[WaterlooInvestor]

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[WaterlooInvestor]

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[WaterlooInvestor]

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[WaterlooInvestor]

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[jcollins]

Drove past there today, is the addition going in on the land that is already there, or will he have to purchase the lot next to the building?

[Brenden]

Looks like you can take the Andy out of the apartments:

http://www.coldwellbankerpbr.com/listings.aspx?listID=92K000902

he is selling the building.

[myfaceisonfire]

I'm not surprised, Waterloo suddenly has a massive influx of student housing. It was only a matter of time before something like this happened, there simply isn't the demand to fill all of these newly created rooms.


The crazy thing is there are still two massive projects on the horizon which may or may not come to fruition. The 25 story X-Flats disaster and the 12 -15 story student residence on Phillip.

[Brenden]

The 25 story X-Flats disaster

any idea what happened with that? there were ads everywhere and then nothing...

[jcollins]

I wonder if it'll actually ever happen....
The lot is just sitting empty, and it has been for months.

The one next to it however, that ones clicking right along..

[AndyInWaterloo]

Hey folks,

What did you think of the new building north of mine on King street. I was hoping x flats doesn't get built so I still have a view from up here! And yes, I sold the building but I still use the top floor as my headquarters.

Andy Sukhiani

[notmyfriends]

I think concensus around here is that the building north of yours is a fantastic display of multi-coloured stucco at it's finest!

[metropolis]

... and we're not really fans of stucco highrises. ;)

[AndyInWaterloo]

Comparing the stucco building I just developed on King street to the brick at Columbia and King and the brick at Richmond square (Regina and Hickory) I thought the stucco and my choice of stone provided a superior finish. Caught the sarcasm - The Multi Coloured stucco I'm not crazy about, especially in our Canadian climate...those designs are better left for the south :cool:

I would have loved to build an all Glass exterior but that isn't suitable for a student's budget or lifestyle :cheers:

Andy

[waterloowarrior]

Hey Andy, did you consider having some retail in the base of the building? There are a lot of new buildings going along King without retail on the ground floor, which I think would have been a good idea for the city to require.

[WatDot]

Hey Andy, did you consider having some retail in the base of the building? There are a lot of new buildings going along King without retail on the ground floor, which I think would have been a good idea for the city to require.

Agreed. I realize these are student buildings but street frontage can be a little more "urban" and community friendly at the street level. Larger glass windows, bigger doors/entrances. Retail would help this aspect and bring in year round income. Namely for these developments on King Street and Columbia Street. For side streets such as Hazel, Bricker, etc., this doesn't matter so much. IMO.

[jernst]

+1

So far both of the new buildings on king street are ugly. The orange coloured one is the ugliest but I wouldn't live in either of them.

[scarfinv]

Everyone's taste is different... my husband and I were heading west on Columbia St, and when we crossed King, my husband made the comment that he thought the new high-rise (yes the multi-coloured stucco one) looked nice.:haha:

Personally, I don't mind it that much (and I like it way more than the cement slab building at King and Columbia). I'd rather have the two new highrises on King, and the smaller ones along Columbia St, for student housing than the old run down houses with curling shingles, peeling paint, couches and beer bottles on the lawn, and knee-high grass.

Heck, multi-colour stucco is quite common in other parts of the world. Here are some pictures from the Czech Republic:
http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/7881/dsc06469.jpg (http://img3.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc06469.jpg)

http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/6730/dsc06467c.jpg (http://img4.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc06467c.jpg)

http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/7361/dsc06450.jpg (http://img4.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc06450.jpg)

http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/9046/dsc06435w.jpg
(http://img4.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc06435w.jpg)

[mark76]

scarfinv :nice pictures if you have some more plz post. Most likely those buildings are builted /created when Austro - Hungarian Monarchy was in power. (19 th century)

For Andy, I would give him thumbs up what he did, very brave.
Way to go Andy,any other projects in mind?

[Brenden]

Andy can I ask how you were able to get a mortgage as a student?
Even with a large down payment I would think that a bank would see the small to no income a student would generate while in school and say no.

[jernst]

All of those buildings from the pictures work with the color. They all have nice and unique details on them which the color adds to, to form an elegant look. The buildings on king street are very plain. Also the buildings in the picture fit with the other buildings in the area. I suppose this may be the problem I am having with the two on King street. There simply isn't enough there yet. Maybe once some other buildings are put up the orange one will stand out and be unique and I will like it more. I guess it is a nice change from all the buildings on Columbia that are going up and look exactly alike.

[rapid_business]

Hey folks,

What did you think of the new building north of mine on King street. I was hoping x flats doesn't get built so I still have a view from up here! And yes, I sold the building but I still use the top floor as my headquarters.

Andy Sukhiani

Thanks for your post Andy. I hope you can appreciate that posting here doesn't just mean pandering, but (hopefully) constructive criticism as well. That being said, my hat is off to you in your first true real-estate endeavor, and I'm sure you learnt a lot in the process.

It's easy for some on here to look at project like this from an uninformed and strictly esthetic perspective, but considering the background implications and the holistic and multifaceted nature of construction projects, it's not that simple. Simply put, I know economics shape the design and construction. Especially when you are considering the fiscal constraints of student housing.

That being said, here are some thoughts. Stucco is a cheap medium to use, and it looks it. I'm not a fan of it on single family homes (as is common out west) and especially not higher density format. Sure the rock finishing is a nice touch, suited for different types of projects in my opinion, but again, it's lipstick on the pig that is stucco. I personally would have looked at EFIS and EFIS-like alternatives. It shows better, wears better, and looks much classier. Sure it is matched well with curtain walls, but even without a heavy glass component, it looks sharp. Yes, it is pricier, but some of the alternatives are priced a little more competitive.

I know the requirements for parking when it is student housing is significantly different, but masking it from the road in some regard would have been a bit nicer. Even a garage door of sorts (unless one has been installed now, and I haven't seen) would make it look much cleaner. Underground isn't feasible fiscally, nor with soil and water-table conditions there, but doing something to hide it better wouldn't hurt.

I was going to add a couple other things, but I think this will summarize it well. Materials, the frontage and way it addresses the street, design, layout, finishing materials, etc. all give it the feel of a generic, low-density, residential complex, or even an inexpensive house. Now I don't mean that as an insult, because it shouldn't be taken that way. If the goal was to design nice student housing at a fiscally conservative cost, then I think you might have accomplished that. However, if you start with a goal of creating a structure that has visual interest and significance along the King Street corridor, and then build your structure around that, the end result will be completely different.

I'm not sure of many of the arch. firms out here, nor the familiar GC firms and notable PM's, but I can tell you from my experience out west, that can make the world of difference. You might pay more upfront, but their knowledge, experience and innovation can save you piles down the road, while producing a much better result.

I'm not a fan of the design, (although you did build a nice east facing window on your unit...:haha:) but I am a fan of your initiative. I'd love to chat some time. Send me a PM if you even wanna grab a pint.

[notmyfriends]

Nice post, oni.


I will add that while stucco isn't ideal, keeping it simple like you did is leaps and bounds better than trying to make patterns with 15 colors.

[AndyInWaterloo]

THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR THEIR INTERESTING COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK! I am really impressed with this forum and website.

Hi mark, Thanks for the thumbs up!

Brenden: Banks dont touch student stuff. Period. You have to think outside of the box, especially at my age.

Jernst: for buildings that look alike try going down bricker/ezra between King and Albert.

OniShenko: Economics is right. Without feasibility there was no possibility - At least not for me. I have always liked the look of stucco when used on modern buildings. It is a very clean and modern look to me when there aren’t so many colours and crude mouldings all over the place. Actually when I say the building is stucco I mean EFIS. My understanding is that EFIS was the product we used as per architectural spec’s and drawings. There is underground parking, the driveway goes around behind the building and submerges 11 feet via a ramp. 13 spots down under, 7 in main floor, and 5 outside. With creative parking we get an extra 2 spots in the garages so bump that up to 27 total. RE: Choosing the consultants, the student model has been refined by our local consultants and contractors via experience and learning more so than innovation and they have a pretty good handle on savings.

The new MR zoning did not allow for interesting types of commercial on the main floor (except doctors offices and other boring stuff like dentists and chiropractors...I mean how many of those do you really need in a 500m radius?) We should have another pub or two down here right? I think Morty is doing too well on the patio these days ;) Pints anytime!

In regards the appearance the Architect and the city site plan committee went back and forth with different concepts for a number of months. I think the reason why you are seeing all the stucco is because the city site plan committee has encouraged it. I remember we started with a six storey building (mostly brick), but every time we came back to site plan we had figured out another way of getting another story or two tacked on. I was happy about the increased project size and was willing to give in to the city demands for Stone which was three times the price of brick. The second phase would really look great if the new owners ever decide to proceed because that stonework would wrap around the entire bottom floor.

Development is not in my plans for 2009, probably going to have another project for 2010. For now Im buying existing properties in KW and other cities in Ontario. Also a side project I have started this spring: MyRenovations.ca - evolving the way homeowners renovate their homes could always use more constructive input!

All the Best!

Andy

[Duke-Of-Waterloo]

Jernst: for buildings that look alike try going down bricker/ezra between King and Albert.


Maybe so, but this is intentional in a good way. For the most part, the student apartments on Bricker and Ezra are being developed by the same developer and he wants a common look for both streets. Again, this is not a bad thing. The student apartments on Bricker and Ezra are fine examples of how to intensify this neighbourhood, have it cater to students, and have it look good at the same time. What is being built on Bricker and Ezra are not the ubiquitous multi-coloured-beige stucco/EIFS boxes that are popping up like spring daisies along Columbia Street, Lester Street, and to some degree King Street. The choice of brick and stone makes these buildings look classy and not a like a student-apartment wasteland.

I must say however, that EIFS is quite energy efficient, but aside from that benefit, unless it is used sparingly, it can look very bland and boring. If it is not applied properly, there can be major issues down the road with water getting in behind it and it flaking off. Beige EIFS also shows dirt quite easily as it ages, especially near down spouts and exhaust vents, etc. All in all, its cheaper than brick and stone and unfortunately most developers, especially for cheap student apartments side with quickly plastering EIFS over gypsum board walls...