You recently attended our Streetside Waterloo, Architecture Walking Tour to get nerdy with us and learn more about the built structures in Uptown Waterloo. Here are some links and resources to keep you occupied for a while!

Looking at old (mostly) buildings

• Ontario Architecture: A visual compendium of common 19 c. and 20 c. styles. 
• WaterlooBuilt – Architectural Conservancy Ontario, North Waterloo Region branch: An illustrated database of local heritage buildings. ACO NWR is a long running built-heritage advocacy group whose area of interest includes Waterloo. You don’t necessarily need to search for a specific building to use the database – you can fill in the municipality only, and browse the search results!
• Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada: A bit clunky to navigate, but indispensable, with informative bios and lists of known works. To c.1950. 
• Region of Waterloo: Local heritage sites, properties and districts. It takes a lot of link-clicking to find information on individual buildings. 
• Images of Progress: 1946-1996, Modern Architecture in Waterloo Region. Book. Garrido, Haldenby, Poplak. 1996. Available at Waterloo Public Library and Kitchener Public Library, or for purchase. A rare and valuable thing: a book about our own local architecture. As is the following…
• 75 Years of Modern Architecture: Barnett & Rieder to Martin Simmons Sweers. Book. Haldenby, Simmons, et al. 2022. Available at Waterloo Public Library and Kitchener Public Library, or for purchase.
• Grand. Recurring magazine column, Grand Design (2016-2023). Karl Kessler. Available at Waterloo Public Library and Kitchener Public Library.

Terms & concepts in architecture 

• A Visual Dictionary of Architecture – Digitized book. A popular resource. Well illustrated. 
• Dictionary of Architecture and Construction – Digitized book. Exhaustive. 
• Architecture Dictionary – Succinct website. Good for demystifying jargon. 
• Victorian Web – Architecture – Old-school website. UK-focused, multilayered, massive and worth browsing. 

Contemporary architecture

• Canadian Architect Website. Great articles, events listings, and other posts on current projects across Canada. 
• Canadian Architect Magazine – Open digital access to the monthly, beginning with 2008. 
• Grand Valley Society of Architects – Local architecture events and architecture podcast links. 
• Ontario Association of Architects
• Governor General’s Medal in Architecture winners – Profiles of buildings that have earned Canada’s highest honour in architecture. 

Do you have Waterloo Architecture learning resources or connections we should know about?

If you have learning resources or research about local Architecture in Waterloo, please contact us!