328 Regina Street North | 54 m | 18 fl

[WatDot]

328 Regina Street North
Formerly 324 and 328 Regina Street North
18 storey | 97 unit | 485 bedroom student housing

http://img845.imageshack.us/img845/3159/328reginastreet.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/845/328reginastreet.jpg/)

[WatDot]

Fences are up and demolition will probably occur around the same time as this company demos their other property on King Street.

[markster]

It's astonishing how much more capacity is coming on the market.

[benjaminbach]

It's astonishing how much more capacity is coming on the market.

Yup. 10,000 new beds over the next couple of years

[BuildingScout]

Yup. 10,000 new beds over the next couple of years

Meanwhile, the University of Waterloo says:

"Waterloo is likely to admit about as many first-year students this year as last year."

while enrollment in the Waterloo campus of WLU actually went down a couple of years back as the double cohort completed its way through the system.

[markster]

Not to mention that the Baby Boom Echo is just about finishing their way through University right now.

I don't think that we'll be seeing rental prices climbing much over the next decade...

[WatDot]

Laurier dipped the year right after double cohort but picked up again overall. I don't think you will see a drastic dip for a while as the Universities continue to pursue international and out of province markets to fill any void... a void which has yet to be seen (applications continue to increase).

These large scale projects will definitely keep rental rates lower though. A benefit is student rental units outside of the immediate area become extremely less appealing saving other neighbourhoods from becoming ghetto-ized. As for Northdale... errr... I dunno. I believe in intensification but these projects are not much improvement. Something really needs to be done at the City level. Increased housing, but no increase/improvement to sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, bike lanes, public transit or mixed-zoning usage... disaster!

[RangersFan]

This will become a landmark in Waterloo.... boy I wish 275 King st North would have been built, to set an example for the entire neighbourhood.

[BuildingScout]

A benefit is student rental units outside of the immediate area become extremely less appealing saving other neighbourhoods from becoming ghetto-ized.

Agree 100%. For many years city council tried to stop the overtaking of neighbourhoods with ineffective distance separation regulations. They didn't work as Northdale, Lester, Marshall, Bricker st residents can attest. Our neighbourhood also was slowly becoming student-dominated until large developments were allowed on Columbia. Since then the number of student rentals has gone down.

Let's also not forget that monster houses were the creation of city council, since for many years they refused to allow proper rental units to be built anywhere within the city. Now that proper rentals are allowed developers greatly favour proper buildings over conversions to monster houses.

[UrbanWaterloo]

May 25, 2011

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Student%20Housing/328%20Regina%20Street%20North/328%20Regina%20Street%20North,%20Waterloo%20-%20May%2025,%202011%20-%201b%20Resized.jpg

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Student%20Housing/328%20Regina%20Street%20North/328%20Regina%20Street%20North,%20Waterloo%20-%20May%2025,%202011%20-%202b%20Resized.jpg

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Student%20Housing/328%20Regina%20Street%20North/328%20Regina%20Street%20North,%20Waterloo%20-%20May%2025,%202011%20-%203%20Resized.jpg

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Student%20Housing/328%20Regina%20Street%20North/328%20Regina%20Street%20North,%20Waterloo%20-%20May%2025,%202011%20-%204a%20Resized.jpg

[mpd618]

Wow. In an area still dominated by detached houses, we're demolishing mid-rise apartment buildings to build high-rises? Really?

And for that matter, it's replacing 2- and 3-bedroom housing stock with 5-bedroom student-only units.

[Trogdor]

Wow. In an area still dominated by detached houses, we're demolishing mid-rise apartment buildings to build high-rises? Really?

And for that matter, it's replacing 2- and 3-bedroom housing stock with 5-bedroom student-only units.

It's sad, but these aren't exactly the prettiest mid-rises so I'm not overly upset.

[Greg Moore]

Those places are dumps anyway. It will take at least 3 years to make a big building look that bad. :)

I'm actually happy to have them develop this kind of building on that section of Regina. It means it isn't somewhere offensive, like King Street.

I still have hope for Northdale's interior, although, it is minimal. The city planners don't want to let people do anything but sleep in that neighborhood.

[mpd618]

Aesthetically, I was thinking it might be a wash. And then I realized that those mature trees stand no chance.

[BuildingScout]

Aesthetically, I was thinking it might be a wash. And then I realized that those mature trees stand no chance.

I think the added density of that area is likely to lead into the development of a nice urban destination, something that Waterloo didn't have until very recently, when uptown and Belmont village started becoming places to go to.

[WatDot]

The City needs to start encouraging mixed use on these major streets though. I can't see the interior streets of Northdale eventually becoming home to businesses and places of employment, with the major roadways being strictly intensified residential (student) developments. Kind of backwards in my opinion.

[WatDot]

Demo is underway this morning.

[UrbanWaterloo]

The southern building has been completely demolished...


June 3, 2011

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Student%20Housing/328%20Regina%20Street%20North/328%20Regina%20Street%20North%20-%20June%203,%202011%20-%201d%20Resized.jpg

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Student%20Housing/328%20Regina%20Street%20North/328%20Regina%20Street%20North%20-%20June%203,%202011%20-%202%20Resized.jpg

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Student%20Housing/328%20Regina%20Street%20North/328%20Regina%20Street%20North%20-%20June%203,%202011%20-%203%20Resized.jpg

[Newgrad]

I feel really strange about 328 coming down. The unit on the first floor, front right hand corner (looking from the street was the first place my future wife and I ever lived together in. Won't miss the building but I'll miss the memories!

[BuildingScout]

Meanwhile, the University of Waterloo says:

"Waterloo is likely to admit about as many first-year students this year as last year."

Preliminary data is out and 1st year enrollments at uWaterloo are down 3% as planned. Overall enrollment including graduate programs is expected to go up by about 300 students.

Number of beds slated to open this Fall? at least 1800.

[plam]

Preliminary data is out and 1st year enrollments at uWaterloo are down 3% as planned. Overall enrollment including graduate programs is expected to go up by about 300 students.

Number of beds slated to open this Fall? at least 1800.

I've also heard that, now that we have better transit than before, graduate students are more likely to live further away from campus than before. It's probably good that students live further away in general, since it reduces student ghettoization.

[WatDot]

Preliminary data is out and 1st year enrollments at uWaterloo are down 3% as planned. Overall enrollment including graduate programs is expected to go up by about 300 students.

Number of beds slated to open this Fall? at least 1800.

Laurier is up for first year enrolments... again. Laurier hasn't built any new residences on the Waterloo campus, yet first year residence is guaranteed. Pretty sure some of these places are going to be leased.

[bzmwillemsen]

Laurier's Off-Campus Housing gets bigger every year.

Also, they just built a new first-year residence last year at King/Bricker/Lodge.

[BuildingScout]

Laurier is up for first year enrolments... again.

Careful with those numbers. Most of the growth is in the Brantford and Burlington campuses.



Laurier hasn't built any new residences on the Waterloo campus.

WLU has bought several privately built residences and converted to student residences over the last few years, including the one on King just last year. They won't have problems covering demand at all.

[benjaminbach]

WLU has bought several privately built residences and converted to student residences over the last few years, including the one on King just last year.

Which ones in the last couple of years, aside from King & Lodge? They have leased some buildings from private owners, including our firm's clients. Is that what you're referring to?

[BuildingScout]

Which ones in the last couple of years, aside from King & Lodge? They have leased some buildings from private owners, including our firm's clients. Is that what you're referring to?

Yes, though I wasn't aware they were leases.

[WatDot]

Careful with those numbers. Most of the growth is in the Brantford and Burlington campuses.

http://www.wlu.ca/statistics/index.php?goto=undergraduate

Remove applicable Brantford campus numbers and you will see a continual increase at the Waterloo campus since 2007. Not a "massive" increase per say but 1,800 since 2007. When public documents are available in November I am positive you will see the trend continue for 2011. :RpS_wink:

There is no Burlington campus for Laurier.


WLU has bought several privately built residences and converted to student residences over the last few years, including the one on King just last year. They won't have problems covering demand at all.

Laurier hasn't bought or built any residences since the King Street Residence next to Quizno's. The building at King/Lodge is leased. Laurier does not own it nor did they build it. So further to my comment... I'm pretty sure some of these new large developments will be leased by Laurier in the near future.

[UrbanWaterloo]

Only a section of wall remains @ 328 Regina Street...


June 10, 2011

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Student%20Housing/328%20Regina%20Street%20North/328%20Regina%20Street%20North%20-%20June%2010,%202011%20-%201b%20Resized.jpg

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Student%20Housing/328%20Regina%20Street%20North/328%20Regina%20Street%20North%20-%20June%2010,%202011%20-%202a%20Resized.jpg

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Student%20Housing/328%20Regina%20Street%20North/328%20Regina%20Street%20North%20-%20June%2010,%202011%20-%205a%20Resized.jpg

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Student%20Housing/328%20Regina%20Street%20North/328%20Regina%20Street%20North%20-%20June%2010,%202011%20-%205b%20Resized.jpg

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Student%20Housing/328%20Regina%20Street%20North/328%20Regina%20Street%20North%20-%20June%2010,%202011%20-%206%20Resized.jpg

[RangersFan]

So with the new wave of student stucco apartments headed for Waterloo lets get a little contest going.

Which of the below will win the race to completion?

1) The proposed 16 story on Lester St
2) The proposed 17 story on King St
3) The proposed 18 story on Regina St

[WatDot]

So with the new wave of student stucco apartments headed for Waterloo lets get a little contest going.

Which of the below will win the race to completion?

1) The proposed 16 story on Lester St
2) The proposed 17 story on King St
3) The proposed 18 story on Regina St

Ohhhh that's a good contest. Not a completely easy answer but I am going to go with Lester St.

[RangersFan]

I am thinking Lester st as well not just because it is smaller but the other two on Lester seemed to go up in a hurry (although the second one has slowed considerably)

[WatDot]

I am thinking Lester st as well not just because it is smaller but the other two on Lester seemed to go up in a hurry (although the second one has slowed considerably)

That's my reasoning too. The company doing Lester St. seems to be the fastest in the City I think.

You think Regina or King will start first? Or do you think they will build both at the same time?

[RangersFan]

You think Regina or King will start first? Or do you think they will build both at the same time?

If we go only on the data we have it looks like the King st one was demolished first, so assuming the trend continues I would go with the King St monster next.

[BuildingScout]

So with the new wave of student stucco apartments headed for Waterloo lets get a little contest going.

Which of the below will win the race to completion?

1) The proposed 16 story on Lester St
2) The proposed 17 story on King St
3) The proposed 18 story on Regina St

They are trying to beat the change in density for the area. My guess is that once they get they card punched in, they will proceed as slowly as possible to avoid oversupply this coming fall.

The key question is what do they need to do to get they card punched in? Break ground, substantial completion, opening by certain date?

[WatDot]

If we go only on the data we have it looks like the King st one was demolished first, so assuming the trend continues I would go with the King St monster next.

Fair enough. I can't see them building the two at the same rate myself. Renting two cranes/operators would be costly.

[markster]

The key question is what do they need to do to get they card punched in? Break ground, substantial completion, opening by certain date?
I don't think they need to get anywhere near that far.
I imagine it will be the date by which the building plans are approved by the city. Once that's done, they've got approval to build whatever they have drawings for.
Now, if they wait for construction, and then discover significant problems in their plans (unlikely) and try to get approvals for a modification after the zoning changes, then they'd be in trouble.

[BuildingScout]

Remove applicable Brantford campus numbers and you will see a continual increase at the Waterloo campus since 2007. Not a "massive" increase per say but 1,800 since 2007. When public documents are available in November I am positive you will see the trend continue for 2011. :RpS_wink:

Confirmation stats so far are out and both Waterloo and WLU report drops in numbers.

University | 2010 | 2011
Waterloo | 4112 | 4083
WLU | 364 | 328

The statistics you sent confirm that the number of first year admissions at WLU actually went down last year.

We still have earlier increases being absorbed into the system so the overall student population number in both universities will likely increase this year and perhaps the next, but then it will stabilize. To see this, imagine a hypothetical university which admits 10 students every year for a total population of 10x4=40 students: ten in first year, ten in 2nd, ten in the 3rd and 10 in the 4th year. If the university decides to increase the number of admittances to 15 and hold them steady there, the population will increase gradually from 40 to 60 students over four years as each senior class of ten students graduates and is replaced by an incoming frosh class of 15. So the numbers will raise gradually from 40 to 45 to 50 to 55 to 60 by year four.

Looking at the numbers, WLU is in year two of the four year raise, reaching a steady state of 800 more students than presently. Waterloo is in a similar state.

[UrbanWaterloo]

All cleared, but no construction yet...

July 15, 2011

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Student%20Housing/328%20Regina%20Street%20North/GEDC0897.JPG

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Student%20Housing/328%20Regina%20Street%20North/GEDC0890.JPG

[WatDot]

So I was wrong... crane going up on this site today as well. This development and the King Street development with have cranes up at the same time.

[ThatGuy]

539540
So I was wrong... crane going up on this site today as well. This development and the King Street development with have cranes up at the same time.

[UrbanWaterloo]

October 1, 2011

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Student%20Housing/328%20Regina%20Street%20North/328%20Regina%20Street%20North%20-%20October%201,%202011%20-%202%20R.jpg

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Student%20Housing/328%20Regina%20Street%20North/328%20Regina%20Street%20North%20-%20October%201,%202011%20-%203%20R.jpg

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Student%20Housing/328%20Regina%20Street%20North/328%20Regina%20Street%20North%20-%20October%201,%202011%20-%206%20R.jpg

[UrbanWaterloo]

Breaking above ground...

November 1, 2011

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Student%20Housing/328%20Regina%20Street%20North/328%20Regina%20Street%20North%20-%20November%201,%202011%20-%201%20R.jpg

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Student%20Housing/328%20Regina%20Street%20North/328%20Regina%20Street%20North%20-%20November%201,%202011%20-%202%20R.jpg

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Student%20Housing/328%20Regina%20Street%20North/328%20Regina%20Street%20North%20-%20November%201,%202011%20-%203b%20R.jpg

[UrbanWaterloo]

November 22, 2011

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Student%20Housing/328%20Regina%20Street%20North/328%20Regina%20Street%20North%20-%20November%2022,%202011%20-%201%20R.jpg

[UrbanWaterloo]

December 1, 2011

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Student%20Housing/328%20Regina%20Street%20North/328%20Regina%20Street%20North,%20Waterloo%20-%20December%201,%202011%20-%201%20R.jpg

[UrbanWaterloo]

3rd Floor - January 16, 2012

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Student%20Housing/328%20Regina%20Street%20North/328%20Regina%20Street%20North%20-%20January%2016,%202012%20R.jpg

[UrbanWaterloo]

4th Floor - January 30, 2012

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Student%20Housing/328%20Regina%20Street%20North/328%20Regina%20Street%20North%20-%20January%2030,%202012%20-%202%20R.jpg

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Student%20Housing/328%20Regina%20Street%20North/328%20Regina%20Street%20North%20-%20January%2030,%202012%20-%201%20R.jpg

[UrbanWaterloo]

This development is also currently on the 5th floor...

February 13, 2012

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Student%20Housing/328%20Regina%20Street%20North/328%20Regina%20Street%20North,%20Waterloo%20-%20February%2013,%202012%20-%201a%20R.jpg

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Student%20Housing/328%20Regina%20Street%20North/328%20Regina%20Street%20North,%20Waterloo%20-%20February%2013,%202012%20-%202%20R.jpg

[UrbanWaterloo]

This building is also up to the 6th floor, guess it's a race to the top between here and 315 King Street North (http://www.wonderfulwaterloo.com/showthread.php?t=456&p=36585#post36585).


6th Floor - March 5, 2012

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Student%20Housing/328%20Regina%20Street%20North/328%20Regina%20Street%20North,%20Waterloo%20-%20March%205,%202012%20-%201%20R.jpg

[BuildingScout]

This building is also up to the 6th floor, guess it's a race to the top between here and 315 King Street North (http://www.wonderfulwaterloo.com/showthread.php?t=456&p=36585#post36585).

Actually they are both on a very tight timeline, at the current pace they would be lucky to make a January 1st, 2013 opening date, which I assume was the original intention.

[markster]

Actually they are both on a very tight timeline, at the current pace they would be lucky to make a January 1st, 2013 opening date, which I assume was the original intention.

Hmm... comparing to Luxe:
Luxe was about 6 storeys up on June 23rd, 2010.
Luxe was open for business on on August 8th, 2011.

Yeah, 9 months to do what Luxe did in 13!

[UrbanWaterloo]

Windows are going in...

7th Floor - March 31, 2012

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Student%20Housing/328%20Regina%20Street%20North/328%20Regina%20Street%20North%20-%20March%2031,%202012%20-%201%20R.jpg

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Student%20Housing/328%20Regina%20Street%20North/328%20Regina%20Street%20North%20-%20March%2031,%202012%20-%202%20R.jpg

[UrbanWaterloo]

9th Floor - April 25, 2012

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Student%20Housing/328%20Regina%20Street%20North/328%20Regina%20Street%20North%20-%20April%2025,%202012%20-%201a%20R.jpg

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Student%20Housing/328%20Regina%20Street%20North/328%20Regina%20Street%20North%20-%20April%2025,%202012%20-%202c%20R.jpg

[RyHam]

This one appears to at least have slightly larger windows than the other behemoths. Still though, it's a building only the architect's mother could love.

[UrbanWaterloo]

11th Floor - May 21, 2012

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Student%20Housing/328%20Regina%20Street%20North/328%20Regina%20Street%20North%20-%20May%2021,%202012%20-%201b%20R.jpg

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Student%20Housing/328%20Regina%20Street%20North/328%20Regina%20Street%20North%20-%20May%2021,%202012%20-%202%20R.jpg

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Student%20Housing/328%20Regina%20Street%20North/328%20Regina%20Street%20North%20-%20May%2021,%202012%20-%203%20R.jpg

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Student%20Housing/328%20Regina%20Street%20North/328%20Regina%20Street%20North%20-%20May%2021,%202012%20-%204a%20R.jpg

[SP!RE]

Lovely. More cheap, fake "stone".

[myfaceisonfire]

I prefer this cheap fake stone to the pink/peach/flesh toned monstrosity on king. Good god that is ugly, I still can't get over it.

[.FLH.]

Fake stone is only the first three floors..then stucco I'd assume

[UrbanWaterloo]

13th Floor - June 19, 2012

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Student%20Housing/328%20Regina%20Street%20North/328%20Regina%20Street%20North%20-%20June%2019,%202012%20-%201a%20R.jpg

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Student%20Housing/328%20Regina%20Street%20North/328%20Regina%20Street%20North%20-%20June%2019,%202012%20-%202%20R.jpg

[luckee]

...will they cut down the beautiful evergreen trees along Albert St as they've done along Regina or King or Columbia or a myriad of other trees that have been chopped down all over this city so that little Johnny and perky Patty can study...
did I say study...I meant party...
...this city is being ruined, decimated tree by tree as the massive ugly structures rise to the skies

[UrbanWaterloo]

14th Floor - July 2, 2012

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Student%20Housing/328%20Regina%20Street%20North/328%20Regina%20Street%20North%20-%20July%202,%202012%20-%201a%20R.jpg

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Student%20Housing/328%20Regina%20Street%20North/328%20Regina%20Street%20North%20-%20July%202,%202012%20-%203%20R.jpg

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Student%20Housing/328%20Regina%20Street%20North/328%20Regina%20Street%20North%20-%20July%202,%202012%20-%204%20R.jpg

[panamaniac]

That last shot makes this one look not only unattractive, but slightly sinister. That can't have been easy for the architect to achieve......

[UrbanWaterloo]

16th Floor - July 20, 2012

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Student%20Housing/328%20Regina%20Street%20North/328%20Regina%20Street%20North%20-%20July%2020,%202012%20-%202%20R.jpg

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Student%20Housing/328%20Regina%20Street%20North/328%20Regina%20Street%20North%20-%20July%2020,%202012%20-%201b%20R.jpg

[KLM]

I already feel dizzy looking at this building.

[metropolis]

At least the windows are large in comparison to many other recent student projects...

[bcwessel]

You could compose a perfectly handsome, completely successful place with buildings that look just like this, provided there was something interesting happening on the street, and the upper floors weren't intended as merely temporary storage for Waterloo's student "problem." The deficiency of this tower is not aesthetic, at least not primarily so.

When you walk around Yaletown (in Vancouver), you never even notice the buildings, because they are so successfully wrapped in the facade of traditional urbanism. And when viewed from afar, all of those podiums are monotonous (or dizzying) in nearly the exact same manner that the Waterloo Special is. And even if that weren't the case, and every student tower in Waterloo looked identical to the tower portion of the Vancouver Special, they would still create a terrible place. It would still be intentionally transient and monocultural, there would still be nothing to do there.

Our collective critique of this shit can't begin and end with "it looks bad." In fact, there's no point even commenting on the art of these buildings until the foundation of functional urbanism has been firmly established. It's like worrying about the paint job of an plane without wings.

[eizenstriet]

bcwessel:

Might this recent article by the Globe and Mail architecture critic be capturing your observation of the distinction between (a) simple aesthetic deficiency and (b) unhealthy monoculture?

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/art-and-architecture/in-a-big-box-world-can-the-street-be-saved/article4415675/

The context of the article is different in that it is dealing with the Toronto proliferation of glass condo towers, whereas Waterloo is facing the predomination of styrofoam student warehouses. Still, the theme holds:

“Imagine being forced to listen to the same piece of music all day – a gravelly heartbreaker by Nickelback or a high-pitched ditty from the Sound of Music – and the song keeps repeating, every day, every week, one season to the next.”

She does also pick up your reference to Vancouver Yaletown.

I recall Ms. Rochon describing Waterloo in a prior article as “a city of surpassing ugliness”. That was before the real metastasis of Northdale, so she probably hasn’t changed her mind on that score. But even a whole lotta ugly can be softened by diversity.

[KLM]

Seems I opened whole new can of worms with my dizziness.:RpS_scared:

[bcwessel]

Seems I opened whole new can of worms with my dizziness.:RpS_scared:

It's actually the same old can of worms, which I suspect keeps hanging around due to its seemingly endless potential to provide fodder for hilarious zingers.

[bcwessel]

bcwessel:

Might this recent article by the Globe and Mail architecture critic be capturing your observation of the distinction between (a) simple aesthetic deficiency and (b) unhealthy monoculture?

Great article, thanks for sharing.

[UrbanWaterloo]

This building has now topped out at 18 floors. Like it or not (and I imagine many will not), this is now the tallest tower to go up in the City of Waterloo in 20 years (since Waterpark Place (http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=waterpark+place+waterloo&hl=en&ll=43.465831,-80.517683&spn=0.012038,0.024612&safe=off&fb=1&gl=ca&hq=waterpark+place&hnear=0x882bf1565ffe672b:0x5037b28c7231d90,Waterlo o,+ON&cid=0,0,4395050605348623398&t=m&z=16&layer=c&cbll=43.465852,-80.51753&panoid=vTyuhTOYSVXDGbb6JsADmw&cbp=12,120.43,,0,-14.61)), and the tallest in the Region of Waterloo since the early 2000's when The Regency (http://www.homestead.ca/apartments/the-regency/) was constructed in Downtown Kitchener.

That said, both 144 Park (http://www.wonderfulwaterloo.com/showthread.php?t=17&p=38906#post38906) & the BarrelYards (http://www.wonderfulwaterloo.com/showthread.php?t=205&p=38774#post38774) should surpass this project's height in 2013. Also the latest rumour on Sage (http://www.wonderfulwaterloo.com/showthread.php?t=1293&p=39015#post39015) has one of the future phases being the new tallest building in the area.


18 Floors - August 15, 2012

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Student%20Housing/328%20Regina%20Street%20North/328%20Regina%20Street%20North%20-%20August%2015,%202012%20-%201a%20R.jpg

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/Student%20Housing/328%20Regina%20Street%20North/328%20Regina%20Street%20North%20-%20August%2015,%202012%20-%203c%20R.jpg

[myfaceisonfire]

This building wouldn't be nearly as offensive without that hideous crown up top. I cannot for the life of me fathom what possessed the architect to add it. Then again, I have stopped trying to understand the rationale behind some of the design decisions made on these student warehouses.