UW Engineering VI | 22 m | 5 fl

[UrbanWaterloo]

UW Engineering VI
Contractor: Aecon Group Inc. (http://www.aecon.com/Home.aspx)
Architect: Diamond Schmitt Architects Inc. (http://www.dsai.ca/)
Groundbreaking: September 24, 2009
Completion Date: March 2011
Campus Location (http://www.wonderfulwaterloo.com/showthread.php/118-UW-Engineering-VI-22-m-5-fl?p=607#post607)

http://www.engineering.uwaterloo.ca/alumni/Events/Images/ENG_VI_building%20v2.jpg
http://www.engineering.uwaterloo.ca/alumni/Events/ENG_VI_groundbreaking.html (http://www.engineering.uwaterloo.ca/alumni/Events/ENG_VI_groundbreaking.html)

[Spokes]

http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/8056/eng6map.jpg
http://www.engineering.uwaterloo.ca/alumni/Events/ENG_VI_groundbreaking.pdf (http://www.engineering.uwaterloo.ca/alumni/Events/ENG_VI_groundbreaking.pdf)

Aecon wins bid to build UW engineering building
The Record

Aecon Group Inc. has been awarded a $38-million contract to build a new chemical engineering building at the University of Waterloo. The Toronto-based construction and infrastructure development company said construction of the five-storey, 113,000-square-foot concrete structure will begin immediately and is expected to be completed in March 2011. Aecon, which employs several hundred people in Cambridge at its Central Canada industrial and Innovative Steam Technologies divisions, currently is building the $130- million Mike and Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre at the university.

[Spokes]

Breaking ground
Campus' future buildings taking shape

http://imprint.uwaterloo.ca/media/imprint/vol32/issue15/fullthumb/new-buildings.jpg
Clockwise from top left: “Math 2,” Engineering 6, and Environment 3.

Groundbreaking ceremonies for new math, engineering, and environmental buildings have already occurred. These expansions will be seen on campus in March of 2011. Vision 2010, an engineering academic plan created in 2005, guides the development within the faculty. According to the plan, there is demand for three new buildings: Engineering 5, 6, and 7. This improvement would be in addition to the Quantum-Nano Centre. Engineering 5, which is in the construction process (to be completed by March or April of 2010), will be a six-story building located in parking lot B. The first two floors of the building are intended to house the Student Design Centre, where students are credited for the design of the solar car and robotics projects. The department of mechanical and mechatronics engineering will be housed on the first floor, and the department of electrical computer engineering will go on the second. The department of systems design engineering will be located on the top floor. Substantial space for teaching and research will be present in the Engineering 5 building. The cost of this building will be around $55 million.

While the groundbreaking has already occurred for Engineering 6, it is still in the planning stages. It will also be located in parking lot B in close proximity to Engineering 5. Engineering 6 will house approximately 60 per cent of the chemical engineering department which will be transferred out of Engineering 1, whose old facilities have become unsuitable for chemical engineering projects. Both the federal and provincial governments are providing up to 50 per cent of the $42 million project through the Knowledge Infrastructure Program (KIP). “The university is working to engage in trying to raise private funds,” said Dean of Engineering Adel Sedra.

The math expansion, a four-storey, 90,000 square foot building, will be located in between the existing math building and the Photovoltaic Research Centre and will house the department of statistics and actuarial science. It will include all required aspects for the department: offices for faculty, graduate students, and research assistants, along with style copy rooms, conference seminar rooms, and research lab space. “We are also going to provide space for undergraduate student clubs,” said Jack Rehder, executive officer for the faculty of math, who also mentions that there are plans to put in a trading room for stock trading. An additional feature which will be seen in the new building is a large theatre-style classroom, located on the ground floor, accommodating approximately 350 students and available for booking by any faculty members. The bridge that currently connects the math building to the Davis Centre will be extended so that there is a link to the new building as well.

The building is expected to be finished by March 2011; however, building commencement is unknown due to a pending building permit. The budget of $23 million for the project should also include the contingent fee as well as renovations. The federal and provincial government are contributing $18 million to the project through the KIP. “The rest of the funding comes from a variety of other sources,” said Rehder, “this includes central university funds and well as contributions from the math faculty and this is because the KIP isn't for teaching but for research.”

A growth in the undergraduate enrolment in the environmental department has caused the need for a new building in the department. “The undergraduate enrolment has doubled in the past three years. It went from 1,200 to 2,000 and is still increasing, in 2012 we are expecting up to 2,200 undergraduates,” says Deep Saini, the dean of environment. The increase in undergraduate students has called for the increase in professors and the requirement for more labs to be created. Inside the building there will be a large foyer with a cafe and a fair amount of common student space. The top floor will have two courtyards.

The new environment building, Environment 3, will be a four-storey building located on ring road and attached by the first two floors to Environment 2 and on the third floor to Environment 1. The top two floors will spread across the top of Environment 2. “We want to keep our footprint on green space as low as possible,” said Saini. The faculty of environment is building to a gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standing. Saini added, “It would be the first to this standard on campus.” The plan is for the building to be only 52,000 square feet.

The groundbreaking ceremony has already happened and we should see digging start in just a few weeks. The cost of the building will be between $19 and $20 million. Of this sum, the federal and provincial governments will be giving $14 million.

http://imprint.uwaterloo.ca/2009/oct/30/news/breaking-ground/ (http://imprint.uwaterloo.ca/2009/oct/30/news/breaking-ground/)


A New Home for Chemical Engineering

by Cynthia Kinnunen

On September 24, 2009, approximately 200 people gathered to witness the groundbreaking for Engineering 6, one of several new buildings for Engineering at University of Waterloo. The expansion of the Faculty of Engineering is part of Vision 2010, to be one of North America’s top engineering schools, and it is an exciting time on campus.

Chemical Engineering in particular required a new home, having resided in the Douglas Wright Building since 1958. To meet the demands of higher student numbers (10% of Chemical Engineering graduates in Canada are from UW) and to meet the advancing needs of research and industry, it was definitely time for expansion in this area.

Engineering 6 is being constructed with the needs of students, faculty and research in mind. Within its walls, you’ll find high-tech lecture halls and modern seminar rooms, comfortable and spacious student and faculty lounges, functional offices, and cutting-edge research labs. Housed in this first of two buildings for The Department of Chemical Engineering will be custom-designed floors for plastics and polymer science engineering, biochemical and biomedical engineering, green reaction engineering and advanced materials engineering. Labs will be equipped with the most current tools, technology and safety measures, along with collaborative forums for students, faculty and industry partners to strengthen research enterprise, for which UW is already considered among the top three in Canada.

Of course, the building itself has also been thoughtfully designed, incorporating such elements as recycled content in the structure, a compact building footprint, and heat and recovery exchange systems.

Costing $42 million to construct, funding for Engineering 6 is coming from a variety of sources. $18 million will come from the government’s Knowledge Infrastructure Program, $3 million from the Graduate Growth Capital Fund, $7 million from the University itself, and $14 million from other sources, such as individual and corporate donations. It is a solid investment in the future of the University, its graduates, and Canada’s place in industries such as energy, fuels, safety and health.
Over the next sixteen months, we will watch Engineering 6 take shape. By March 2011, Chemical Engineering on campus will have a new world-class home, where enthusiastic students, inspired faculty and innovative research will reside.

http://www.engineering.uwaterloo.ca/alumni/publications/eWEAL/2009-October_page5.html (http://www.engineering.uwaterloo.ca/alumni/publications/eWEAL/2009-October_page5.html)

[Spokes]

So the rendering looks like it's going to have some street presence. It doesn't though does it? Not at Phillip st.

[Waterlooian4Life]

So the rendering looks like it's going to have some street presence. It doesn't though does it? Not at Phillip st.

Yea I though that at first too.... but the render is actually facing East Campus Hall not Philip Street....however Phase 2 of this building will be closer to philip. but that will have to wait for more funding

[Spokes]

Yea I though that at first too.... but the render is actually facing East Campus Hall not Philip Street....however Phase 2 of this building will be closer to philip. but that will have to wait for more funding

That's good to know. Hopefully that Eastern part of campus gets developed more. WITH phillip street interaction.

[RangersFan]

Yeah from what I can tell it looks like E VI will be fairly far from Phillip st.

[RangersFan]

Pictures taken by me today Jan 24/2010
http://i907.photobucket.com/albums/ac273/leaffan431/University%20of%20Waterloo/ENGVI1.jpg
http://i907.photobucket.com/albums/ac273/leaffan431/University%20of%20Waterloo/ENGVI2.jpg
http://i907.photobucket.com/albums/ac273/leaffan431/University%20of%20Waterloo/ENGVI3.jpg
http://i907.photobucket.com/albums/ac273/leaffan431/University%20of%20Waterloo/ENGVI4.jpg
http://i907.photobucket.com/albums/ac273/leaffan431/University%20of%20Waterloo/ENGVI5.jpg
http://i907.photobucket.com/albums/ac273/leaffan431/University%20of%20Waterloo/ENGVI6.jpg
http://i907.photobucket.com/albums/ac273/leaffan431/University%20of%20Waterloo/ENGVI7.jpg
http://i907.photobucket.com/albums/ac273/leaffan431/University%20of%20Waterloo/ENGVI8.jpg
http://i907.photobucket.com/albums/ac273/leaffan431/University%20of%20Waterloo/ENGVI9.jpg
http://i907.photobucket.com/albums/ac273/leaffan431/University%20of%20Waterloo/ENGVI10.jpg

[Spokes]

Thanks for all your pics today Leaffan!

UW should really start to incorporate underground parking into some of these buildings in preparation for when they build on the lots surrounding the University Ave/Ring Rd intersection.

[plam]

UW should really start to incorporate underground parking into some of these buildings in preparation for when they build on the lots surrounding the University Ave/Ring Rd intersection.

Underground parking is certainly better than surface parking, but I'd be a bit surprised if UW spent money on it.

[Spokes]

Underground parking is certainly better than surface parking, but I'd be a bit surprised if UW spent money on it.

Ya but if they go ahead with plans for buildings surrounding the University Ave/Ring Rd intersection, not to mention the lot at the south west corner of North Campus, where will people park? Parking structure?

[RangersFan]

March 8, 2010

http://i907.photobucket.com/albums/ac273/leaffan431/University%20of%20Waterloo/ENGVI11.jpg
http://i907.photobucket.com/albums/ac273/leaffan431/University%20of%20Waterloo/ENGVI12.jpg
http://i907.photobucket.com/albums/ac273/leaffan431/University%20of%20Waterloo/ENGVI13.jpg
http://i907.photobucket.com/albums/ac273/leaffan431/University%20of%20Waterloo/ENGVI14.jpg
http://i907.photobucket.com/albums/ac273/leaffan431/University%20of%20Waterloo/ENGVI15.jpg
http://i907.photobucket.com/albums/ac273/leaffan431/University%20of%20Waterloo/ENGVI16.jpg
http://i907.photobucket.com/albums/ac273/leaffan431/University%20of%20Waterloo/ENGVI17.jpg

[diego]

Ya but if they go ahead with plans for buildings surrounding the University Ave/Ring Rd intersection, not to mention the lot at the south west corner of North Campus, where will people park? Parking structure?

There are a few parking structures planned, plus the master plan says that they really want to discourage car use thanks to the LRT. Also, there's no doubt that they will go ahead with the plans to build on every single parking lot UW has, which is a very good thing in my opinion.

[Spokes]

There are a few parking structures planned, plus the master plan says that they really want to discourage car use thanks to the LRT. Also, there's no doubt that they will go ahead with the plans to build on every single parking lot UW has, which is a very good thing in my opinion.

Ahh yes fair enough.

Back to Eng VI, this is set back really far from Phillip, farther than I thought. I hope UW does some kind of public square in front of it as opposed to parking.

[Urbanomicon]

Engineering 6 (E6) on April 4, 2010.

http://i779.photobucket.com/albums/yy73/Urbanomicon/University%20of%20Waterloo%20-%20E5%20andE6/10-04-10_1841.jpg
http://i779.photobucket.com/albums/yy73/Urbanomicon/University%20of%20Waterloo%20-%20E5%20andE6/10-04-10_1842.jpg

[diego]

Ahh yes fair enough.

Back to Eng VI, this is set back really far from Phillip, farther than I thought. I hope UW does some kind of public square in front of it as opposed to parking.

A building is planned right next to Phillip, I'm not sure if an extension to E6 but it's there on the master plan.

[DKsan]

Eng VII?

I think it might be a new East Campus Hall, because I know they really want to try and open up East Campus more, especially with the Engineering buildings.

[Spokes]

ECH might be a better guess. I thought EVII was the one that would be connected to EV?

[Spokes]

A building is planned right next to Phillip, I'm not sure if an extension to E6 but it's there on the master plan.

Which master plan? And what page? If you remember/still have it that is.

[Urbanomicon]

Below is an excerpt from the article as relates to Engineering VII. The full article is posted in the Engineering V thread.

ENGINEERING V PLANS COMPLETE
Parking Lot B Major Focus of Faculty's Long-Term Roadmap
By Bahman Hadji (http://iwarrior.uwaterloo.ca/?cx=partner-pub-4542138464055392%3Afckw7t-cx7p&cof=FORID%3A9&ie=ISO-8859-1&module=search&q=Bahman%20Hadji&sa=Search)
http://iwarrior.uwaterloo.ca/props/?module=displaystory&story_id=3475&format=html&edition_id=91 (http://iwarrior.uwaterloo.ca/props/?module=displaystory&story_id=3475&format=html&edition_id=91)


http://iwarrior.uwaterloo.ca/props/photos/2008w-5/EngineeringRoadmap.png

A rendering showing the approximate look of the east side of campus after the completion of the three-phase plan. Note EVII in between EV and EVI.

-------------------------------------------------

Engineering VII

E7 will only be built after the space needs of Chemical Engineering have been alleviated with the construction of E6. The planning process for E7 will be minimal, because one of the guiding principles behind the expansion plan dictates that consolidation is important, and so the departments occupying floors three to six in E5 will gain the complementary space in E7, with the two buildings linked with two small corridors on the north and south ends, and a major passageway at the centre.

The usage of the two lower floors of E7 will still have to be finalized, as the SDC will not be extending into the building. Covered parking is an option, but the Faculty is not willing to pay for it, when costs can run as much $30,000 per parking spot. However, if the University wants to put the cash forward to regain some of the parking space that will be lost with the expansion on Parking Lot B, the Faculty is receptive to the idea. Another possibility is to use the lower two floors for the Faculty, which could range from space for the Dean’s administrative staff to more computer labs. “This type of use would certainly shift the centre of gravity of the Faculty even more towards Parking Lot B, but it is all dependent on what might happen with the Graduate House site in the years immediately ahead,” Venter stated.

Once E7 is built, the space in between the two twin buildings will make for a nice atrium, and there is the possibility of a second Engineering Society C&D or a Food Services location in the space.

Other Priorities

Getting E5, E6, and E7 built are currently the three top priorities of the Faculty as part of the expansion plan. But the idea has always been a domino effect where as some departments vacate their old space in E2, CPH, and DWE and move into these new buildings, other departments reorganize within that space which would be renovated. So the fourth priority for the Faculty is the renovation of DWE, especially the C-Wing, once it has been vacated by Chemical Engineering, so the space can be used by other departments. Should it be proven to be more cost-effective, this priority may actually jump ahead of the construction of E7.

“When we started on the space plan, we told all departments that they could not all acquire space at once, but that each might anticipate incremental gains until the final objectives were achieved,” Gooding explained. Thus, the departments gaining space in E5 understand that the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Department of Management Sciences will be gaining by the consolidation of their space in the current Engineering buildings.

The fifth priority of the Faculty is to shell in the floors of E6 so that Chemical Engineering can comfortably expand into the space. However, this may not even be a necessary step if enough money is raised by the time the building is that far in the planning stages. “Quite honestly, if we start planning the building now, by the time we get to building it, there will be nothing left and we will have built the whole thing without having it shelled in,” Venter advised. “But it’s the accountability and the planning that’s important.” Once the initial skeleton of E6 is filled in, the sixth priority is to plan for the extension of E6 to handle Chemical Engineering’s expected international expansion.

The final priority of the Faculty is to actively participate in the development of the Graduate House site to not lose it as a future option for expansion. “If Engineering doesn’t continue to show interest, we’ll lose momentum,” Venter said. “So we’ll show sufficient interest anytime the issue comes up.”

It is clear that over the next five years, an enormous amount of change will be brought to the University of Waterloo campus, with the Faculty of Engineering playing a major role. Students, faculty, and staff should take comfort in the fact that it is very apparent that the Faculty is looking ahead and planning for the long term with a broad vision for the future.

[Spokes]

There's going to be a lot of space between E6 and Phillip st, I hope they do something interesting with it. It'll be too small to build on it, but maybe some kind of courtyard or public space? And then have it framed in with a new ECH that is right up at Phillip. Is a new ECH in the plans?

Hopefully they do some interesting landscaping between E5/7, its courtyard and University plaza. Sitting in that courtyard, you'd get quite a crappy view.

[DKsan]

http://plantoperations.uwaterloo.ca/cmp/

There's the campus master plan.

[Spokes]

Thanks DKsan!

The east gateway that they show isn't really up to date because it doesnt account for EVI, so I wonder what they've got in mind.

[UrbanWaterloo]

April 14, 2010

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa262/AndrewEH/UW/UW-UWEngineeringVI-April142010-2.jpg

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa262/AndrewEH/UW/UW-UWEngineeringVI-April142010-3b.jpg

[Spokes]

That's definitely set back from Phillip quite a bit more than I thought.

[UrbanWaterloo]

April 27, 2010
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa262/AndrewEH/UW/UWEngineeringVI-April272010-1.jpg

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa262/AndrewEH/UW/UWEngineeringVI-April272010-2.jpg

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa262/AndrewEH/UW/UWEngineeringVI-April272010-3.jpg


April 28, 2010

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa262/AndrewEH/UW/UWEngineeringVI-April282010-1.jpg

http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa262/AndrewEH/UW/UWEngineeringVI-April282010-2.jpg

[Spokes]

Glad to see this continuing to rise at a steady rate. I hope this project leads to the further development of the east campus. A nice public area and tearing down ECH and rebuilding it into something really great right up on Phillip st.

[Spokes]

The crane is down!

[DKsan]

I was just walking past the building tonight and I saw a sign with a rendering of the building on it.

Apparently, according to the sign at least, it's not called Engineering VI anymore, but Chemical Engineering I. Does anyone know whether this is actually true or not?

[diego]

I was just walking past the building tonight and I saw a sign with a rendering of the building on it.

Apparently, according to the sign at least, it's not called Engineering VI anymore, but Chemical Engineering I. Does anyone know whether this is actually true or not?

I would say that's just how the design/build company is referring to it? But it could also be the new official name though.

[UrbanWaterloo]

August 10, 2010

South Side
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa262/AndrewEH/UW/UW-UWEngineeringVI-August102010-1b.jpg

West Side
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa262/AndrewEH/UW/UW-UWEngineeringVI-August102010-3a.jpg

[RangersFan]

Sept 15, 2010
http://i907.photobucket.com/albums/ac273/leaffan431/University%20of%20Waterloo/E6Sept1520101.jpg
http://i907.photobucket.com/albums/ac273/leaffan431/University%20of%20Waterloo/E6Sept1520102.jpg

[KevinL]

There's glass and other facade elements starting to go up on the west face (towards Eng V). I'd have snapped a photo, but I was just passing through and in a rush.

[markster]

November 9, 2010

Cladding!

North and West Sides
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/Markster3000/Buildings/DSCF2477Medium.jpg

West Side (campus side)
http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr220/Markster3000/Buildings/DSCF2479Medium.jpg

[Spokes]

Thanks for all your pics from campus!!

[UrbanWaterloo]

January 31, 2011

http://www.wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/UW/UW%20Engineering%20VI%20-%20January%2031,%202011%20-%201%20Resized.jpg

http://www.wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/UW/UW%20Engineering%20VI%20-%20January%2031,%202011%20-%202%20Resized.jpg

[Adrian]

UW Engineering really needs some colour...

[Spokes]

Based on the render I had much higher hopes for this. It's quite bland. Maybe with lights on it'll look a bit better. But very unimpressive.

The only good thing is that it's not right on Philip st. UW needs to step it up with awesome new buildings along Philip. (Likely E VII and ECH)

[Urbanomicon]

Based on the render I had much higher hopes for this. It's quite bland.

In other words, it matches perfectly with all of the other engineering buildings (possibly excluding Engineering V).

[Spokes]

In other words, it matches perfectly with all of the other engineering buildings (possibly excluding Engineering V).

No, it's better than the rest, but when I saw E5 and the renders for E6 I had high hopes. If you compare the photo to the render they are fairly different, only in the sense that the one in the render looks lighter and brighter. The real thing, not so much.

[van Hemessen]

I expected it to be...shinier. It's very matte...doesn't look good in the winter. UW needs to start building things that will look good for the 6 months of the year that are gray and cloudy.

[Spokes]

I expected it to be...shinier. It's very matte...doesn't look good in the winter. UW needs to start building things that will look good for the 6 months of the year that are gray and cloudy.

Ya I think that's whats standing out to me too. I expected more shiny and transparent glass. This isnt

[Duke-of-Waterloo]

Maybe they will put cool LED lights on it like they did with Engineering V. That might help a little at night.

[plam]

In other words, it matches perfectly with all of the other engineering buildings (possibly excluding Engineering V).

It's an engineering building, what do you expect? It is significantly less concrete-y than E2. However, although DC may look glassy, offices don't get nearly enough natural light, because of the glaze on the windows.

[Urbanomicon]

It's an engineering building, what do you expect? It is significantly less concrete-y than E2. However, although DC may look glassy, offices don't get nearly enough natural light, because of the glaze on the windows.

I don't really consider DC an engineering building. It's more of a mathy/computer science building. Most of it is offices anyway with a few computer labs.

[Spokes]

Maybe they will put cool LED lights on it like they did with Engineering V. That might help a little at night.

That's why Im waiting to see what it looks like completely finished before judging. Once all the lights are on inside and out, who knows, I could be totally blown away.

[KevinL]

I don't really consider DC an engineering building. It's more of a mathy/computer science building. Most of it is offices anyway with a few computer labs.

Correct - technically DC is 'Math 2' (and that's why the new building north of MC is 'Math 3').

[RangersFan]

Pictures taken Feb 20, 2011

http://i907.photobucket.com/albums/ac273/leaffan431/University%20of%20Waterloo/Chem1.jpg
http://i907.photobucket.com/albums/ac273/leaffan431/University%20of%20Waterloo/chem2.jpg
http://i907.photobucket.com/albums/ac273/leaffan431/University%20of%20Waterloo/chem3.jpg

[UrbanWaterloo]

March 14, 2011

http://www.wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/UW/UW%20Engineering%20VI%20-%20March%2014,%202011%20-%201%20Resized.jpg

http://www.wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/UW/UW%20Engineering%20VI%20-%20March%2014,%202011%20-%202%20Resized.jpg

http://www.wonderfulwaterloo.com/wdrive/Developments/Waterloo/UW/UW%20Engineering%20VI%20-%20March%2014,%202011%20-%203%20Resized.jpg

[van Hemessen]

I hate to say it but this building truly is ugly. I'm not holding out much hope for the finished product. Fortunately we have Nanotech and EV3 to offset the blandness.

[Urbanomicon]

It actually brings to mind an image of some sort of Secret Service headquarters building.

[metropolis]

It actually brings to mind an image of some sort of Secret Service headquarters building.

Or a minimum security prison.

[bcwessel]

Or a minimum security prison.

Let's not go around insulting minimum security prisons (http://www.jcp.moj.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=70942&CtNode=17539&mp=157) here.

http://www.jcp.moj.gov.tw/site/moj/public/MMO/jcp/zihciang%20picture-1.jpg
Zihciang Minimum-Security Prison, Taiwan

http://i31.tinypic.com/zjdssx.jpg
Justizzentrum Leoben - Minimum Security Prison, Austria

[Spokes]

Wow, really looking bad. UW dropped the ball on this one. The rendering looked good but the finished product, not so much.

[bzmwillemsen]

This building has even less character than the MC.

[plam]

Wow, really looking bad. UW dropped the ball on this one. The rendering looked good but the finished product, not so much.


This building has even less character than the MC.

It's an engineering building, what did you expect? Engineering buildings tend to not be known for their aesthetic excellence.

[KevinL]

It's an engineering building, what did you expect? Engineering buildings tend to not be known for their aesthetic excellence.

Eng V is right next door, and is quite an aesthetic step up. I think it raised the bar almost too high, and Eng VI didn't even try to meet it.

[BuildingScout]

Eng V is right next door, and is quite an aesthetic step up. I think it raised the bar almost too high, and Eng VI didn't even try to meet it.

All they need to do is replace the prison gray windows with a different color and the building would look 100% better just with that.

[WaterlooNative]

Given that the university was founded by industrialists who built factories, these buildings are par for the course. Don't most architects attempt to respond to their surrounding environment? Given how the university grows, these buildings will be added to and altered in no time.

[metropolis]

Let's not go around insulting minimum security prisons here

Medium then :RpS_wink:

[UWaterloo]

Not a mega hater of this building to be honest.

Its a hell of an improvement over the previous windswept parking lot so no complaints here!! Great to see U Waterloo making better use of its East Campus. Besides, if we want to talk ugly - may I suggest that you all turn your heads around a take a long look at ECH!!! If you give the new 'engie building' a second look following a glance of ECH......well lets be honest by comparison its akin to soft core porn. LOL .....then again all that talk about prisons has you all on the right track I suppose. *grin*

[UrbanWaterloo]

Fire at University of Waterloo Engineering building
June 8, 2011 | City of Waterloo | Link (http://www.waterloo.ca/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=78&mid=526&def=News%20Article%20View&ItemId=1573)

On June 6, 2011 at 1:02 p.m., Waterloo Fire Rescue responded to a fire at the University of Waterloo Engineering building at 263 Phillip St. that is currently under construction.

Construction workers working with welding equipment on the fourth floor accidentally caused a blaze which they initially tried to control with fire extinguishers. When these efforts were unsuccessful, they called 911. Arriving firefighters found the fire in the area of a fume hood and duct work and they were able to bring the blaze under control quickly.

No injuries were reported and the initial dollar loss to the equipment is estimated at $30,000. University of Waterloo police, Region of Waterloo EMS and Box 690 Canteen responded to the scene.

[The_Architect]

As much as I like the expansion of the UW campus, E5 and this look like a suburban office building, like something you would see as part of the RIM park (and being as close to it as they are, they very well could be).
E5 is better aesthetically, but they both still do look like office buildings to me.

[DKsan]

The official grand opening of E6, according to the person on the uWaterloo Twitter account is October 26th, but it's open for use before then.

[M____J1]

http://img801.imageshack.us/img801/1844/e61w.jpg (http://img801.imageshack.us/i/e61w.jpg/)

http://img688.imageshack.us/img688/4629/e62v.jpg (http://img688.imageshack.us/i/e62v.jpg/)

[KevinL]

Wow. For all that glass, it's still just a dull gray box. Were they trying to be uninspiring?

[BuildingScout]

Wow. For all that glass, it's still just a dull gray box. Were they trying to be uninspiring?

It's ugly and on a cloudy day is even uglier.

[Urbanomicon]

Wow. For all that glass, it's still just a dull gray box. Were they trying to be uninspiring?

When does the secret service take possession? :RpS_biggrin:

[diego]

No surprise that Engineering is Waterloo's most conservative faculty...

[Adrian]

Well, at least they planted some small trees to give the surroundings a little bit of colour... for the Summer at least.

[Dhussey]

Wish they would have done a green roof like on E5. Would love UW to have a green roof "bylaw" like the City of Toronto does.

[SP!RE]

What a bleak disappointment. Not at all what UofW needed on its campus, architecturally.

[WaterlooNative]

Paint it black and you've got the monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey. There have been pushes to add green roofs to campus but there are a lot of hurdles to jump.