Grand Rapids Photos

[GRDadof3]

A visual tour of Michigan Hill starting from Division and Michigan:

Towers Medical Building and Parking Deck

Scheduled to be demo'd to make way for the new $250 million 4 tower complex:

Side note: when you stand at Division and Michigan and visualize 11 stories up at the low end of the site, and look all the way up to the current parking deck, this project is going to be massive and will feel larger in scale than Devos Place (I think). This project will also dramatically change to feel of coming into downtown from the East on I-196, and will make it hard to see downtown until you are just crossing over the Division bridge.

A view of the entrance to the VAI with a hilltop view of downtown:

A model of the VAI Expansion recently announced:

Spectrum Health - Butterworth Hospital - current Devos Childrens Hospital

Sidenote: when you are there, you can still spot some of the cornice work of the old Butterworth Hospital, especially from inside some of the hospital rooms. Now swallowed in a sea of one addition after another. The ramp just to the right (out of view) will be demolished to make way for the 12 story (?) new Childrens Hospital, making it the new highest point in the city (because of its current elevation on the hill).

GRCC - Calkins Science Center

Not necessarily a favorite of this crowd.

Paul Renucci Hospitality House

Looking East on Michigan:

A very busy mix of pedestrians and cars, even with the skywalk.

220 Michigan - Healthcare Offices connected via skywalk to Spectrum

The recently completed Meijer Heart Center - connected to Spectrum Health

The Spectrum Muskuloskeletal Center and Womens/Childrens Center:

Cook Institute for Medical Research

This building to be replaced in the new Master Plan

GVSU - Center for Health Studies

Various Medical Offices

Midtowne Village First Tenants - Michigan at College - Womens Health Services

Unfortunately the overcast day and humidity really dull the edges on the buildings.

[Nitro]

You know, the design for the addition on to the VAI is really dumb. That entire expanse of glass faces west. About 3:00 in the afternoon on a day like today that whole wing of the building is going to be so uncomfortable that no one is going to want to be anywhere near it. I guess they could always crank up the AC a little more and waste more energy.

Why is it that architects have lost the sense of how to properly design a building for site specific conditions?

We think we're so much smarter then our ancestors 100 and 200 years ago. We don't have anything on them.

Nitro

[GRDadof3]

Oops. Here is the GVSU Center for Health Studies

You know, the design for the addition on to the VAI is really dumb.  That entire expanse of glass faces west.  About 3:00 in the afternoon on a day like today that whole wing of the building is going to be so uncomfortable that no one is going to want to be anywhere near it. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I am not sure who the local is on this project, but they may be able to answer that question. I would find it hard to believe they don't have it figured out yet. The Eastern side of the building basks in quite a bit of sun as well.

[grurbanguy]

Great collection of picts GRDadof3! The good thing about these new towers is that they will be done by the same companies that did the heart center so it least they should be consistent - not that I am big fan of the glass-brick combo-backdrop for the anti-pedestrians sidewalks (if someone tripped they could get squashed).

G.R. urban guy

Today's G.R. Press

[Nitro]

I am not sure who the local is on this project, but they may be able to answer that question.  I would find it hard to believe they don't have it figured out yet.  The Eastern side of the building basks in quite a bit of sun as well.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm not sure either. I'm not sure what there would be to figure out. Lots of west glass equals hot building. The east does get sun as well, however it gets morning sun and it is the better exposure to have. By the time the day warms up enough the sun has already started on it's southern path.

I'm breaking a sweat just looking at that model.

Nitro

[GRDadof3]

I'm not sure either.  I'm not sure what there would be to figure out.  Lots of west glass equals hot building.  The east does get sun as well, however it gets morning sun and it is the better exposure to have.  By the time the day warms up enough the sun has already started on it's southern path.

I'm breaking a sweat just looking at that model.

Nitro

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yah, I noticed on the model they actually show a Southwestern sun exposure with shadows and everything. Looking at the glass on the top, though, it is not entirely transluscent. And I have seen pictures of the inside in the lab space, and you cannot see through the upper glass. I think it is just enough to let in a lot of natural light, but not direct sunlight as to potentially affect lab samples???

[GRDadof3]

Hmmm. In looking at the rendering of the medical tower complex, at the very far left is a 3 story opening at the bottom of the building, just near Coit. I thought they might span the Cancer Center over Coit, but it shows Coit to the left of it. Anyone care to guess/speculate?