50-52 Weber St W & 107 Young St | 6 fl | Proposed

[tomh009]

Very nice! It's a very nice effect and should be a much more modest cost than actually changing the shape of a building. I hope someone in K-W picks up such ideas, too.

[ac3r]

Very nice! It's a very nice effect and should be a much more modest cost than actually changing the shape of a building. I hope someone in K-W picks up such ideas, too.

87 Regina Street in Waterloo was kiiiiiiiinnnddda using that effect, albeit in a slightly different way. The lower part of the building has a really nice facade. The balconies above use a similar angled design to other buildings, though personally I would have not "framed" the building and only left the balconies jutting out in order to make the building more three dimensional and visually striking. Sadly, like a lot of major projects in Waterloo, it seems to now be dead.

[Spokes]

More of that in KW please!

[kwcc]

An architect, wow!

Let's see some of your work. It would be great for everyone to see what a pro can do.

What's with the passive aggressive, condescending attitude you've got? If you're actually curious, when I worked at Teeple Architects, I had a daily role in helping with the Stephen Hawking Centre at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, one of the only major projects I've had a role in here in Waterloo Region as I normally do not live here. Now I've been at KPMB for a while, so feel free to look at some of the recent work that has been done. Since you're not a client of mine, you don't need to see my personal portfolio.

Sounds like you've had the opportunity to work for some great firms. 

A while back at some lecture given by someone I can't recall, may have been Herzog or Chipperfield or Alsop, somewhere in Europe that I can't remember because it's been so long...they were asked about a renovation to one of their early buildings that completely ruined 'their' building (I remember knowing the building). As he wound up and took a breath (I'm thinking, what's this guy gonna say?!), he said (something along the lines of...);"Building a building is an incredible feat. There are so many challenges in all projects that I have respect for anyone who is able to deliver a completed work for their client." 

This isn't to say that buildings shouldn't look good, as I certainly couldn't imagine any such architect stating so, but that each project has its own set of parameters. Just like the complex considerations that were taken when adding to a building like S+P's Perimeter Institute, working within an established residential neighbourhood with hundreds of neighbours is a difficult task in itself. Educational institutions are fortunate that they by-pass a lot of those types challenges.

In terms of whether or not anything is happening with this project; looks like it was just voted down at Heritage Committee, even though it had staff approval. The discussion on design hasn't even started because they're still deciding on the significance of the existing buildings - it's worth looking at what the ACO is trying to preserve. 

Tomh is right to question if they'll get the demolition permit. 
"What a mess" isn't getting the design community in the Region any closer to where many of us would like to see it. 

There are many of these types of projects happening in the Region these days. The new Google office was a tremendous fight between the developer and the neighbours. In the end, it looks like things worked out pretty well for both. The Region is facing a massive period of change and I'm concerned that designers/architects are missing the opportunity to have a meaningful voice in this process and, instead, put their efforts to meaningless rhetoric. 

The biggest challenge facing Canadian Architects, imo, is culture. We do not celebrate the good works enough or the works that are trying to move a conversation forward. And I'm not even referring to you or probably not anyone on this site because the people that really matter are the general public. If you want the opportunity to build really interesting and provoking work; we have a real uphill battle ahead of us but, first, we have to build some level of confidence within the general public.

That's what's with the attitude.

The buildings done by firms like Teeple and KPMB represent a very small percentage of buildings. An average building in KW is being built at a cost of $150-$250/ft, that's a lot less than the PI or any building done by KPMB in the last 20 years. When you look at other countries, there is a lot more promotion of "good design" and the designer/architect are seen as artists, that are sought out for their ideas. 

I think this project has merits. There's an attempt to work with the existing language of the neighbourhood and make a contemporary, 6 storey building between a single family neighbourhood and Weber Street - all while being required to design within the design framework of the Heritage Conservation Plan.

[GtwoK]

A site plan application has been submitted to the city as of December 8th. "Proposing an 8-storey building consisting of 30 dwelling units and 32 lodging units including 2 levels of underground parking. C/R ZBA21/021/W/AP."

[panamaniac]

So still a seniors’ housing project?

[ac3r]

Wow, they made it look even worse than it already did...

[Acitta]

Wow, they made it look even worse than it already did...

It doesn't look bad to me. What are you expecting?

[Joedelay Highhoe]

Is that little house with the covered porch real? I can't find it on street-view.

[Acitta]

Is that little house with the covered porch real? I can't find it on street-view.

I think that it is 107 Young St. It is hard to see it because of the trees on street-view.

[tomh009]

Wow, they made it look even worse than it already did...

Hmm. Is it worse? I'm not sure. It's certainly more boring, but some of the design elements in the original were just jarring. I wouldn't say this is super ugly, but it certainly doesn't have much design to speak of.

[panamaniac]

Is that little house with the covered porch real? I can't find it on street-view.

I think that it is 107 Young St. It is hard to see it because of the trees on street-view.

I had forgotten that house would be saved.   Good on ‘em!

[panamaniac]

Wow, they made it look even worse than it already did...

Hmm. Is it worse? I'm not sure. It's certainly more boring, but some of the design elements in the original were just jarring. I wouldn't say this is super ugly, but it certainly doesn't have much design to speak of.

Some might say it has too much design ...

[westwardloo]

So much brown EIFS. God this is going to be ugly.

[ac3r]

I initially hated the initial design seen on page 1, but then it kind of grew on me by virtue of being so kitsch and trying too hard to ham-fist a bunch of random historical local architectural styles haha. But this one looks terrible. I get some "socialistmodernism" vibes, as in the kind of stuff you'd see here, but because it's not authentic it just looks dumb: https://www.instagram.com/socialistmodernism/