoOt - Modern Ottawa Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09861918077927383609noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962863406107779552.post-34088358093928841482012-03-08T02:11:00.000-05:002012-03-08T02:16:46.856-05:00DOWNGRADING THE OTTAWA INFO CENTRE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Last year, instead of figuring out a way to fund some much needed renovations for the only info centre in Ottawa, the NCC <a href="http://modernottawa.blogspot.com/2011/11/ncc-actions-speak-louder-than-word.html">decided to close its doors</a> and relocate it inside the World Exchange Plaza. So now instead of crossing the street from the Parliament (Ottawa's main international landmark) to find out more about what the city has to offer, tourists will have to find an old 1970's style booth, tucked away in a low traffic business mall. </div>
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<img alt="modern ottawa blog info centre NCC downgrade" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120308.003.jpg" /><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">This is now the first impression Ottawa is giving its tourists: </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Welcome-to-our-old-uninspiring-city-there's-not-much-to-see-or-do-and-our-idea-of-cutting-edge-technology-is-a-desktop.</span> </span></b></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Instead of an fun and engaging 3-D circular map, you get pamphlets and one computer. </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Yes, the previous info centre needed some serious renovations, but still it was a lot better. The 3-D map, was a great concept and the location could not have been more perfect. </span>According to the NCC the renovations in Ottawa <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/story/2011/10/30/ottawa-infocentre-ncc-closure596.html">would have cost $5,000,000</a> and that was too much for them. (I'm curious : How much did the Horizon 2067 Campaign cost so far?). What exactly were they planning to do with $5 million? Why didn't they reduce their renovation budget? Why couldn't they renovate it in phases? </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">NYC did it for about 1/3 of the NCC's budget!</span></b></div>
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Meanwhile in New York city<b>, </b>the leaders city didn't back away from a renovation and had the common sense to hire professionals to redesign and renovate their information centre. This info centre in NYC only cost $1,800,000. I doubt the NCC was planning something as avant-garde as this for $5,000,000. How come a similar renovation would cost almost 3 times more in Ottawa?
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<b style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">This is the first impression New York is giving its tourists: </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-size: large;">Welcome-to-a-fun-and-attractive-vibrant-city-with-lots-to-do-and-discover-at-the-cutting-edge-of-technology. </span></span></b></div>
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The design firm, <a href="http://www.wxystudio.com/">WXY Studio</a>, did an excellent job. You can find out more about their concept <a href="http://www.wxystudio.com/nyc&co.html">here</a>.</div>
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I really don't understand why it's so difficult for the NCC to fulfill its main goal, which is "to ensure that Canada’s Capital Region is a source of national pride and significance." Is that what the NCC is really doing? It seems like they're working in the opposite direction of their own goals. I don't understand why this is accepted. I really wish there were more people that cared a little more about this city to actively contribute to its growth and evolution and let it live up to its potential. And there's so much untapped potential in this city. </div>
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Photos : <a href="http://modernottawa.blogspot.com/">MOOT</a> | <a href="http://alavigne.net/Miscellaneous/CommonUtils/Presentation/show_image.jsp?id=20657-24689">alavinge.net</a> | <a href="http://gothamist.com/2009/01/21/new_interactive_information_center.php">Gothamist</a> | <a href="http://www.wxystudio.com/nyc&co.html">WXY studio</a> | <a href="http://www.detail.de/artikel_nyc-information-center-wxy-architecture-new-york_24072_En.htm">Detail.de</a> | </div>
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</div>MoOt - Modern Ottawa Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09861918077927383609noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962863406107779552.post-71027032943159658752012-03-02T23:29:00.000-05:002012-03-02T23:29:38.362-05:00SOMEONE PLEASE HELP SAVE THIS BUILDING FROM THE NCC<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="stop NCC from ruining Ottawa Modern Ottawa blog building 50 sussex former Canada and the world pavillion" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120301.001.jpg" /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I recently learned from </span><a href="http://ottawa.openfile.ca/blog/curator-blog/breaking/2012/ncc-seeks-tenant-former-canada-and-world-pavilion" style="font-family: inherit;">an article on Open File Ottawa</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">, that there's this beautiful modern building, formally known as the Canada and the World </span>Pavilion<span style="font-family: inherit;">, that the NCC has been neglecting for the past couple years. At approximately $4 million dollars over budget, this glass building overlooking the Ottawa Rideau Falls was constructed in 2001. According to an article on the the </span><a href="http://www.nccwatch.org/tombstones/worldpavilion.htm" style="font-family: inherit;">NCC Watch</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">, the intent for the building was for it to be</span><i style="font-family: inherit;"> a forum where visitors can see and appreciate the global achievements of Canadians in diplomacy, peacekeeping, aid, science, technology, art and sport</i><span style="font-family: inherit;">. Also, the then chairman said that the </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; text-align: -webkit-auto;">pavilion would fill a gap in tourists' experience of Ottawa. </i><br />
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While I like the idea, I would say from the picture below of the "better days" of the pavilion, they clearly didn't know what they were doing, starting with the presentation of the building. Who would cover a piece of art with stretched fabric like this? </div>
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But that's nothing compared to the "business plan". Apparently the operating budget was $500,000 per year, admission was free and the objective was to attract 120,000 visitors per year. Mind you, the pavilion was only opened during the summer. As a entrepreneur, I cringed when I read this. What did they expect would come out of such a plan?</div>
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So essentially, they opened their doors in 2001, and just when the number of visitors reached their target, they closed their doors. The building was left mostly vacant since. Makes sense?</div>
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Seven years later, the NCC is putting the building for rent. They are now looking for a special tenant. According to an article in the <a href="http://www.ottawacitizen.com/homes/Wanted+Tenant+former+Canada+World+pavilion/6222228/story.html#ixzz1nq9Au6aV">Ottawa Citizen</a>, the lease would cost upwards of <span style="background-color: white;">$254,000 per year, not including operating costs and taxes. To make things even more difficult, the tenant, which I'm assuming would like to make a profit as all businesses do, is expected to support a national purpose and be accessible to the public. Now, what kind of business would fit this restrictive criteria and at the same time preserve the architecture ? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I thought long and hard about it, and I think I came up with a good solution. It seems like most people like the idea of a museum. In fact I think the original idea of celebrating Canada's contribution is a good one, just poorly executed. What I would suggest is to open our very own branch of </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><a href="http://www.madametussauds.com/">Madame Tussauds</a> museum, featuring Canadian celebrities? The first one in Canada! </span><br />
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<img alt="stop NCC from ruining Ottawa Modern Ottawa blog building 50 sussex former Canada and the world pavillion" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120301.006.jpg" /> I'm assuming such a museum is successful by the simple fact that this model has been repeated in several cities around the world. <span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; text-align: -webkit-auto;">There are currently 4 in the US, 5 in Europe, 3 in Asia and 1 in Australia. There are a lot of successful canadians who already have their wax figures in the United States, such as </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Celine Dion, Justin Bieber, Jim Carrey and William Shatner. Why not have the first Canadian version one in Ottawa?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; text-align: -webkit-auto;">How can we make it fit NCC's criteria? We focus only on Canadians and add more wax figures from our large pool of Canadian celebrities. Seriously, there's a lot to choose from. Off the top of my head I can think of Keanu Reeves, Pamela Anderson, Keifer Sutherland, Drake, Deadmau5, Mike Myers, Rachel McAdams, </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Kardinal Offishall</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; text-align: -webkit-auto;">, Sandra Oh, Michael J Fox, Donald Sutherland, </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Seth Rogan, Russel Peters, etc. It's not that hard! We could also add our own Prime ministers to the list. What a fun and effective way to </span><i style="background-color: white; text-align: -webkit-auto;">fill a gap in tourists' experience of Ottawa </i><span style="background-color: white; text-align: -webkit-auto;">both for locals and tourists from around the world!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <img alt="canadian celebrities Celine Dion, Justin Bieber, Jim Carrey, William Shatner, Keanu Reeves, Pamela Anderson, Keifer Sutherland, Drake, Deadmau5, Mike Myers, Rachel McAdams, Kardinal Offishall, Sandra Oh, Michael J Fox, Donald Sutherland, Seth Rogan, Russel Peters" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120301.000.jpg" /></span></div>
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Now I'm considering looking for someone or a group of people to make this happen. So if you, or anyone you know fits the bill, <a href="mailto:designer@m2jlstudio.com">have them contact me</a>. If there's a way to take the NCC out of this deal completely, it's even better. We can't let the NCC ruin yet another gem in the city. In fact, you can find a long list of failures on the <a href="http://www.nccwatch.org/">NCC Watch website</a>.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">The building has three levels and is built into a cliff facing the Ottawa River. It features two floors of open spaces with windows on three sides overlooking the river and a lower level built into the cliff. </span>I cringe when I see so much potential wasted. Hard earned taxpayers money going to waste. This is unacceptable.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I even put together an initial conservative proposal. This is based on the data I was able to find so far. The MoOt plan is this : </span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Keep it open year round</b>: There's no reason I can think of that would justify closing a museum in the winter. Since NCC was able to bring it 125,000 visitors while opened only in the summer. We could conservatively expect to double the number of visitors if we keep the place open year-round </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Make it profitable:</b> First, there should be an admission fee, say on average $30,00 per person. This should bring in minimum $7.2 million dollars a year. Second, there should be things visitors could purchase as a souvenir</span> such as a wax molding of your hand (like it Las Vegas) and <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span>merchandises. This should significantly increase </span>revenues. </li>
<li><b>Stay current and interesting : </b>Use a clever marketing campaign to attract visitors, make the museum interactive and stay up to date with technologies. Add value to the visits with events such as appearances from celebrities, maybe even presentation sessions. Add new wax figures on a regular basis as well. It takes from six months to a year to complete a figure at a cost of $150,000 - $250,000. It looks feasible to me. </li>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="Modern Ottawa blog versus NCC bid for the Canada and the World proposal for abandoned building" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120301.007.jpg" /> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">From what I've seen in the four years I've been living in this city, is that if you want to make things happen in Ottawa, you have to do it yourself. I'm on board, but I can't do this alone. So if I can find the proper serious partners to make this happen, I will. So please spread the word. <a href="http://www.canadascapital.gc.ca/property-management/news/2012-02-27/lease-50-sussex-drive-ottawa-ontario">The deadline for proposals is April 30, 2012</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Source : <span class="username" id="yui_3_4_0_3_1330670073556_935" style="background-color: #fefefe; display: inline !important; line-height: 13px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/littlemonkeybutt/" style="text-decoration: none;">KatLevPhoto</a> | </span><span class="username" id="yui_3_4_0_3_1330670148463_905" style="background-color: #fefefe; display: inline !important; line-height: 13px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/michaelafar/" style="background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none;">Michael Afar</a> | </span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/s-d-s/" style="background-color: #fefefe; line-height: 12px; text-decoration: none;">Shane Zurbrigg</a> | <a href="http://www.nccwatch.org/tombstones/worldpavilion.htm">NCC Watch</a> | <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/">Wikipedia</a> | <a href="http://ottawa.openfile.ca/blog/curator-blog/breaking/2012/ncc-seeks-tenant-former-canada-and-world-pavilion">Open File Ottawa</a> | <a href="http://www.nccwatch.org/tombstones/worldpavilion.htm">NCC Watch</a> | <a href="http://www.ottawacitizen.com/homes/Wanted+Tenant+former+Canada+World+pavilion/6222228/story.html#ixzz1nq9Au6aV">Ottawa Citizen</a></span></div>
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</div>MoOt - Modern Ottawa Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09861918077927383609noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962863406107779552.post-36944482044438048432012-02-26T04:49:00.001-05:002012-02-26T04:50:39.505-05:00BANK STREET NEEDS A LŌCALE STORE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Last year, Blockbuster Video closed all its stores in Ottawa, leaving a lot empty retails spaces up for grabs. A couple weeks ago, Open File asked "<a href="http://ottawa.openfile.ca/ottawa/suggested/what-should-replace-ottawas-old-blockbusters">What should replace Ottawa's Old Blockbusters?</a>". If it was up to me, I would arrange to bring in the <a href="http://www.localeshoes.com/ca-eng">LŌCALE</a> store in the retail space located on Bank St. near Somerset. Not only would the store flourish in this location, but it would be a major contributor to massively improve the area. </div>
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<b>What is LŌCALE?</b></div>
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Lōcale is <i>a footwear & accessories boutique-style concept store that celebrates art, fashion & community</i>. This relatively new concept if the brain-child of Aldo Group, an internationally successful Canadian company that has been in business since 1972. They now own over 1160 stores all over the world. </div>
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<b>Why a shoe store?</b></div>
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We need one. There are no trendy shoe stores in this area of the city, despite the increasing number of potential clients in the area (i.e. office workers, condo and home owners and as well as renters). Think about the additional number of people that are now living in the area because of newly-built and soon-to-be-built condo buildings such as Mondrian, Hudson Park I & II, Central I, II & III, Gotham, etc. That's a lot of people!<br />
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Second, a shoe store is ideal because it suits the building and its location. It's very difficult and inconvenient to find parking in this area of town, so the majority of the customers would be pedestrians and people using public transportation. Consequently, a smart business move would be to sell something that can easily be carried by hand. Selling big items like mattresses for example, would be asking for trouble. Most likely, it wouldn't as profitable or viable because it's too much trouble for the customer. If you want to sell, you have to make it easy and enjoyable for clients to buy. That's why shoes are ideal. It's easy and fun to stop by and shop for shoes during a lunch break or even before taking the bus back home outside the city. Who doesn't like a little shopping therapy from time to time?<br />
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Lastly, I would recommend a shoe store because everybody needs and wears shoes. So it wouldn't be hard sell, especially for women. And I can tell you, as a woman living in Ottawa, there is definitely a need for a stylish shoe store in this area. In other words, this could be the opportunity of a lifetime.<br />
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That being said, to be successful in this business, you need to know how to do it and you need to know what you're doing, which brings us the reason why I think Lōcale is the perfect match.<br />
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<b>Why LŌCALE? </b><br />
Lōcale is exactly what Centertown / Bank Street needs : A large brand with staying power that has style, a great variety of stylish products and the capability to involves the community. The concept of the store is to create <i>an engaging cultural shopping experience by curating some great art from local artists</i>. The image below of on of their Montreal locations is a perfect example of community involvement. In this case, local artists collaborated in creating a design for the store chalk board display.<br />
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<span class="s2">The intention is that <i>t</i></span><i>he new Lōcale stores are places that will inspire visitors to come and see what is happening, based on the activity, the creativity, and the multidimensional context of the experience within. </i>The design statement says that <i>brand collateral has been produced through partnerships with artists and galleries, allowing synergies between the art world and the brand. These partnerships allow Lōcale to leverage creativity in unique ways, and create cyclical messages that are fresh and introduce elements of contemporary art culture. </i>How awesome is that?<br />
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Also, this would be a great way to jump start the beautification of Bank St and serve as a benchmark to many others stores in the area. Let's face it, most of the stores are not up to par when it comes to fashion ( a notable exception is Stroked Ego). The look of the store is a concept by Pompei A. D. who took care of all aspects of the Lōcale brand including the name, logo, brand aesthetic, packaging, website, signage and store design. They did an excellent job.<br />
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There's a lot of ugly, barely hanging in there shops in that area. What's needed I think is a good anchor shop that is ideal for foot traffic and make this a more inviting place for people. Bank Street could be to Ottawa what Ste-Catherine Street is to Montreal : a lively, fun and inspiring shopping street.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Source : <a href="http://retaildesignblog.net/2011/12/07/locale-store-design-brand-identity-pompei-a-d-montreal/">Retail Design Blog</a> | <a href="http://www.pompeiad.com/work/locale">Pompei A. D</a>. | <a href="http://momunit.blogspot.com/2011_06_01_archive.html">Momunit</a> | </span></div>
</div>MoOt - Modern Ottawa Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09861918077927383609noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962863406107779552.post-55064270628022148902012-02-21T17:59:00.002-05:002012-02-21T17:59:51.505-05:00THE NEW LANSDOWNE : PROBLEM SOLVING - PART 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Let's take a look at the Aberdeen Square, which is located right beside the Aberdeen Pavilion. The design brief describes it as "a formal, paved plaza graced by the full north facade
of the Aberdeen Pavilion. Its larger, contiguous space accommodates opportunities throughout the year, including the Farmers’ Market". </div>
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What do you think of this location for the Farmers Market? I don't like it at all. There's nothing innovative or original about it at all. In fact, next to a newly built area, this will look cheap. It's just a bunch of tents on a parking lot.<br />
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There's also an issue with the placement of the fountain. Unfortunately vendors typically tend to throw dirty water on the street in the Byward Market. I doubt it will be different in Lansdowne. What will most likely end up happening is that the fountain will get dirty or clogged. Then it won't be functional anymore and it will end up as a pit with random garbage in it. <span style="text-align: left;">In the summer, you'll get a sea of random tents taking over the lot and in the winter it will be empty. </span><br />
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There is a better solution. Why not build a permanent open air structure like the Convington Farmers Market in Virginia. <a href="http://www.vt.edu/spotlight/impact/2011-11-07-architects/covington.html">It was designed and built by students and two teachers from the Virginia Tech School of Architecture + Design</a>. Their budget was only $150,000.00 and they made it happen. The project was awarded a 2011 Design Excellence Award from the Virginia Society AIA. How awesome is this! </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">References : </span><a href="http://www.dezeen.com/2011/09/07/covington-farmers-market-by-designbuildlab/" style="font-size: small;">Dezeen</a><span style="font-size: x-small;"> | </span><span style="font-size: x-small; text-align: left;"><a href="http://ottawa.ca/en/index.htm">City of Ottawa</a> | <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pcellis2/6183600657/sizes/l/in/photostream/">Flickr</a> | <a href="http://ltottawa.wordpress.com/">Local Tourist Ottawa </a></span></div>
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</div>MoOt - Modern Ottawa Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09861918077927383609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962863406107779552.post-61136934826902126072012-02-15T23:45:00.000-05:002012-02-15T23:48:16.640-05:00THE NEW LANSDOWNE : PROBLEM SOLVING - PART 1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Although the <a href="http://modernottawa.blogspot.com/2012/02/new-lansdowne.html">3D flyby animation </a>of the future Lansdowne was interesting, I didn't find it particularly informative. By the end of the video, I still had many unanswered questions: "How is this going to work?", "Is this the best use of space?", "What about traffic?", etc. So I did a bit of research and found a couple preliminary plans and documents with a bit more information.</div>
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Let's just say there's room for improvement. The design for the New Lansdowne may not be the most innovative or inspiring design I've seen, but that doesn't mean it will be a total flop. It just needs some serious tweaking to become a gem in the city. So let's take a closer look at the proposed layout for the new Lansdowne.</div>
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<img alt"lansdowne="" design="" modern="" ottawa="" park="" project"="" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120213.002.jpg" />
Lansdowne Park is currently an eyesore. It hasn't been properly maintained over the years and it shows (even its website!). One major issue with the current site is that it's essentially a huge grey asphalt desert, sprinkled with a couple tired buildings, devoid of any sorts of greenery or beauty. In other words, it's depressing and ugly. </div>
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To solve this problem, the designers created 17 areas, identified in the picture above. When we compared it to the current layout , we can see that some of the asphalt areas will be replaced with greenery and the rest with buildings. Keep in mind that the light green areas shown above are still going to be roads.<br />
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So if you highlight them in red, you get a better idea of what the place will look like below.<br />
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<img alt"lansdowne="" design="" modern="" ottawa="" park="" project"="" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120213.004.jpg" /><br />
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It looks like the designers are proposing stone covered streets for a large portion of the site : a really really bad idea in Ottawa. It might work in other cities but not in Ottawa because this type of road needs a lot of proper maintenance and from what I've seen from the city's history of road maintenance, this is just asking for trouble. It's not something that the city is currently capable of handling properly. Just look at Sparks Street. <a href="http://modernottawa.blogspot.com/2009/09/fix-my-street-spark-street.html">Remember my post from 2009</a>? It still has not be repaired, almost three years later. And this is only a pedestrian Street. Imagine how much worst it would be for a road after a year of multiple cars, trucks and buses. It wouldn't take too long before it's patched up with ugly asphalt above the stone covered road just like on Sparks street. It's a waste of money.<br />
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<img alt"lansdowne="" design="" modern="" ottawa="" park="" project"="" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120213.005.jpg" /><br />
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So why not opt for something better? Something that requires little to no maintenance, that can handle heavy traffic, snow removal trucks and salt, and that can relatively easily and inexpensively be repaired or replaced? What can be done instead without resorting to the typical grey asphalt road? Colored asphalt? It's simple and it works! It's most likely less expensive than stone covered roads, easier to maintain and easier to repair. It could even be green to go with the theme. Can someone pass this one to the design team?<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Photos : <a href="http://ottawa.ca/">City of Ottawa</a> | <a href="http://www.go-green.com.cn/ProductDetail.asp?id=172">Go Green</a> | <a href="http://www.oceanpower.com/eng/english/News/view.asp?newsID=148">Ocean Power</a></span></div>
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</div>MoOt - Modern Ottawa Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09861918077927383609noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962863406107779552.post-28071759948403766332012-02-12T23:09:00.000-05:002012-02-12T23:12:02.085-05:00IMAGINE THIS ON SPARKS STREET<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<img alt="2012 Festival of Lights Ghent Belgium Luminaire De Cagna" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120212.001.jpg" /><br />
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There is no question that Sparks Street needs a <b><u>major</u></b> makeover and new life injected back into it. What better way to jump start its makeover with a spectacular annual outdoor light exhibit during the holidays and Winterlude? Who would not want to go see something like this? It would be an awesome tourist attraction and it would help the businesses on that street as well. </div>
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<img alt="2012 Festival of Lights Ghent Belgium Luminaire De Cagna" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120212.002.jpg" /></div>
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This beautiful light artwork was created by a local business called Luminaire de Cagna, one of the participants to the second edition of the <a href="http://www.lichtfestivalgent.be/">Festival of Lights Ghent</a> in Belgium. It's a free four-day show where various groups create an outdoor light exhibit for people to enjoy in the city. This particular project was made out of wood structures covered with 55,000 LED lights. And because it was made using LED lights, it only consumed 20 kWh of energy. So the electrical bill for something like this would not be exorbitant. In fact, it would probably pay for itself with the business such an event would bring in. </div>
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<img alt="2012 Festival of Lights Ghent Belgium Luminaire De Cagna" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120212.003.jpg" /></div>
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Wouldn't you love to see something like this every year in Ottawa? This is the type of project that we (citizens and local businesses) could do on our own. We don't need to wait for the city to organize this. All we need is a couple of creative and driven individuals. Wouldn't you love to be part of something like this? I certainly would.<br />
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Big thanks to Charles for bringing this to my attention on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/MoOt/172494136142036">facebook</a> and his great idea on how this project would be very fitting on Spark Street. Check out photos of others exhibits on the <a href="http://www.lichtfestivalgent.be/">Festival of Lights Ghent's website</a> . </div>
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<a href="http://vimeo.com/35914033">Lichtfestival Gent 2012</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user2614299">Lieven Vanoverbeke</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Photos : <a href="http://www.thecoolhunter.net/">The Cool Hunter</a> | <a href="http://www.lichtfestivalgent.be/" style="text-align: justify;">Festival of Lights Ghent</a></span><br />
<br /></div>MoOt - Modern Ottawa Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09861918077927383609noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962863406107779552.post-42861352904310566262012-02-09T12:59:00.001-05:002012-02-16T01:15:34.659-05:00THE NEW LANSDOWNE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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In case you missed it, yesterday <a href="http://ottawa.openfile.ca/ottawa/slideshow/city-unveils-new-lansdowne-images">Open File</a> posted a 3D flyover animation about the new design for Lansdowne. First of all, it's MUCH better than what we have right now. There are some great design elements. I particularly like the terraces near the restaurants. Some parts remind me of the Byward Market, which is too bad because it would have been nice to see something different, more original. And it looks like the bicycles will have to share the road with cars near the stores. It would have been nice to have a dedicated bike lane instead. Who knows, maybe that could change last minute. Nevertheless, I think this it's what Lansdowne needs, despite what some naysayers may say. </div>
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I see this as a lifestyle upgrade (as long as it's done right). The stadium would be awesome for open air concerts in the summer. Imagine Deadmau5, on a summer night with the stadium full of people and a cool light show. This would also be a great place for more events during Canada Day. Think of all the new possibilities. Now imagine if there was a <a href="http://modernottawa.blogspot.com/2012/01/metro-proposal-for-ottawa-part-2.html">metro</a> that would bring you right in the middle of all this so you wouldn't have to use your car to get there ;) </div>
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Let's hope this starts soon. This project is way overdue. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Video : </span><a href="http://vimeo.com/36364154" style="font-size: small;">Untitled</a><span style="font-size: x-small;"> from </span><a href="http://vimeo.com/user3784641" style="font-size: small;">OpenFile</a><span style="font-size: x-small;"> on </span><a href="http://vimeo.com/" style="font-size: small;">Vimeo</a></div>
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</div>MoOt - Modern Ottawa Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09861918077927383609noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962863406107779552.post-67870936718514359812012-02-03T17:45:00.001-05:002012-02-03T17:50:58.099-05:00MEANWHILE IN KAZAKHSTAN...<div style="text-align: justify;">
<img alt="Almaty Metro Kazakhstan" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120203.001.jpg" />
Still on the topic of metros, today I found out that Almaty, also known as the "city of apples", in Kazakhstan is now home to the newest metro in the world. The Almaty Metro is a 8.5 km subway system (with plans to expand in the future). The city's population is slightly over 1.4 millions. It took a little while for the metro to open its doors on December 1st, 2011. This was mostly due to the fall of USSR. It is currently used by 30,000 passengers each day.</div>
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The Almaty looks really nice and is wheelchair, bicycle and dog-friendly. The design of the stations in a a mix of modern and traditional. I really like the use of the blue. The uniforms are really cute too. For more photos head over to <a href="http://englishrussia.com/2012/01/24/the-youngest-metro-in-the-world/">English Russia</a>.</div>
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<img alt="Almaty Metro Kazakhstan" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120203.002.jpg" />
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<img alt="Almaty Metro Kazakhstan" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120203.006.jpg" />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Photos : <a href="http://englishrussia.com/2012/01/24/the-youngest-metro-in-the-world/2/">English Russia</a></span>MoOt - Modern Ottawa Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09861918077927383609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962863406107779552.post-61562840649189266282012-01-31T00:04:00.000-05:002012-01-31T00:04:10.739-05:00A METRO PROPOSAL FOR OTTAWA - PART 2<br />
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<img alt="modern ottawa metro map" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120130.000.png" /> </div>
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This is how I picture the first metro map in Ottawa. Imagine how pleasant it would be to go see a concert at the Scotia Bank Place from your home in Orleans without having to drive in traffic, or how enjoyable it would be to leave your home in Kanata in the winter for a night out in the market without having to find parking. </div>
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A proper metro system should connect all the universities and colleges to downtown as well as important locations such as the Scotia Bank Place, the airport, the train station and the Casino. Having an underground metro system in Ottawa would greatly increase the mobility of people and connectivity between places. It would most likely boost the economy as well, since it would be easier, faster and cheaper for people to move around the city without needing a car.</div>
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If I was to design a metro map for Ottawa, I would start with 7 lines. Here's what I envision :</div>
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<b>The Red Line</b></div>
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<img alt="Modern Ottawa Metro map" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120130.001.png" /></div>
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There would be a main line going from Kanata to Orleans. This would greatly alleviate the traffic on the 417 and allow the many people who live in the suburbs and work downtown to commute a lot faster and easier. (No more cursing at the bus driver who didn't stop for you). This line would connect the Scotia Bank Place, the Kanata Centrum, the Bayshore Mall, Tunney's Pasture, the University of Ottawa, La Cite Collegiale, Place d'Orleans Mall and the Shenkman Art Centre. The Red Line would also be connected to five other lines running North-South.<br />
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<b>The Orange Line</b><br />
<img alt="Modern Ottawa Metro map" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120130.002.png" />
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The Orange Line would run parallel to the red line but a little more to the North. It would connect the War Museum, Spark Street Mall (a nicer one), the Parliament, the Rideau Center and Beechwood. The Orange Line would also be connected to three other lines running North-South.<br />
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<b>The Purple Line</b></div>
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<img alt="Modern Ottawa Metro map" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120130.003.png" /><br />
The purple line would go from Bells Corner, pass through IKEA, Algonquin College, Carleton University, Spark Street all the way to the Casino in Gatineau : very practical for people living in Gatineau and working in Ottawa. </div>
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<b>The Yellow Line</b></div>
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<img alt="Modern Ottawa Metro map" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120130.004.png" />
The Yellow Line would be the main North-South line, connecting the airport to downtown and a portion of Gatineau as well. This would considerably alleviate traffic specially considering the fact that there's only one main road from downtown to the new CE Centre. This line would run along Bank Street and would would most likely boost the businesses in the area and help with traffic along Lansdowne.</div>
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<b>The Teal Line</b></div>
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<img alt="Modern Ottawa Metro map" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120130.005.png" /><br />
The Teal line would connect the Byward Market to the metro system as well as St-Paul University. It could eventually expand further south to include areas such as Greenboro and Leitrim. </div>
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<b>The Blue Line</b></div>
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<img alt="Modern Ottawa Metro map" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120130.006.png" /><br />
The main purpose of the Blue Line would be to connect the train station to the subway system. This line could also be expanded depending on the need for it.</div>
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<b>The Green Line</b></div>
<img alt="Modern Ottawa Metro map" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120130.007.png" />
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The Green line would mostly run along St-Laurent, giving better access to a lot of the retailers along the street, including the St-Laurent Mall and also connect tourist attractions such as the RCMP musical ride and the Ottawa Science Museum. </div>
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So there you have it! Metro's have been around since 1863 (in London). There are now over 183 metros around the world. The largest one (423 km) is in Shanghai (China) and the smallest one (1.8 km) is in Haifa (Israel). However the one with the most station is in New York (468 stations, 368 km)</div>
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The current proposed metro system for Ottawa (76 stations, 63 km) would be comparable to the one in Montreal built in 1966 (73 stations, 69 km). Given that we're in the 21st century however, the system would have to be a lot more technologically advanced. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: justify;">Reference : </span><a href="http://mic-ro.com/metro/table.html?feat=CICOOPLGSTLSDP&orderby=OP&sort=ASC&unit=&status=" style="text-align: justify;">World Metro Database</a><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span></span>MoOt - Modern Ottawa Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09861918077927383609noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962863406107779552.post-52859632539409098952012-01-28T19:54:00.000-05:002012-01-28T19:54:26.100-05:00A PLAYFUL TRAFFIC LIGHT<img alt="modern traffic light designed by Li Ming Hsing" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120128.001.jpg" /><br />
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Designer Li Ming Hsing came up with a really interesting concept to keep pedestrians occupied while waiting for their light to turn green. Instead of a boring red hand and a countdown, you see an animated figure instructing pedestrian to do various stretches and watching on both sides before crossing.</div>
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Wouldn't that be neat to have something like this somewhere in the city? Imagine the smile on people's faces when they see a group of people on the corner of the street performing yoga poses, tai chi poses or dance moves. There's so much that could be done do with this! Check out the whole sequence in the video below. </div>
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<br />MoOt - Modern Ottawa Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09861918077927383609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8962863406107779552.post-24962507571081570822012-01-20T19:39:00.000-05:002012-01-20T19:39:36.650-05:00A METRO PROPOSAL FOR OTTAWA - PART 1<div style="text-align: justify;">
<img alt="Ottawa metro underground subway system" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120120.001.jpg" />
A modern city needs a proper transportation system and Ottawa does not have it yet. Although the <a href="http://www.ottawalightrail.ca/">Ottawa Light Rails</a> project is a step in the right direction, I don't believe the current proposed design will solve many of the issues we're currently facing in the city. So I'm proposing a better solution : Ottawa Metro, a larger underground subway system.</div>
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<img alt="Ottawa transportation issues buses cars bicycle pedestrians metro underground subway system" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120120.007.jpg" />
The main "issue" with the streets downtown Ottawa is that most are very narrow. They were not built for buses, on top of cars, on top of bicycles, on top of pedestrians. The population is increasing but the available space has not changed. It just gets more crowded. And with the green belt, we can't really expand either.<br />
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There has been various attempts to "solve" the problem, such as adding more OC Transpo buses on the roads, adding a bike lane on Laurier, widening streets on Kent, narrowing the street on Bank, etc. These are all Band-Aid solutions that don't really address the issue: There isn't enough space. Therefore pleasing one group is always going to be at the expense of another. Let's take a closer look at the "solutions".</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">1. Widening the roads</span></b></div>
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<img alt="Ottawa transportation issues buses cars bicycle pedestrians metro underground subway system" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120120.002.jpg" />
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One of the current "solutions" has been to widen the roads like Kent Street (previously mentioned on <a href="http://urbsite.blogspot.com/2009/07/kent-street-as-it-was-and-is.html">Urbsite</a>) so that more cars could come to the city. But widening the roads, eliminates the green space and eventually the sidewalks. Most buildings lose their curb appeal, it becomes less inviting or safe to walk there and the city ends up becoming uglier. Not to mention that it increases pollution. So that's not the right solution.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">2. Adding more OC Transpo buses</span></b></div>
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Adding more buses doesn't do much to improve the situation either. Although buses help reduce the amount of cars in the city, they come with their share of issues. It might have worked at first but we now have ridiculous conga lines of buses on streets like Wellington St. and Albert St. during rush hours. More often then none, it's now faster to walk (and sometime's drive) which defeats their purpose in the first place. Also, on small two-way streets like Bank St., where there is only one lane in each direction, the buses become the cause of much of the traffic during rush hour as well. They have to stop often and cars or trucks can't pass around them. Furthermore most buses also pollute. They are also the subject of many complaints (ex. <a href="http://www.transitottawa.ca/2011/08/complaints-complaints-complaints.html">Public Transit in Ottawa blog</a>) about not being there on time, not showing up at all or bus drivers not picking up people. So that's not the right solution either. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">3. Adding more bike lanes </span></b></div>
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<img alt="Ottawa transportation issues buses cars bicycle pedestrians metro underground subway system" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120120.004.jpg" />
Adding more bike lanes may sound like a good idea at first, but since they just end up taking space where there already isn't enough, this ends up making things worst. The number of limited parking spaces and stopping zones is reduced and we found ourselves in situations where delivery trucks, for example, have to block the bike lanes and/or traffic. It's just a mess.<br />
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And sharing the road with cyclists is even worse! (Who thought of that one?) The average speed of a cyclist is <span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">15 to 30 km/h. The average speed in the city is 30 to 60 km/hr.</span> Most cyclists will never go as fast as a car or a bus for a long period of time. So they more often end up slowing down traffic when they share the road in area where traffic should go faster. So definitely not the right solution, not to mention that it's dangerous to cyclists.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">4. Adding an underground metro system</span></b></div>
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<img alt="Ottawa transportation issues buses cars bicycle pedestrians metro underground subway system" src="http://m2jlstudio.com/images/2012/MOOT2012/MOOT-20120120.006.jpg" /></div>
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The best solution would be to add a modern metro system underground. <b><u>This is the only solution where we actually create more space to accommodate for the population increase instead of moving things around hoping that we'll find more space</u></b>. This would release a good amount of the pressure above ground. With a proper metro system in place, there would be less cars, less busses and less bicycles on the road, which in turn would make more space for more trees, benches, patios in front of restaurants. The city would then be a much nicer place to live in. This would make the city more inviting to both locals and tourists alike. We would even be able to turn a couple more streets into pedestrian streets. How nice would that be? </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo : via <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/ottawa/">Reddit</a></span>MoOt - Modern Ottawa Bloghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09861918077927383609noreply@blogger.com5