Kitchener TEK Tower 3 | 141.1m | 44s | IN8 Developments | srm Architects

[emphurent]

As alluded to in a previous post, this is the third and final (at least planned) site in IN8's current portfolio. While early works with the city are underway, I want to note that because of the land designation in the area there will be no public facing documents as this doesn't require a ZBA (according to this user who already tried emailing the city).

This does leave concern though, as IN8 have so far not developed buildings in this area that are good at interfacing the street, and lack affordable units. I don't see the city negotiating for better architecture, based on how quickly proposals are approved through the system.

It's pretty key to getting it right with this site, as it's currently a strip of little varied storefronts, that while they aren't super successful (new places have moved in as of late), they serve a vital connection between the apartment neighborhood and downtown. Ideally some of these facades should stay, or some resemblance of them.

Concept Massing to demonstrate site, not to scale and not professional either (missing projects, I know those on this forum will have great updated ones soon):

 

[emphurent]

Document dump with actual architectural perspectives from the Heritage Impact assessment. Glad these are public since there won't be a need for a SPA.

The design language is similar to the other phases, but with the addition of façade retention here.

As an aside, the ground realm layout here is absolute garbage. Zero retail, meaning the whole block is a write off (which is currently rather functional), and the car entrance is plowed right through the heritage entrance. Seriously, SRM is demonstrating such a shocking amount of ineptitude here, even if the rest is passable. The rear garage addition is where the garage entrance should be, seriously, how do you have the will to make the layout less functional? There's a perfectly good laneway too. If the LRT tracks are the issue, there is surely ways around it much better than nixing the retail AND making the sidewalk unsafe to pedestrians.

Seriously why do they write these long heritage reports talking about how special each building is only to disrespect them anyways..?

Anyways, renders:

 

[MOB]

Document dump with actual architectural perspectives from the Heritage Impact assessment. Glad these are public since there won't be a need for a SPA.

The design language is similar to the other phases, but with the addition of façade retention here.

As an aside, the ground realm layout here is absolute garbage. Zero retail, meaning the whole block is a write off (which is currently rather functional), and the car entrance is plowed right through the heritage entrance. Seriously, SRM is demonstrating such a shocking amount of ineptitude here, even if the rest is passable. The rear garage addition is where the garage entrance should be, seriously, how do you have the will to make the layout less functional? There's a perfectly good laneway too. If the LRT tracks are the issue, there is surely ways around it much better than nixing the retail AND making the sidewalk unsafe to pedestrians.

Seriously why do they write these long heritage reports talking about how special each building is only to disrespect them anyways..?

Anyways, renders:

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That poor facade without any form of return on it

 

[Pinski]

Permit application submitted for this. ‘Permit for a 45 storey multi-use building’

 

[Koops65]

It gained a floor?

 

[ZEBuilder]

It gained a floor?

I don't have any inside knowledge about the project but it definitely wouldn't be surprising considering TEK Tower is 45 and this is just down the street.

 

[CanadianNational]

That hatchet job on the front street-level facades is a new low. I'd rather they dismantled the facades and moved them elsewhere than subject them to this permanent, insulting bit of hackwork.
It doesn't seem right that SRM is getting all these commissions in downtown Kitchener, one after the other. What's going on?
Maybe sticking to a simpler composition and palette will work to their advantage, but after seeing what displays of clumsy, busy mediocrity they've already accomplished, I'm not holding out much hope.
The base, at least, of this one should be sent back for redesign.

 

[prisecaru0]

That hatchet job on the front street-level facades is a new low. I'd rather they dismantled the facades and moved them elsewhere than subject them to this permanent, insulting bit of hackwork.
It doesn't seem right that SRM is getting all these commissions in downtown Kitchener, one after the other. What's going on?
Maybe sticking to a simpler composition and palette will work to their advantage, but after seeing what displays of clumsy, busy mediocrity they've already accomplished, I'm not holding out much hope.
The base, at least, of this one should be sent back for redesign.

Srm is a massive downside to kw buildings because they're local so they get hired to design alot. Almost all of their designs is mediocre at best and doesn't do much but add to kitcheners collection of boring buildings. Sucks that the TEK buildings are also by them. I hope more local architecture firms arise to create competition leading to nicer designs.

 

[ZEBuilder]

Srm is a massive downside to kw buildings because they're local so they get hired to design alot. Almost all of their designs is mediocre at best and doesn't do much but add to kitcheners collection of boring buildings. Sucks that the TEK buildings are also by them. I hope more local architecture firms arise to create competition leading to nicer designs.

One can hope that Edge and Neo projects actually come to fruition in the region since they never look horrible, Market Flats and Otis/Ophelia were done by them and definitely aren't top tier but they're better than the crap SRM does. Neo also has done the work for 459 Mill and if Polocorp doesn't VE it will look amazing.

It really all boils down to the developer, Vanmar, Momentum and Zehr have all left some pretty decent looking buildings to the skyline (Charlie West, Garment St, 100 Vic, Station Park), as much as I dislike some of what Vive does they also certainly deserve some credit since buildings like Market Flats, Otis and Ophelia all look decent. At the end of the day it ultimately comes down to what the developer wants and in the case of IN8 they want to VE everything.

 

[Bjays92]

One can hope that Edge and Neo projects actually come to fruition in the region since they never look horrible, Market Flats and Otis/Ophelia were done by them and definitely aren't top tier but they're better than the crap SRM does. Neo also has done the work for 459 Mill and if Polocorp doesn't VE it will look amazing.

It really all boils down to the developer, Vanmar, Momentum and Zehr have all left some pretty decent looking buildings to the skyline (Charlie West, Garment St, 100 Vic, Station Park), as much as I dislike some of what Vive does they also certainly deserve some credit since buildings like Market Flats, Otis and Ophelia all look decent. At the end of the day it ultimately comes down to what the developer wants and in the case of IN8 they want to VE everything.

Charlie west was a bit of a letdown imo but there is definitely some decent midrise projects that have gone up.

IN8 and SRM are ruining this city though. DTK stands out from everywhere and is absolutely ugly. The street level is ungodly levels of disastrous.

I can only hope market conditions keep this one from getting built. This needs to be completely reimagined. The street level here is (once again) something else.

 

[ZEBuilder]

Charlie west was a bit of a letdown imo but there is definitely some decent midrise projects that have gone up.

IN8 and SRM are ruining this city though. DTK stands out from everywhere and is absolutely ugly. The street level is ungodly levels of disastrous.

I can only hope market conditions keep this one from getting built. This needs to be completely reimagined. The street level here is (once again) something else.

The podium on Charlie West was definitely a let down in comparison to the renders but at least they tried something different to cover the parking podium and while it doesn't look the best it is definitely more intriguing then DTK podium with those wacky neon lights.

 

[Matt.R.WR]

Neo also has done the work for 459 Mill and if Polocorp doesn't VE it will look amazing.

Feeling like the answer is obvious, but I'm blanking right now... VE?

 

[rdaner]

I just did a rough tally of units under construction in central Kitchener: 1,783. This keeps up the momentum that it has been seeing over the last couple of decades. But what is interesting is the amount of downtown development compared to the size of the city. Also KW has three large downtowns that are all growing. This might make it unique in NA for the type of form it is developing.

 

[ZEBuilder]

Feeling like the answer is obvious, but I'm blanking right now... VE?

Value engineering

 

[ZEBuilder]

I just did a rough tally of units under construction in central Kitchener: 1,783. This keeps up the momentum that it has been seeing over the last couple of decades. But what is interesting is the amount of downtown development compared to the size of the city. Also KW has three large downtowns that are all growing. This might make it unique in NA for the type of form it is developing.

Physically under construction is actually more around 2400, (TEK Tower, 900 King St W, Bright Building, 134 Shanley, 387 King St E, Vertikal 1 and 2, 64 Margaret, Station Park 2A). A few of those projects are really close to occupying which would drop that number by roughly 300.

KWC is certainly unique in NA in terms of size and the amount of intensification happening, however Kitchener is certainly pushing the norm alot more than Waterloo or Cambridge though, Waterloo still fights about buildings over 25 floors, Cambridge still has a very NIMBY council, Kitchener definitely still has it's issues with NIMBY councillors, one councillor who ran in the provincial by-election comes to mind, but regardless far and away has the most pro development council.

Kitchener doesn't even have 300k people yet within its downtown has 4 towers proposed over 50 floors, 8 towers between 40 and 50 floors, one is under construction, one is proposed (at OLT) and the remaining 6 are approved, and 12 towers between 30 and 40 floors, one is under construction, the remaining 11 are approved. Plus there are two over 30 that are completed. That is certainly unique for a NA city of less than 300k. Waterloo and Cambridge combined only have 2 building approved over 30 floors in their cores.

Even just by looking at units in the core that are approved Kitchener blows Waterloo and Cambridge away and certainly most NA cities of similar size. Kitchener has 13000 units approved and another 2500 proposed, plus the nearly 2500 under construction within the downtown core. Waterloo and Cambridge combined only have 12000 units approved/proposed in their cores, and in terms of under construction Waterloo and Cambridge have maybe 100 or so right now in their cores so again Kitchener is an outlier.

I'm not going to go into the more complicated details but Kitchener is also planning on making 25% of the land within the downtown core zoned for unlimited height, 25% zoned for a max of 25 floors, 25% zoned for a max of 8 floors and the remaining 25% a max of 4 floors. Parking will no longer be required anywhere in the MTSAs, certain locations (priority streets) will require a minimum of 50% of the street line to be commercial or community uses, in those locations no parking podium is allowed on the street line of the first two floors of a building and no more than 50% of a facade can be parking. It's certainly a more progressive set of zoning laws compared to what currently exists and what exists in Waterloo and Cambridge and really any NA city of similar size.

Waterloo and Cambridge are still behind Kitchener in terms of going against NA norms, but with Waterloo approving their first 30 floor building a few months ago hopefully they continue on that trend. For context Kitchener's first 30+ building was proposed roughly 6.5 years ago and now we're getting 30+ regularly.