Slog - Comments on Seattle Vs. Dubai http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai Last year, Seattle-based Mithun Architects designed the Center for Urban Agriculture, tailor made for a site on 9th Avenue and Olive Way downtown. “We wanted to demonstrate that a project of this type is feasible in a downtown setting,” says Mithun’s Bonnie Duncan. Behold, a vertical farm for the city. Fantastic, is it not? Each residential unit is retrofitted from a combination of two or three recycled shipping containers to create studio and one- and two-bedroom apartments. The CUA employs a “shelf system” within its superstructure to speed construction time through off-site assembly and crane erection techniques. The CUA reintroduces... Copyright 2008 Thu, 08 May 2008 13:24:03 -0800 Thu, 08 May 2008 19:17:27 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by Bill No developer wants to build it because there isn't a market for it. Anyone who tells you different is full of shit and doesn't own a home (nor would this motivate them to make the purchase).

]]> Bill http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020146 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020146 Architecture Thu, 08 May 2008 13:31:29 -0800 Comment by Gloria I think I remember reading an article a long while back (in Toronto) on the same concept of vertical farms in cities. The artists' conceptions then had a greater resemblance to giant pyramids or cylinders.

]]> Gloria http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020148 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020148 Architecture Thu, 08 May 2008 13:31:31 -0800 Comment by Will in Seattle A friend of mine lives in Dhubai and sent me a cool vid of the city.

The thing is, they have this thing about human representation, so the entire vid was without people.

Spooky.

But great buildings.

As to markets ... the market here is not the market there.

]]> Will in Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020160 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020160 Architecture Thu, 08 May 2008 13:36:11 -0800 Comment by Lobot I would live in that. That's awesome.

]]> Lobot http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020168 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020168 Architecture Thu, 08 May 2008 13:38:32 -0800 Comment by Dougsf Kinda looks like a giant air filter. But instead of filtering the air, makes people with asthma and allergies swell up and die.

]]> Dougsf http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020174 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020174 Architecture Thu, 08 May 2008 13:40:50 -0800 Comment by David Sucher I am instinctively skeptical of this sort of "Oh Wow!" project. Too many Rube Goldberg moving parts, too much the appearance of "something for nothing." Too groovy. The organic cafe? Give me a break. All too often (such as with the Downtown Library) architectural rehetoric far exceeds architectural performance. I would think that the use of recycled (no less) shipping containers for what looks to be a very skinny 18 story structure would be novel.

Then again, Mithun has some exceedingly bright people and maybe they have thought it through convincingly. As well, every once in a while something new does come along.

The first thing to ask Mithun is if they have a financial pro forma.

Btw, I agree about the sidewalk frontage so far as we can see it, but as you say that is easy to fix.

]]> David Sucher http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020218 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020218 Architecture Thu, 08 May 2008 14:00:39 -0800 Comment by uh, hello? Why did they put the wall on the south face and the plants on the north...?

]]> uh, hello? http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020225 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020225 Architecture Thu, 08 May 2008 14:05:05 -0800 Comment by Hernandez Yes, it is fantastic - fantastic on a conceptual and (at least to people like me) on a visual level.

But damn, the market for a place like that would be extremely small. I say this because A) you need people who are okay with living in shipping containers (retrofitted, but still), B) you need people who will pay exorbitant downtown housing prices to live underneath a farm in a shipping container, and C) you need a developer "edgy" or "ahead of the curve" enough to sacrifice 22,000 sf of potential residential unit space in favor of farm space.

With that confluence of factors, it would take nothing short of a miracle to get it built here. I'm hoping for such a miracle, but I'm not holding my breath.

]]> Hernandez http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020229 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020229 Architecture Thu, 08 May 2008 14:06:28 -0800 Comment by Non woah what the hell is up with the way that photo of the towers launches????

]]> Non http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020232 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020232 Architecture Thu, 08 May 2008 14:07:11 -0800 Comment by Cato the Younger Younger Part of me hates it and part of me loves it....

]]> Cato the Younger Younger http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020233 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020233 Architecture Thu, 08 May 2008 14:07:37 -0800 Comment by Non Sorta reminds me of the richest man residence

http://wadias.in/site/arzan/blog/perkins-will-debunks-antilia-myths-mukesh-ambanis-home/

]]> Non http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020236 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020236 Architecture Thu, 08 May 2008 14:09:10 -0800 Comment by Carollani I love it. I love it love it love it love it. Love. It.

]]> Carollani http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020267 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020267 Architecture Thu, 08 May 2008 14:23:03 -0800 Comment by Jeff Another liberal wet dream of returning to the cave. Take those rusty shiping containers, chickens, bugs etc. and ride of into your dream land without me.

]]> Jeff http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020277 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020277 Architecture Thu, 08 May 2008 14:26:22 -0800 Comment by Will in Seattle @7 - because to the south is desert and to the north is water. Dhubai is on the northern edge of the Saudi landmass.

]]> Will in Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020294 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020294 Architecture Thu, 08 May 2008 14:33:06 -0800 Comment by El Seven Perhaps if they build something a bit smaller (2 story bar!) and demonstrated the benefits of that, it would be an easier sell.

It also seems that the terraced growing areas use up quite a bit of space to allow in sunlight. That doesn't really scream economical with land values the way they are. Tenants would basically have to pay a huge premium to compensate for all the space that is not being used.

]]> El Seven http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020295 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020295 Architecture Thu, 08 May 2008 14:33:48 -0800 Comment by clausti um, and chicken farms smell *really bad.*

]]> clausti http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020312 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020312 Architecture Thu, 08 May 2008 14:40:08 -0800 Comment by w7ngman #14, isn't this the one made for Seattle? I thought it was because the wall is a solar panel array (thus would face south), but since there's no link I can't know for sure.

]]> w7ngman http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020343 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020343 Architecture Thu, 08 May 2008 14:53:18 -0800 Comment by Jeremiah I'm wet just looking at it.

]]> Jeremiah http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020344 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020344 Architecture Thu, 08 May 2008 14:53:39 -0800 Comment by Design Gal If Mithun cared more about actually designing sustainable structures and less about simply greenwashing their public image, they might try a design that doesn't violate several dozen Seattle land use codes. And then there's the issue of feasibility. Don't be fooled, this isn't a "thought exercise", it's a PR stunt.

]]> Design Gal http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020345 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020345 Architecture Thu, 08 May 2008 14:54:32 -0800 Comment by Hernandez @19 - I thought that was already obvious.

]]> Hernandez http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020369 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020369 Architecture Thu, 08 May 2008 15:05:42 -0800 Comment by kentankerous VF could well be the wave of the future, but VF + residential is probably one of the few cases where mixed use is not a good idea. A proposed development like this does make a great case for more modular construction techniques for vertical urban housing projects, I think it also makes a great case for units with decent sized balconies which can be more supportive of vertical green spaces. With some alterations aimed at bringing this project a little closer to what's that word, realistic, this could well be an innovative, marketable direction in which to take city housing.

]]> kentankerous http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020379 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020379 Architecture Thu, 08 May 2008 15:09:39 -0800 Comment by Sporting Fellow I used to play on a co-rec soccer team sponsored by Linda's Tavern. We played against the Mithun soccer team (inventively named "TEAM MITHUN"). They were all fucking assholes.

]]> Sporting Fellow http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020382 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020382 Architecture Thu, 08 May 2008 15:10:05 -0800 Comment by Brian in Seattle Who keeps it from being taken over by weeds and blackberry bushes?

]]> Brian in Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020397 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020397 Architecture Thu, 08 May 2008 15:23:00 -0800 Comment by Jay 19: Having actually done work for Mithun, I can tell you that there's a little more to it than greenwashing and that you're full of shit.

]]> Jay http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020419 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020419 Architecture Thu, 08 May 2008 15:33:35 -0800 Comment by max solomon @19: its a CONCEPTUAL design.

why don't you back up off your antiquated LUC, relax, & have a bong hit from a human skull?

do you work there or something?

]]> max solomon http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020428 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020428 Architecture Thu, 08 May 2008 15:37:11 -0800 Comment by tomitron the 19,000 sq.ft. chicken coop on the lower floor doesn't sound like such a good idea---chickens stink

]]> tomitron http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020464 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020464 Architecture Thu, 08 May 2008 15:50:14 -0800 Comment by El Seven Chickens don't stink, their proverbial shit does. It can be dealt with if harvested on a regular basis.

]]> El Seven http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020538 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020538 Architecture Thu, 08 May 2008 16:17:02 -0800 Comment by uh, hello? #14, I'm talking about the Seattle rendering, dunderhead! What are you talking about in the Dubai picture? (?!)

]]> uh, hello? http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020687 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020687 Architecture Thu, 08 May 2008 17:29:54 -0800 Comment by Conchis haha @28; best retort to one of Will in Seattle's (many) stupid comments. Fnarf would approve, I'm sure.

]]> Conchis http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020752 http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/05/seattle_vs_dubai#c1020752 Architecture Thu, 08 May 2008 19:17:27 -0800