Page 19 - CambridgeLookingBackNeat

But the project itself didn’t just garner local interest. In fact, the “We suddenly don’t have the support of a campus community
University of Waterloo received 50 expressions of interest from around us,” said Lucie Richards, a second-year student. “I don’t
architectural firms worldwide to design the building when the know Galt yet. I’m sure it will be OK. What I think is an issue now
submission deadline closed in June 2002. likely won’t be an issue in a couple of years.”
The entries were narrowed down to six and Natoma Architects of
San Francisco was chosen to transform the building. In accordance
with the Ontario Architects’ Act, an Ontario firm was also required
to work in collaboration with Natoma, and that honour was given
to Levitt Goodman Architects. The entire design process itself also
involved the community, faculty, and students.
“This building will have a very public life that it
didn’t have before,” Stanley Saitowitz, Natoma’s
lead designer, told the Record in July of that year.
It was sentiment echoed just months earlier by Rick Haldenby,
the former director of the University of Waterloo School of
Architecture.
“This will not be an outpost of the university. This will be a
Cambridge institution,” he told the Cambridge Times. “We want
to make it a public building and are doing everything we can to
promote positive growth.”
While the opening was hailed by school, business and city officials,
reaction was somewhat mixed among the students according to
a 2004 Record article published a few weeks after it opened. At
this time, the university was providing a twice weekly shuttle to
the Waterloo campus so students could access counselling and
medical services.

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