Ideas For Seattle - Page 7

Nutterbug · December 7th, 2011, 11:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LCIII

If only we hadn't scared away Disney...

What what? Explain.

mhays · December 7th, 2011, 11:32 PM

A couple decades ago Seattle hired Disney's "B" team to come up with ideas for Seattle Center. They had a grand master plan, but not a good one. Lots of tearing down and redoing. With public opinion dramatically against the concept we fired Disney. Since then many large projects have been built.

The Seattle Center works for what it is. As more density surrounds it and as transportation improvements are completed it'll get better. Otherwise, moderate upgrades will be plenty.

vrsprng · March 1st, 2013, 08:46 AM

I want to see an indoor ski slope built into the hillside of Queen Anne. I also want to see Ballard and U District have their own skylines. West Seattle needs a skyline too.

RMacherat · March 1st, 2013, 09:11 AM

I'd like these urban villages to be more like cities, with highrises, transit and enough density to make them work

mhays · March 1st, 2013, 06:08 PM

I'd love to see highrises in some of our urban villages. Hell, I'd love highrises in most of them. Not gonna happen of course, though maybe as some of them mature and fill in it won't be a third-rail topic anymore.

But they do work. Ballard, the U District, the Junction, and others are getting sizeable pedestrian volumes and seem successful even while nowhere near their future densities. The busiest ones mix daytime workforces with housing units in the thousands, and of course supermarkets...

Joosanova · March 2nd, 2013, 06:35 AM

I would LOVE to see a high speed water slide from Queen Anne straight to Puget sound

Capitol Hill · March 2nd, 2013, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joosanova

I would LOVE to see a high speed water slide from Queen Anne straight to Puget sound

I'd like to see one from City Hall.

Joosanova · March 2nd, 2013, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Capitol Hill

I'd like to see one from City Hall.

Touche'

EriFly · March 5th, 2013, 05:36 AM

A real amusement park.

Capitol Hill · March 5th, 2013, 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EriFly

A real amusement park.

Good Lord yes. Why can't we have an honest to God experience that makes me go 'whee'

With my clothes on, for clarification.

Matt the Engineer · March 5th, 2013, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Capitol Hill

Why can't we have an honest to God experience that makes me go 'whee'

Thinking too hard about this one, all I can think of is the tourist parasailing that happens on the waterfront in the summer. Plus less organized activities like kiteboarding in W Seattle, climbing in REI or Ballard, sculling/rowing in Green Lake, paddle boarding at SLU, acrobat classes in SoDo, slacklining everywhere, biking, skating... But it would be nice to have something that doesn't need to be a large time/money investment hobby.

How about a zipline from the Space Needle to the waterfront?

mhays · March 5th, 2013, 10:58 PM

Parasailing is great fun. They add a dimension of cold water, or fear thereof...they say you might get wet, then turn so the line goes slack and you drop, then take off just in time...

Skydiving is another one. A group from my office did this a few years ago, in the tandem format where each noob is tied to a professional, who wears the actual chute. They like to scare you too, with a comically pessimistic waiver form. Any normal-sized grownup can do it, even a guy with a cane that I work with.

Matt the Engineer · March 5th, 2013, 11:21 PM

On that note, I highly recommend paragliding at Tiger Mountain. It's fairly cheap, very scenic, and a whole lot of fun. Sure, you don't get the initial jump-out-of-an-airplane fun (which I will try someday), but you do get to jump in the air and just take off. (and yes, you have to be strapped to a professional for that as well)

Anyway, I was talking about thrills in Seattle proper. Though I suppose you can take off from Boeing Field or Lake Union. Not sure the best place to land...

Ruffhauser · March 5th, 2013, 11:33 PM

Has anyone mentioned rooftop bars/restaurants?

Joosanova · March 5th, 2013, 11:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Capitol Hill

With my clothes on, for clarification.

DAMN GLAD you cleared that up

jessejb · March 6th, 2013, 02:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Capitol Hill

Good Lord yes. Why can't we have an honest to God experience that makes me go 'whee'

With my clothes on, for clarification.

No! The Footloose-inspired old-guard would flip their lids. WHAT ABOUT GREENSPACE AND LEARNING ARGGLELBLARGLE AMUSEMENTS ARE TACKY AND UNSERIOUS BLARGFLARGLE?!!?"

Seattlelife · March 6th, 2013, 04:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Capitol Hill

Good Lord yes. Why can't we have an honest to God experience that makes me go 'whee'

With my clothes on, for clarification.

Weather perhaps?

EriFly · March 6th, 2013, 04:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seattlelife

Weather perhaps?

Why not put something in Ellensburg or something? I for one would be willing to drive an hour and half for an amusement park. Sick and tired of Wild Waves.

Ruffhauser · April 18th, 2013, 06:26 PM

For lack of a better forum to stick this in, I'm putting it here. Cool drawing, if nothing else.

From todays DJC.

http://www.djc.com/news/re/12052086.html

April 18, 2013

Gensler architect calls ‘hacking' the next wave of development

■Many fast-growing tech companies can't wait for new construction. An extensive and aggressive renovation takes less time.

By NAT LEVY
Journal Staff Reporter

The seeds have been planted for the office building of the future.

More mobile employees don't want to be tied to an office; they don't even want the same desk everyday. And that shift is causing developers and architects to rethink how they plan projects. These employees don't want a 40-hour, 9-to-5 work week; they want to work when work needs to be done.

At a NAIOP seminar Wednesday, experts in planning, design and development discussed how the workforce is changing and how that will change the design of office buildings over the next decade.

Representatives from three architecture firms — Miller Hull Partnership, Pickard Chilton and Gensler — showed their interpretations of what office buildings could look like one day. All three were winners in the Office Building of the Future contest held last year by NAIOP.

Miller Hull's project focused on how change is now a constant. The idea is to use space well and not overbuild. The firm's proposed project reuses rainwater collected from the roof, and recovers wasted energy and recycles it through the building. The building includes a series of small stacked spaces for creative work that allows employees to collaborate and get away from their desks for awhile.

Pickard Chilton is based in New Haven, Conn., and it showed a modular office building. Because pieces are made off site in a factory, modular construction is starting to catch on locally for apartments. The firm's conceptual project was designed for a site in Seattle at Eighth Avenue and Westlake Avenue, with a 32-story office tower, housing, and restaurants and retail on the ground floor.

Bill Chilton, principal at Pickard Chilton, said using modular construction would save $6 million on this project and cut construction time by 20 percent.

“Rethinking major building systems not only results in greater energy and economic efficiencies, but significantly enhances flexibility that supports a changing workplace, including the ease of repurposing the building at a future point in time as a result of a changing real estate market,” Chilton said.

Gensler said office buildings of the future have already been built. Chad Yoshinobu of Gensler's San Francisco office said extensively reusing existing buildings — which he calls hacking — will be the next wave of development.

Fast-growing tech companies don't always have patience to wait for new construction. Renovating an old building takes less time, he said, and developers can start collecting revenue sooner.

But these won't be your father's renovations.

Yoshinobu showed one example during the seminar: His company transformed the J. Edgar Hoover Building in Washington, D.C., adding a soccer field to the roof as well as a big-box retail store and rooftop gardens.

Hacking a building means adding all the amenities found in new construction as a way to recruit and retain top talent, Yoshinobu said.

Glumac, a mechanical engineering firm with an office in Seattle, viewed the extensive renovation of its Portland offices in the 28-story Standard Insurance Center as a recruiting device.

The space had low ceilings and looked generic. Engineering is a competitive field and Glumac had to make its offices stand out, said Steve Straus, Glumac president. Crews took down walls, replaced old windows to bring in more light and raised the ceilings. Now the office is one of the company's top recruiting tools, allowing it to land 33 new engineers last year.

“When they walk through that space, and they see the lobby and they go through and compare that to other places they are being offered it really helps us close the deal and has helped us get engineers from across the country and across the world,” Straus said.

Microsoft has used its suburban campus in Redmond to attract top talent for years. The company has more than 14 million square feet of space in Redmond in 100 buildings that are flush with amenities. Though 82 percent of employees still come to the office everyday, they only spend 43 percent of that time at their desks, said Chris Norman, who works on Microsoft's Lync programs, which provide communication software such as video chatting and instant messaging.

Throughout its space, Microsoft has areas for small meetings, large meetings and individual work, giving employees the ability to move around the office and still be productive.

Pickard Chilton proposed using modular construction for this conceptual project at Eighth and Westlake, with an office tower, housing, restaurants and retail.

Tespia · April 18th, 2013, 10:45 PM

Pickard Chilton's conceptual project should become an actual project. It's amazing!

March 1st, 2013, 08:46 AM	#123
vrsprng VRSPRNG Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 98004 & 28269 Posts: 193 Likes (Received): 16	I want to see an indoor ski slope built into the hillside of Queen Anne. I also want to see Ballard and U District have their own skylines. West Seattle needs a skyline too. __________________ Keepin' it classy since '81.

March 2nd, 2013, 06:35 AM	#126
Joosanova Resident Meteorologist Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: West Seattle Posts: 1,013 Likes (Received): 26	I would LOVE to see a high speed water slide from Queen Anne straight to Puget sound __________________ SSC Resident Meteorologist

March 5th, 2013, 05:36 AM	#129
EriFly Registered User Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Asmara Posts: 939 Likes (Received): 4	A real amusement park. __________________ Where my Heart, Roots, and Home are; ERITREA

March 5th, 2013, 10:58 PM	#132
mhays Journeyman Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Seattle Posts: 8,461 Likes (Received): 125	Parasailing is great fun. They add a dimension of cold water, or fear thereof...they say you might get wet, then turn so the line goes slack and you drop, then take off just in time... Skydiving is another one. A group from my office did this a few years ago, in the tandem format where each noob is tied to a professional, who wears the actual chute. They like to scare you too, with a comically pessimistic waiver form. Any normal-sized grownup can do it, even a guy with a cane that I work with. __________________ Windows 8 and Explorer didn't crash for two whole days recently....because I was out of town.

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December 7th, 2011, 11:32 PM	#122
mhays Journeyman Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Seattle Posts: 8,461 Likes (Received): 125	A couple decades ago Seattle hired Disney's "B" team to come up with ideas for Seattle Center. They had a grand master plan, but not a good one. Lots of tearing down and redoing. With public opinion dramatically against the concept we fired Disney. Since then many large projects have been built. The Seattle Center works for what it is. As more density surrounds it and as transportation improvements are completed it'll get better. Otherwise, moderate upgrades will be plenty.

March 5th, 2013, 11:21 PM	#133
Matt the Engineer Registered User Join Date: Dec 2011 Posts: 1,167 Likes (Received): 109	On that note, I highly recommend paragliding at Tiger Mountain. It's fairly cheap, very scenic, and a whole lot of fun. Sure, you don't get the initial jump-out-of-an-airplane fun (which I will try someday), but you do get to jump in the air and just take off. (and yes, you have to be strapped to a professional for that as well) Anyway, I was talking about thrills in Seattle proper. Though I suppose you can take off from Boeing Field or Lake Union. Not sure the best place to land...

April 18th, 2013, 06:26 PM	#139
Ruffhauser Registered User Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: North Belltown Posts: 1,428 Likes (Received): 261	For lack of a better forum to stick this in, I'm putting it here. Cool drawing, if nothing else. From todays DJC. http://www.djc.com/news/re/12052086.html April 18, 2013 Gensler architect calls ‘hacking' the next wave of development ■Many fast-growing tech companies can't wait for new construction. An extensive and aggressive renovation takes less time. By NAT LEVY Journal Staff Reporter The seeds have been planted for the office building of the future. More mobile employees don't want to be tied to an office; they don't even want the same desk everyday. And that shift is causing developers and architects to rethink how they plan projects. These employees don't want a 40-hour, 9-to-5 work week; they want to work when work needs to be done. At a NAIOP seminar Wednesday, experts in planning, design and development discussed how the workforce is changing and how that will change the design of office buildings over the next decade. Representatives from three architecture firms — Miller Hull Partnership, Pickard Chilton and Gensler — showed their interpretations of what office buildings could look like one day. All three were winners in the Office Building of the Future contest held last year by NAIOP. Miller Hull's project focused on how change is now a constant. The idea is to use space well and not overbuild. The firm's proposed project reuses rainwater collected from the roof, and recovers wasted energy and recycles it through the building. The building includes a series of small stacked spaces for creative work that allows employees to collaborate and get away from their desks for awhile. Pickard Chilton is based in New Haven, Conn., and it showed a modular office building. Because pieces are made off site in a factory, modular construction is starting to catch on locally for apartments. The firm's conceptual project was designed for a site in Seattle at Eighth Avenue and Westlake Avenue, with a 32-story office tower, housing, and restaurants and retail on the ground floor. Bill Chilton, principal at Pickard Chilton, said using modular construction would save $6 million on this project and cut construction time by 20 percent. “Rethinking major building systems not only results in greater energy and economic efficiencies, but significantly enhances flexibility that supports a changing workplace, including the ease of repurposing the building at a future point in time as a result of a changing real estate market,” Chilton said. Gensler said office buildings of the future have already been built. Chad Yoshinobu of Gensler's San Francisco office said extensively reusing existing buildings — which he calls hacking — will be the next wave of development. Fast-growing tech companies don't always have patience to wait for new construction. Renovating an old building takes less time, he said, and developers can start collecting revenue sooner. But these won't be your father's renovations. Yoshinobu showed one example during the seminar: His company transformed the J. Edgar Hoover Building in Washington, D.C., adding a soccer field to the roof as well as a big-box retail store and rooftop gardens. Hacking a building means adding all the amenities found in new construction as a way to recruit and retain top talent, Yoshinobu said. Glumac, a mechanical engineering firm with an office in Seattle, viewed the extensive renovation of its Portland offices in the 28-story Standard Insurance Center as a recruiting device. The space had low ceilings and looked generic. Engineering is a competitive field and Glumac had to make its offices stand out, said Steve Straus, Glumac president. Crews took down walls, replaced old windows to bring in more light and raised the ceilings. Now the office is one of the company's top recruiting tools, allowing it to land 33 new engineers last year. “When they walk through that space, and they see the lobby and they go through and compare that to other places they are being offered it really helps us close the deal and has helped us get engineers from across the country and across the world,” Straus said. Microsoft has used its suburban campus in Redmond to attract top talent for years. The company has more than 14 million square feet of space in Redmond in 100 buildings that are flush with amenities. Though 82 percent of employees still come to the office everyday, they only spend 43 percent of that time at their desks, said Chris Norman, who works on Microsoft's Lync programs, which provide communication software such as video chatting and instant messaging. Throughout its space, Microsoft has areas for small meetings, large meetings and individual work, giving employees the ability to move around the office and still be productive. Pickard Chilton proposed using modular construction for this conceptual project at Eighth and Westlake, with an office tower, housing, restaurants and retail.

April 18th, 2013, 10:45 PM	#140
Tespia Registered User Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Seattle Posts: 150 Likes (Received): 21	Pickard Chilton's conceptual project should become an actual project. It's amazing!