Welcome Guest!
In order to take advantage of all the great features that Waterloo Region Connected has to offer, including participating in the lively discussions below, you're going to have to register. The good news is that it'll take less than a minute and you can get started enjoying Waterloo Region's best online community right away.
or Create an Account




Thread Rating:
  • 6 Vote(s) - 3.17 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
One Hundred | 21 & 17 fl | U/C
That's what I'm talking about then. There should be a push - call them investment meets student projects - where we have a target to put up a dozen buildings/structures or art pieces that are competition level stuff. You know, the ones that get written about and taught in school. Success with that and shoot for another dozen.

Someone in a past thread - won't remember which - posted about a European city they see K-W aspiring too...young, innovative tech/student centric but with phenomenal infrastructure...anyone recall?
Reply


(08-01-2020, 03:56 PM)Momo26 Wrote: There should be a push - call them investment meets student projects - where we have a target to put up a dozen buildings/structures or art pieces that are competition level stuff.

I think one reason you don't see much of that is due to the fact that in most cases, student architects aren't allowed to really work on a whole lot of practical stuff that is really big. To be a practicing architect in Canada, you generally need an M.Arch and certification + registration by the Canadian Architectural Certification Board. It's actually one of the hardest subjects to study and work in because of the massive amount of education and work experience that is needed (I'm talking thousands of hours in school and then in the workplace).

Architecture competitions themselves are also usually just a very theoretical thing. For example, as you can see on a site like Competitions.archi a lot of them are just theoretical, visionary or for fun - although not all are. However, I suppose it would be possible to at least include students in the design aspects of things in the region. I often think about the proposals we got for our transit hub. Apart from the initial two or three proposals that were submitted years back, the two and then final one we ended up with are extremely underwhelming. I bet if you walked into UW Architecture Faculty and challenged some undergraduates and graduates to come up with a really nice design (the initial design, not technical design), there would have been dozens upon dozens of them that would blow away the crappy suburban community centre looking thing they decided upon.

If anyone is ever curious what kind of stuff UW does, you can visit the campus in Cambridge, although it is obviously closed due to Covid-19. They often have student projects and models on display, as well as hosting events for the public every so often, like exhibits and at times thesis defenses.
Reply
(08-01-2020, 08:29 AM)ac3r Wrote:
(07-31-2020, 08:46 PM)tomh009 Wrote: Just like engineering and computer science, I expect most of the grads end up moving away from the region.

Definitely. I worked there a short while, and most students leave for other cities or countries once they graduate. They come out with good credentials, amazing portfolios and in many cases good work experience, but because Waterloo Region has almost no good architecture, almost demand for it, no interesting or innovative architecture firms, the students all leave for more rewarding locales.

The only truly interesting and prestigious buildings here are the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics by Teeple Architects and the Canadian Clay and Glass Museum by Patkau Architects. Both firms are very well known around the world. Living and working here doesn't really inspire young architects since there isn't much to inspire.

Inspiration, true. But I think the bigger factor is that there are no world-class architecture firms here, at least not that I know of.
Reply
Prices just need to be higher for Kitchener to get better architecture. As much as it can be argued that unique or attractive design doesn't have to be more expensive the reality is that most designers can't make that happen.

A lot of grads do work locally, but most of architecture is the more 'mundane' tasks related to fitting all the building essentials in the space, maximizing number of units/square footage, ensuring the building meets code, etc., which the rest of us don't really notice if done right. There's only so much room for the visionaries and creative people at a firm.
Reply
The crane is going up, looks like 4 or 5 sections
Reply
This morning's view, from the "wrong side" of the tracks.

   
Reply
From Tuesday


Attached Files Image(s)
       
Reply


It's been a while

[Image: zEFcgPd.jpg]


https://i.imgur.com/zEFcgPd.jpg
Reply
Great picture... Thanks !
Reply
It's scenes like that which remind me how skilled construction workers are. It's one thing for me to design buildings in AutoCAD or ArchiCAD, but to actually build it right takes an incredible amount of talent.

Now...I just can't wait to see the day those two giant parking lots get turned into something. I know one developer who had some ideas, but with Covid-19 who knows what will happen.
Reply
Great shot!
Reply
Tower 2 is topped out as of this morning - putting the utilities structure up now on the top. Glazing has progressed to about 6 stories from the top as well.
Reply
Do we have a picture set a little further back to take in the full magnitude?
Reply


October 13th:

[Image: NFe4DWw.jpg]

[Image: 7RfEWZe.jpg]
Reply
I really like that second shot. Nicely done
Reply
« Next Oldest | Next Newest »



Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)

About Waterloo Region Connected

Launched in August 2014, Waterloo Region Connected is an online community that brings together all the things that make Waterloo Region great. Waterloo Region Connected provides user-driven content fueled by a lively discussion forum covering topics like urban development, transportation projects, heritage issues, businesses and other issues of interest to those in Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge and the four Townships - North Dumfries, Wellesley, Wilmot, and Woolwich.

              User Links