151 O'Connor? The old EDC? Why did it need a new elevator shaft?
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Office to Residential Conversions
- Thread starter urbottawa
- Start date
If I recall correctly, a tenant, I think it was the Bank of Canada maybe, required a secure freight elevator for moving high value things. He described pounding out rebar and concrete in floor plates.
Ah yes, that makes sense. Quite an expense to put into a temporary HQ in a private sector building.
phil235
New Member
No, the Bank only had office space at 151 O'Connor. No structural renovations or construction of vaults.
I could easily be mistaken on what building he was describing, he was telling me this over drinks at the cottage a few years ago.
phil235
New Member
It’s possible it could have happened when Shopify took over, but not sure they did that much.
Dzingle Bells
Active Member
The NCC's new headquarters at 80 Elgin includes 2 new elevator shafts being created. Lots of work involved.
OTownAndDown
New Member
What's wrong with a large floorplate? Its about double what you'd ideally have, however a core hallway with all units facing out is possible, including those ridiculous puzzle-pieced together units. Sure, the regular soul-sucking 400 sq.ft. units is probably not a possibility at this size.
These aren't the largest floor plates ever.
HOWEVER the L'Esplenade is notoriously poorly built and requires extensive garage repairs and a full re-clad, leading to a case for demo.
These aren't the largest floor plates ever.
HOWEVER the L'Esplenade is notoriously poorly built and requires extensive garage repairs and a full re-clad, leading to a case for demo.
KissTheSky
New Member
I've come to wonder given our deteriorating relations with the US, if it would become more financially viable to see some office conversions to vertical farming to offset the import costs for produce we can't grow in Canada. 
We certainly need to find ways to produce more food in urban areas and vertical farming would be a way to achieve that. I also wonder if building with steel to offset the loss of exports to the U.S. would be possible.I've come to wonder given our deteriorating relations with the US, if it would become more financially viable to see some office conversions to vertical farming to offset the import costs for produce we can't grow in Canada.
KissTheSky
New Member
An interesting time. Steel may certainly become more attractive regarding trade in addition to the carbon and raw material challenges with concrete. Hopefully we see more mass timber building also. It seems like historically vertical farming has been burdened with capital investment but we may start to see that change. I would be really curious to see what the primary building functions would limit vertical farming conversions outside of water source/drainage and energy consumption.
secretlynotarobot
New Member
I think the popular imagination of vertical farming is perhaps too influenced by solarpunk facebook fodder images. Like most anything productive in this country, the place and way that makes the most sense for it will be in pole-barns clad in precast or metal paneling on the margins of suburbia. Imagining green rows of tomatoes in l'esplanade is about as realistic as all of those concept renders that claimed that the iPhone 5 would have wrap-around screens and a projector. Think of the mold!
Ottawacurious
Active Member
I was hoping experimental farm would take the idea of vertical farming on wrt the condos beside the farm.
Give us the Experimental Urban Farm!
urbottawa
Active Member
331 Cooper looks to be wrapped up