Spa's Atlantic Retreat

[threestooges]

Last suggestions? Aside from "don't stop what you're doing" I can't think of anything. The whole package is amazing and the fact that it fits so well with w2w's is just icing on the cake. The only thing I might suggest would be to have trees on both sides. Really great work on this one and I'll look forward to the next update of the Tea building and the other 'oldy' you mentioned.
-Matt

[girlfromverona]

Simply stunning! Any word on a release date for the Roy? 

[spa]

Shiftred: Thanks. I kind of figured we need some mid-rises
Papab2000: Thanks.
Art: Thanks.
Matt: Thanks. I don't think I'll drop trees on the front though. I kind of like the clean look, especially since they're storefronts. Nothing more on Morse's Teas yet, but I do have an update today about the other oldy.
GirlfromVerona: Thanks. I never know when release date will be. I like to release a bunch of bats together and so far, for the next set, I have Kingsway Shops Volume 2 and the Roy ready to go. Still need to wrap up another 3 or so. So, if I had to guess, sometime in December, but that's just a guess.

Nothing new to report on Morse's Teas. I still have to bring my camera into the office to get a picture of the roof. I did see today though that there is actually a gentle slant to it so that should be fun to make! Until I get out with the camera, I have been picking away at new bat. It's another Halifax midrise, the Bank of Nova Scotia Building.

The Bank of Nova Scotia Building sits near the centre of Halifax directly across from Province House. This beaux-art building was designed by Canadian architect John Lyle and was built in 1930. Scotiabank still owns the building and, in fact, the bank's formal headquarters is still located inside. Although Halifax's Bank of Nova Scotia Building still holds Scotiabanks head office, the corporate headquarters and everything else of importance moved to Toronto long ago. As far as I can tell, the Halifax head office is strictly a ceremonial thing. Nonetheless, the building is a great piece of architecture of national significance. On the exterior stone panels and throughout the interior of the building there are scenes of Canada's economic history. The two storey interior hall that still holds a Scotiabank branch is particularly impressive.

Anyway, I'm bringing this gem of old Halifax into Sim City.

Still a long ways to go. I got sucked into texturing as I went on this one and it's taking a while because the textures are quite complicated and tricky to setup. I think I'm on the right track though. All I need to do now is add the two storey ground level and I'll have the front side complete. This one will likely be a wall-to-wall, but I'll probably make a non-w2w lot as well because the sides of the building jut out (it won't be snug at the front so it may end up looking quite silly as a w2w). More on that though as I move around to the sides.

[spa]

The Bank of Nova Scotia Building continues:

Since the last update, I obviously finished up the front (except the glass). I have scaled the whole thing up a bit so that the model would look less squashed. This one has been damned labour intensive. The model and textures both require a lot of work to pull off. It should be somewhat easier from here out though since I can reuse most of the front in making the sides and back.

[girlfromverona]

Wow - that's looking beautiful. 

[Howling]

Spa, your buildings are just perfect.

[art128]

this building is perfect  great work my friend 

[spa]

Thanks everyone. I made some more progress on the Bank of Nova Scotia Building.

I'm hoping to get the back done this weekend as well.

[CasperVg]

Very nice, I like the detailing on the walls. This will go straight into my plugins when it's released.

[tag_one]

Great project Samuel! The building looks already beautiful 

[simdad1957]

SPA, I have a question regarding that little dust-up going on down in Halifax between city council, the mayor, the premier, the heritage groups and the Armour Group over the new office building proposed for across from Historic Properties. I wasn't sure whether to do it here or in the Skyscraperpage forum but we'll try here for now.

Armour has already torn down the Sweet Basil Building (i'm a little upset over that because it seems that they got away with it on a legal technicality). They seem determined to proceed with this project regardless of what the city council says. They also seem to have the support of the premier.

I am not really an ardent preservationist and I think that preservation groups can occasionally stifle needed development but I must admit, the process around what is going on here seems to stink as far as I am concerned. There are other places in downtown where this tower could go. What are your thoughts?

Also, the Red Rose Tea building is on the same block. Is this building at risk as well? If so, I would be greatly upset. When you drive into downtown from the bridges, this is the first building that you see and although it is small, I think it really helps to define the entrance to the downtown area. This building is too historic to demolish.

[spa]

Just some comments and a free time political broadcast today

Casper: Thanks. The stone details are the best thing on the real building too
Tag: Thanks
Simdad: Ahh Halifax's little battle has hit the Maritime news. For any non-Maritimers, there is a big fight underway over a proposed office block that would go over top of a set of heritage buildings (the facades of the buildings would be saved). Here's a picture for reference.

I have a fair number of issues with Waterside, but my main beef is that it's such a bland proposal. I think it's possible to build on top of those heritage buildings, but surely that block requires something unique and innovative and not just a uniform glass box dropped on top. The design is very under whelming. On this particular development, I think the heritage trust has a case (as opposed to their opposition to development on vacant lots!). In Halifax there are a number of old buildings, but except for this section and two or three blocks of Barrington Street, there really aren't many places where heritage buildings have survived together as one uniform streetscape. That to me makes this area deserving of some special consideration and really I blame Halifax's city council for not enacting a heritage district to protect this area years ago. I personally would love to see Armour come back with a reworked proposal, but it doesn't sound like that's going to happen.

As for the political twist this one has taken, well it's ridiculous. The howls that came from the business community when council turned this one down were just crazy. Even the premier was on about this sending an anti-business message. People need a little perspective! I researched planning approvals in Halifax for my Dal thesis and the number of times that council says no is miniscule. Even lately council approved the Trillium, the Alexander, Salter's Landing and paved the way for King's Landing. Add to that the projects that have existing approvals or are as of right including International Place, Electropolis and Trinity. Finally, there are other projects, some of which even have an office component, still in the works including Hollis/Morris, the Herald Lands, the Roy Building and Queen's Landing. There is plenty going on in downtown Halifax and the cries that a no on Waterside means Halifax is anti-business and spells the end of downtown were really a bit much and downright ridiculous if you stopped to look at the facts.

The reason there hasn't been any office development downtown since the late 1980s has nothing to do with obstructionist heritage groups or anti-business city councils. There hasn't been any office development because they built too much on speculation of an offshore boom in the 1980s, then the recession of the early 1990s wiped out what little demand there was and when the economy bounced back, the demand was largely filled out in the business parks. It's only been over the last year or two that suddenly there has been demand for downtown space again as the vacancy rate has dipped below that magic 5%. The lack of new office development over the last two decades has nothing to do with obstructionist city councils and heritage groups and everything to do with market realities. If the demand were there, International Place would have gone ahead years ago since it was approved in the 1970s with no time expire so its approval is good forever.

The premier's intervention in this whole ruckus.... well just another reason to get rid of him. This was a legitimate municipal planning exercise. There was a hearing, staff and the citizen advisory committees gave their recommendation and council decided. That's how the process works. If the developer wants to appeal (which he is as of Friday) he can to the Utility and Review Board (a provincially appointed quasi-judicial body). There is no call for heavy-handed provincial intervention. In any case, Rodney is all bark on this one. Given that both opposition parties have said they won't support amendments for specific projects he would be nuts to bring a bill to the house to over rule council. The NDP and Liberals would have field day, especially since Armour and Ben McCrea have contributed to the provincial Progressive Conservatives and to Rodney's own leadership bid. Rodney even launched his bid for the PC leadership in the lobby of Armour's Founders Square. Given that Rodney now wants the province to have intervener status at the URB and that he's talking about finally passing the amendments to allow HRM By Design to proceed (something that only stalled because he didn't put it through the house in the last session) I would say he has quietly dropped plans to try and directly intervene or has at least delayed them to see the outcome of the URB.

Oh and no need to worry about Morses Teas, it is actually owned by Starfish properties and is the only part of that block not included in the Waterside proposal. Right now it's actually being renovated to accommodate office space! Anyway I think I'm all ranted out now

[simdad1957]

Wow, thanks for the detailed response Sam!

This is one reason why I posted here rather than at Skyscraperpage re: this issue. If I had gone over there, I would have recieved a lot of noise from all the contributers. Here, I got a response from you - which is what I really wanted.

I'm glad to hear that Morse's Tea is safe. I agree with you, there should have been an effort to declare this a historical district long ago. This block lies between Historic Properties and Barrington Place/Granville St. pedestrian mall. Together, this makes the largest historical district in the downtown.

As I said, I am not a tree hugging preservationist for preservation's sake but sometimes development-at-all-costs should be tempered with reason and an appreciation for one's heritage. We have to remember where we have come from. Halifax would be a lesser city if it were only populated by boxy glass towers.

The close ties of Premier Rodney MacDonald and the Armour Group concerns me. I'm glad to hear that the Liberals and the NDP would probably defeat any enabling legislation in the provincial legislature. That is not where this issue should be decided.

Anyway, thanks Sam for your detailed response.

SimDad (SC4D)/MonctonRad (Skyscraperpage)

[spa]

Simdad: No problem. I actually posted a big rant very similiar on my facebook page so it wasn't like I was reinventing the wheel I know what you mean about skyscraper. I'm not one of the heritage purists but I'm not a development at any cost guy either. It can make things very frustrating since Halifax seems increasingly polarized between the all development is bad and the all development is good camps. Its too bad because it certainly doesn't have to be either or and the either or battle really cuts off chances to be innovated. It's a real pity.

So Halifax development battles aside, I have been working away on the Bank of Nova Scotia building. It now has windows, a back and a good start into the roof. Check it out.


Not much to say really. I'm generally liking the end product on this one. I have two debates though. First I'm worried that I might have scaled it up a little too much. Here's a mock up of the building in game near a maxis high rise. It looks like over the course of the 4 upper floors on my Bank of Nova Scotia, Maxis's building goes up 5.

Maybe I need to scale it down a touch? If I do scale it down I'll leave the ground floor alone and only reduce the upper portion below the roof detailing since the ground floor is meant to be rather palatial.

My second question concerns something I'm thinking of leaving out. On the Hollis and Prince Street sides of the real building there is some stone detailing along the roof line.

You'll note on my version that I have left this part out. I'm not sure whether I'm going to include it. On one hand, it's what's on the real building, but, on the other hand, there is a lot going on on this bat already and I haven't left myself much room to include it. Thoughts?

[threestooges]

First of all, the progress on this building is excellent. The present details look quite good on their own. To answer your first question, I think the upper floors could stand to be reduced vertcially, but not by much (perhaps 10%) but the Maxis building you've chosen seems to have short floors for some reason. To respond to your second question, I think the roofline details would be a nice element, but I think they might also get lost in the render. The clean roofline as it is now looks pretty good. I hope there is a beneficial resolution to the local issues that works for everyone. Until the next update, take it easy.
-Matt

[spa]

Matt: Thanks. I ended up getting some real mixed messages regarding scale so I reduced it just a little. The detail along the roof line have also made it onto the model.

So as mentioned I have rescaled the model (reduced it slightly), but I might have ended up squashing the 1st floor a little too much. I'm kind of thinking about going back to the taller 1st floor, but, at the same time, the slightly shorter overall height feels right. I also added the decorative details along the roof line. Below is the latest preview alongside the pre-scaled version.

The roof's decorative edge is slightly bigger than what's on the real thing so that it would be visible. Not a big deal and the kind of compromise that has to be made now and then. Obviously I also started on the roof junk. The real building has a mechanical shed and four air ducts spreading out from it across the roof's surface. I'll probably make the same on my model. The real building also has at least one old chimney popping up near the back, but I'm not sure if the 3 that I have work very well. I'm also not quite set with the arrangement of the smaller vents. Something just doesn't look right. On the other hand, I like the roof's mechancial shed. At least one detail up there is good to go

Anyway, this one is heading down the home streatch.

[threestooges]

I love the building, and the roof details do show up well. The scaling issue is a tough question, but I think the taller first floor might look better (then again, I'd say you have the greater experience). All I know is that this is going to be a nice one when it's done.

[spa]

Matt: Thanks. I ended up scaling up the 1st floor just slightly.

Well yesterday was a big day. I rendered the Bank of Nova Scotia Building and dropped it into the game. Here's how it turned out.



The roof material is based on what's actually up on the real building. It's some kind of membrane. I wasn't sure about it at first, but I think the end result is pretty good and a nice change of pace from my usual gravel roofs. Seems to fit the SC4 colour palette and the model. Adding the ducting and rearranging the roof junk seems to have also made a difference. I mentioned in the last update I wasn't happy with the layout, but I'm satisfied now.

Besides the roof the night lighting is also complete.

I think it turned out quite well. It may be subtle, but I really like the lantern effect on the front

You may have noticed two different lots in the photos, one with an alley and one that the whole lot is basically the building. Well I also made a third that has the building setback from the street behind a small plaza.

The trees in the plaza are cycledogg's semi-seasonal cottonwoods so, depending on the time of year, you'll see more or less of the building. All three lots are 2 wide and just vary by whether they're 2x3 or 2x4. Anyway, unless there are any last minute suggestions I'm ready to declare this one done and return to Morse's Teas.

[girlfromverona]

That is looking awesome, Sam! I can't think of anything else you should add. 

[peterycristi]

great work! A very nice building, can't wait it's release! 

saludos

peterycristi