Designed for Richmond

[burt]

Is that an actual canal running thru Venice?

Connecting the two segments of the canal is a MUST!!!

[jbjust]

A new development on the Reynolds plant... This development has retail, office, and residential space, and also provides a lovely setting for relaxation in downtown Richmond.

The Waterfront features midrise and highrise buildings with facades on the lower 4-6 stories modeled after five great cities in Europe:

Paris, Venice, London, Munich, and Barcelona.

The development also features miniature facades of Notre Dame, the Parliament Building (including Big Ben), the Church of Our Lady (Munich), and La Sagrada Familia. In the Venetian portion of the development, the Rialto Bridge spans the canal, one of four pedestrian crossings.

Limited parking is featured under various buildings of the development; however, parking is also available in garages in Shockoe Slip and the garage over the Downtown Expressway.

The development has been designed to have pedestrian access from various points including Virginia Street, E Byrd Street, and 10th Street.

The waterfront features both retail and restaurant space. Outside various restaurants and shops will be small sitting and dining areas. Themed lighting throughout the development will keep it friendly and safe after nightfall.

Is this Richmond or Las Vegas? Tooooo gimmicky.

[LordChesterfield]

LOL... or it could just be a regular facade.

[Cadeho]

LordChesterfield, I swear, your handwriting looks like mine...

I like the concept... however, did you keep that little Italian Villa building? While I emphasized connecting the canals at the Downtown Master Plan charettes, your plan has the original canal destroyed and a building on top of it and a really wide link with no locks going through an erased part of the floodwall. I am not too sure about the European theme... we have Busch Gardens a few miles down the road. I'd like to see a number of highrises there to beef up our skyline, but whats wrong with a canalside village?

Your handwriting is creeping me out!

[LordChesterfield]

Are you left handed? Yeah, I thought about Busch Gardens when I was drawing it out... oh well. Yes, I know that the floodwall would have to be moved... are there locks there? I can't remember where on the canal it was, but it could be easily incorporated into the design.

I didn't want to put too many highrises because I didn't want the development on the river to prevent views of the rest of the buildings in the city.

[Icetera]

A new development on the Reynolds plant... This development has retail, office, and residential space, and also provides a lovely setting for relaxation in downtown Richmond.

The Waterfront features midrise and highrise buildings with facades on the lower 4-6 stories modeled after five great cities in Europe:

Paris, Venice, London, Munich, and Barcelona.

The development also features miniature facades of Notre Dame, the Parliament Building (including Big Ben), the Church of Our Lady (Munich), and La Sagrada Familia. In the Venetian portion of the development, the Rialto Bridge spans the canal, one of four pedestrian crossings.

Limited parking is featured under various buildings of the development; however, parking is also available in garages in Shockoe Slip and the garage over the Downtown Expressway.

The development has been designed to have pedestrian access from various points including Virginia Street, E Byrd Street, and 10th Street.

The waterfront features both retail and restaurant space. Outside various restaurants and shops will be small sitting and dining areas. Themed lighting throughout the development will keep it friendly and safe after nightfall.

Here is an overview of the buildings:

Buildings A-C (Paris)

Parking: Public Parking located below buildings A, B, and C

Building A: Parisian fa

[burt]

Are you left handed? Yeah, I thought about Busch Gardens when I was drawing it out... oh well. Yes, I know that the floodwall would have to be moved... are there locks there? I can't remember where on the canal it was, but it could be easily incorporated into the design.

I didn't want to put too many highrises because I didn't want the development on the river to prevent views of the rest of the buildings in the city.

LC. I have always pushed for a canal connection thru the floodwall-cut at the foot of 12th street. If the Alcoa plant is at least partially demolished, an imaginative plan could tie in the two canals with locks, but I don't see how the existing and historic locks could be part of the plan. They must remain as part of the city's history.

I like your ideas, but like others, am a bit put off by the Disney-like approach. Keep working!

[TBurban]

Been putzing around on sketchup again..

New Triangle Lot Proposal:

[burt]

Your revised plan for the block bounded by 8th/9th/Cary and Canal looks pretty much the same, Tommy, and I still like it. The changes you have made are very subtle.

I believe it was decided to close off the 8th Street swerve. The block would be squared off so that the small triangle would disappear.

It was hoped that Dominion and Williams Mullen would join forces to build a tower on the site, but Dominion pulled out when they decided to take space in the near-by 800 Building. Williams Mullen decided on its own building which is the 17-story tower going up diagonally across the corner at 10th and Canal.

I'd like to see what your design talent could do with the street level of the fortress-like Dominion building on the 7th/8th/Cary/Canal block. It needs retail and other activity, IMO. What do you think?

[TBurban]

Your revised plan for the block bounded by 8th/9th/Cary and Canal looks pretty much the same, Tommy, and I still like it. The changes you have made are very subtle.

I believe it was decided to close off the 8th Street swerve. The block would be squared off so that the small triangle would disappear.

It was hoped that Dominion and Williams Mullen would join forces to build a tower on the site, but Dominion pulled out when they decided to take space in the near-by 800 Building. Williams Mullen decided on its own building which is the 17-story tower going up diagonally across the corner at 10th and Canal.

I'd like to see what your design talent could do with the street level of the fortress-like Dominion building on the 7th/8th/Cary/Canal block. It needs retail and other activity, IMO. What do you think?

I'll give it a shot. It's a shame the building wasn't built more pedestrian friendly from the get-go. I always though they had garages or storage space in the interior portion of One James River Plaza; is there enough space for any retail?

[urbanlife]

Haha...residential enough for you guys, now?

umm, that is basically a tower that is in Seattle....just thought I would point that out.

[TBurban]

umm, that is basically a tower that is in Seattle....just thought I would point that out.

Two Union Square is what inspired me to mess around with similar designs. I admit, it's not a true original like my proposal for the triangle lot above, but by large differences, it is not even close to the overall design of the 'inspiration' building. Maybe, maybe from a distance and a specific angle I can see where you see it at the top, but otherwise, I am well aware of the work I do.

[TBurban]

Maybe if the triangle proposal never gets put into play (I can dream ), something like this would work out for CNB

It would be nice to see it renovated as is, period..but I thought it might be cool to mess around with the idea of a spire.

[burt]

Maybe if the triangle proposal never gets put into play (I can dream ), something like this would work out for CNB

It would be nice to see it renovated as is, period..but I thought it might be cool to mess around with the idea of a spire.

Your spire is nicely designed, Tommy, but I doubt local historians would allow anyone to futz around with the exterior of the art deco building.

How about some kind of crown for City Hall? That "box" on top is hideous, IMO.

Wonder what has happened to the Jemal Douglas Company out of Washington? Are they still planning major rehabilitation of buildings and areas in Richmond?

[Shakman]

Jemal Douglas's company is still around. Perhaps staying low key at the moment.

I think Bank of America is more of an eyesore than City Hall, considering the fact that it quite visible while traveling NB on I-95. I envision a curved curtainwall facade and an eye brow above on the side facing I-95.

[TBurban]

Your spire is nicely designed, Tommy, but I doubt local historians would allow anyone to futz around with the exterior of the art deco building.

How about some kind of crown for City Hall? That "box" on top is hideous, IMO.

Wonder what has happened to the Jemal Douglas Company out of Washington? Are they still planning major rehabilitation of buildings and areas in Richmond?

I didn't even think of that, you're right. Thanks for the feedback though, it's always nice to hear what others think.

[Icetera]

You all looked like you were having too much fun with this SketchUp program, so I downloaded it and gave it a try. Here is my first project:

This mixed-use deveolpment had been in my head (and paper) for years with the intention of of never breaking 15-20 floors, but it kind of just kept growing... The goal was to create a tower that transitioned from a more historic look into post-modern glass curtains as a gateway between the fan and downtown. My original cladding consisted of a rough, dark gray, granite block but, SketchUp did not have this as an option. I kind of like the brick, even though brick is overused in Richmond. The structure would have fit nicely on most of the blocks south of W. Main St and West of 5th St. (W. Main St. between S 3rd and 4th preferred). Due to the height, I think it would now look out of place the far out from the CBD, so I dropped it at 10th and Canal.

View SE at 10th and Canal:

Lower Levels:

Upper Levels:

Top Down Perspective:

50 Floors + 3 Floors Mechanical.

~15400 SQ FT Retail Ground Floor with street frontage.

~120400 SQ FT Luxury Condos (132) Floors 2-12 (with balconies and 9' ceilings).

~60900 SQ FT Hotel or Office Space Floors 13-15.

~620000 SQ FT Class A Office Space Floors 3-12, 16-38.

~7600 SQ FT among 2 Auditoriums at Floor 43 with domed ceilings (20' Peak).

~9600 SQ FT Conference Space Floor 49.

~4600 SQ FT Conference Space Floor 50.

Approximately 700 Feet in Height.

Base = 256' x 128'.

[Downtowner]

That would be one amazing building to go up in Richmond. I would almost live on the street next to it untill it was completed just to witness us getting out of the 20 floor era. I love the design of it. I really hope when the economy gets better and starts booming again that we get something way taller than anything that's here.

[wrldcoupe4]

Pretty neat! Question - What about parking?

[varider]

Is there a link for this "SketchUp" program? It looks pretty cool..

[Icetera]

Pretty neat! Question - What about parking?

I am actually designing the parking garage right now for the Main St. location, which has sufficient room left over on the block. The garage will link at the 3rd floor lobby via a short skybridge and will have a brick facade with single pane windows to match the base of the tower. Additional structure on top of the deck is possible, but I do not want it raising to a height that would compete with the tower itself. If placed at the Canal St. location, I can only see room for fitting about 100-150 spaces below the tower until hitting the grade of the downtown expressway. There may be room to squeeze in another hundred or so under/on the left over surface lot. Additional parking may have to be located on the former Reynold's property (excuse for an extension of the complex). I need to find out what the requirements are for number of spaces by Richmond City.

[Icetera]

Is there a link for this "SketchUp" program? It looks pretty cool..

http://sketchup.google.com/download/

[burt]

Neat, Ice! I kinda like the block BowTie owns bounded by Main, Cary, 3rd and 4th. There would be plenty of space for parking and the natural altitude there would add to its prominence. There are several barren lots in that immediate area. Lower levels of your building might lend themselves to entertainment.

[TBurban]

That's awesome!! I'm glad you really got into it, it's a sweet program..I still can't believe it's free! The tower would look great on the pencil lot; I like the idea of the granite/brick mixed with glass. The view from above is sick! Would the tiers be lit up at night?

[wrldcoupe4]

I am actually designing the parking garage right now for the Main St. location, which has sufficient room left over on the block. The garage will link at the 3rd floor lobby via a short skybridge and will have a brick facade with single pane windows to match the base of the tower. Additional structure on top of the deck is possible, but I do not want it raising to a height that would compete with the tower itself. If placed at the Canal St. location, I can only see room for fitting about 100-150 spaces below the tower until hitting the grade of the downtown expressway. There may be room to squeeze in another hundred or so under/on the left over surface lot. Additional parking may have to be located on the former Reynold's property (excuse for an extension of the complex). I need to find out what the requirements are for number of spaces by Richmond City.

I think it would be advantageous, from a market standpoint, to be able to offer 2.0 per 1,000 SF parking for office tenants. I think the city may require 1 per 1,000 SF for residential. And the hotel would likely appreciate onsite parking for valet service. Obviously the parking could be shared (office during the day, resi at night).

Parking aside, I think the silhouette of the building is quite timeless.