[WaterlooInvestor]

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[Cambridgite]

Cool! I totally forgot about this one, which is strange because of its funky (and questionable) design. So are they building it near the Water and Ainslie streets diversion? That's how it appears on the map. I'm assuming the building site is represented by the thumbtack.

[WaterlooInvestor]

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[WaterlooInvestor]

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[kitchener-lrt]

Sweet building:)

[Cambridgite]

Construction is underway! Pictures to come next week. :)

[WaterlooInvestor]

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[waterloowarrior]

ctv news story (http://www.swo.ctv.ca/news.php?id=535)

[WaterlooInvestor]

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[WaterlooInvestor]

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[jcollins]

Hoping to build on Grand House success
DAVID BEBEE, RECORD STAFF

April 15, 2008
Kevin Swayze
RECORD STAFF

CAMBRIDGE

Architecture students aren't finished building their 12-bedroom home on a Water Street North hillside, but they're already eyeing a vacant lot next door for another project.

The city-owned remnant of land, between the new student residence and the Bridges homeless shelter, could be home to a not-for-profit housing project to help the community as a whole, said Chantal Cornu, executive director of Grand House student co-op.

"Would you be willing to work with the city on some of our other misfit properties, maybe make some affordable housing?" Coun. Pam Wolf asked.

That's what architecture students want to do once they finish their $520,000 student housing project in the summer, Cornu said. The co-op wants to be an idea factory, designing buildings for other agencies and organizations.

Architecture students are holding community workshops about natural and energy-efficient building techniques, she said.

Doing something with the property next to the student residence is probably five years away, Cornu said after council gave the co-op $55,000. The co-op needs time to get its first project wrapped up and the financing settled before taking on something else. Before the city donation, $370,000 was raised in cash and in-kind contributions, with another $150,000 to go.

The residence is being built on a never-opened road allowance purchased from the city in 2006 for $55,000, the fair market value at the time. The city was asked to donate the value of the land back to the co-op. Council passed the motion unanimously, taking the money from a contingency fund.

"It was deemed almost useless, worthless land . . . we knew we could make something really great out of it," Cornu said.

The residence is being built with energy-efficient, environmentally-friendly techniques. For instance, the students are using straw-bale construction and recycled materials. Rainwater will be used after the house is complete.

http://news.therecord.com/News/Local/article/337083

[Cambridgite]

The almost finished product.

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb210/Cambridgite/Picture246.jpg

So who lives here? Students? Or Ewoks? :haha:

[Cambridgite]

The Ewok house is complete!

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb210/Cambridgite/Galt/Picture266.jpg