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ADH

Not sure about those cat tails under the windows. Makes me think 'mosquito habitat.'

convolooted

"Not sure about those cat tails under the windows. Makes me think 'mosquito habitat.'"

Well, if all you have to critique is the diagramatic plantings shown in the rendering, then I would guess the design is a success.

TJ

Very nice indeed.

john

Nice, nice, nice

anyone know where in N. Portland?

Convolooted

4054 N Vancouver Ave.

here is a link to the BDS Conditional Use public notice, which also contains floor plans and elevations.

http://www.portlandonline.com/shared/cfm/image.cfm?id=151186

sh

Is there a garage affilliated with this niceness? Why does it feel like modern infill architecture has neglected to consider the way that people actually live; we live with stuff. Not just sleek laptops and cutlery, but kayaks and bicycles and the odd sewing machine.

And i'm not speaking as someone who wants to stable their auto, but as someone who desires a place to indulge in the messes that are part of everyday pnw living (waxing the skis, cleaning the bike chain, making something beyond the culinary).

Why, I wonder, does the comment thread seldom address real elements of actually inhabiting the spaces shown. Sure, we like expansive windows, cat tails and other amenities, but we also like the option of a banal session in the garage (because i'm certain a basement is too cost ineffective to even consider). It saddens me that most modern architecture in pdx assumes that life is confined to the clean spaces of the living room and roof deck.

Richard

I'm also impressed by what's shown in the renderings. The buildings look handsome--visually interesting without seeming cluttered with extraneous detail. I also like that the goals of density and space-efficiency are apparently achieved without overwhelming the site (though I guess this is an especially difficult thing to assess by means of drawings.) The roof-top deck is a way of using space that I'm surprised isn't employed more frequently in these parts.

That said, "sh" raises a point that does resonate a bit with me. It does seem like clean, efficient modern design is sometimes achieved at the cost of practicality--like a stage set without adequate dressing rooms or backstage areas. On the other hand, if the aim is to design three dwelling units to fit on a standard city lot and provide each of those units with a private outdoor area, then something has to give. And maybe the best thing to sacrifice is storage space for the kayak or a place for doing engine work on the car. I have to assume that there's enough room in or around these units for cleaning a bicycle chain.

george

hurm, looking at the plans, you get a parking spot.

perhaps 20 years down the line we'll see a garage there. either that or some blue tarp covered kyacks on the patios.

storage aside, i like the renderings. i am excited by the direction the VW corridor is taking, its lining up to be a showpiece of 00's architecture.

Dean

beautiful, personally, i prefer to live with less stuff, a bike, a tent, but you can put that in a closet...and hey, i like my sleek laptop. i'd prefer a rooftop garden to grow my plants on than a garage! tops!

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