MORE LAMBS ARE COMING TO TOWN

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 Gotham is under construction, the newest modern addition to the city's collection of Lamb buildings is Soba. 

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. 

Instead, we'll be welcoming a unique 23-story building designed by Core Architects and II BY IV. 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. 

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.

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.  

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. 

KARIOUK'S INNOVATIVE CONDO REDESIGN IN OTTAWA

Two years ago, I wrote an article for the Ottawa Citizen called It's a Dog's Life 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 architect'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. 

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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).

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 electric glass walls instead. But it's probably quite a bit more expensive as well.


I like the way he was able to conceal the concrete columns by adding more sculptural interest and storage in the space. 

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.

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 here 

Redeveloper Apartment from Chris Davis on Vimeo.

Source : Contemporist | PdK Kariouk Associates | 

CENTRAL CONDOMINIUMS : HALLWAY TRANSFORMATION

Above is a series of pictures showcasing one of the hallways located on the north section of Central 1. Although not all the pictures were taken on the same floor, they illustrate the transformation that has been taking place over the past couple months. With the walls now primed and painted, the doors and the light installed, you get a better idea of what the finished space will look and feel like. The finishing touches make a much larger impact on the overall product. Soon the floors will be installed and the first  units will be ready to move into. 

CENTRAL CONDOMINIUM : MIAMI MODEL STAGED

A couple months ago, I introduced the Miami floor plan from Central 1. The construction is moving along and a couple units are almost ready on the north side. In order to inspire buyers and owners, one of the unsold Miami units has recently been decorated by Central's main designer in Toronto. It's a great way to showcase what can be done with this space.

Here's a picture of the unit before when the gypsum board was being installed...


And here's a picture of the same space after it's been staged. In this unit you can see the Tuxedo cabinets, with the snow white countertop, the iron backsplash and the walnut floor.  In this case the accent color is red (you can actually see it from the street). Since the colors of the finishes are neutral, you can easily pick an accent color of your choosing to get a similar effect. Almost any accent color would work.


Here's the space from the kitchen's point of view before staging.


And here's the same view after staging. Noticed the sliding door is painted the same color as the wall. It's a good idea to paint the sliding door the same color as the wall for better continuity.


The color scheme continues throughout the space, as you can see below. This is a great method used in condos to help make them feel bigger.

CENTRAL CONDOMINIUM : INSIDE THE COURTYARD (PART 2)

[See Part 1 here] The courtyard at Central 1 is coming along nicely. The last time I visited the site, some workers were getting the soil ready and some trees were already on site. 

For the people living on the main floor facing the courtyard, there's a short stone wall that separates their terrace from the common area for a bit of privacy.

Having a little backyard is a nice feature for condominiums in the city. There isn't a huge amount of parks or green spaces around, so it's a nice addition. I'm looking forward to see what it looks like before winter comes. 

CENTRAL CONDOMINIUM : INSIDE THE COURTYARD

As some of you already know, the amenities at Central 1 include an interior courtyard. This feature essentially allows everyone living in the condo to have a shared backyard in the city. While the priority is to complete the units, work is also being done in the courtyard. I've been taking pictures of the courtyard as subtle changes occurred, documenting the process. Last week all the original construction material was gone and some workers were preparing the ground. I have enough pictures to show you a bit of the evolution of the courtyard so far.

Previously the courtyard was the perfect location to store various building materials. There was even a little "office" (blue box on the right). The big red structure on the right is for the crane used to lift items. It's really high. Once most of the windows of units facing the courtyard were in, almost everything was taken out. You can see the  concrete slab underneath. Last week, it lookeds like rigid insulation was added on the side wall and the ground was water proofed. I'm looking forward to see how this looks later on. Also given the fact that the building is so close to the neighboring house, some of the workers were also repairing the roof of the house next door, which was much needed.

CENTRAL CONDOMINIUM : LOS ANGELES MODEL

The construction process is going well at Central and the rooms are taking shape. The Los Angeles is another available model that faces North. It’s a two-bedroom-two-bathroom unit. There are seven units with this floor plan in the building.

It's nice to see the finished walls. It makes a big difference. You can see below a before and after of the view of the entry from inside the unit. It's not completely done but it's well under way. You can also see a portion of the master bedroom with the closet opening on the right and the smaller opening leading to the ensuite on the left.


For a lot of the units, the cabinets are in. Here you can see below the popular Tuxedo finish in one of the Los Angeles units.

This model has a compact kitchen tucked in a nook. I took pictures of this nook at different stages of construction to see the evolution of that space. The fridge will be placed in the large opening on the left and the stove and fan will be placed in the opening on the right. In front of these cabinets, there will be an island attached on the wall to the left that will house a sink and a dishwasher. You can see the pipes protruding from the side of the wall and some of the cabinets are already installed. The owners had a choice between different types of appliances. From the look of it, it looks like this one will have a slide-in stove.



The tiles in the bathroom are also being installed. For example in the ensuite below, you can see the Beta in Crema tiles on the floor and on the wall. In this particular unit, the owner has decided to upgrade the tiles on the wall surrounding the tub, so the tiles on the floor and the tiles around the tub are the same. It gives a nice effect. The grout should follow soon after.

There's also work being done on the outside. The frames for the railings on the balconies are also being installed.