The Breithaupt Block
The future of tech is bright within the downtown region, supported by a historical yellow brick and beam office development within the innovation district. Originally built for rubber manufacturing in the early 1900’s, and evolving into car parts production in the 1950’s, technology is the new focus. Another complimentary new 11 storey office building in development will have a stunning design, large outdoor terraces and a new public park. The project has received two prestigious industry awards; a REX award for Office Project of the Year, and Canadian Urban Institute Brownie Award for Best Brownfield Redevelopment Project.
Catalyst 137
In est. 1914, The Dominion Tire Company plant constructed a storage warehouse next door to their factory. After being acquired by Michelin North America in 1990, the Kitchener plant was shut down after 78 years of tire production. The site and buildings eventually became the future home of Catalyst137. A world-class collaborative hub built for growth-oriented, globally-focused firms, the technology teams at Catalyst are combining hardware and software solutions, with a focus on the Internet of Things (IOT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). With collaborative spaces and teams working together within the revitalized manufacturing plant, companies are creating their vision for the technology of the future.
The American multinational technology company, known to the world for its internet based services and products, inclusive of online advertising, search technology, and cloud computing, has chosen Kitchener-Waterloo for its Canadian software engineering headquarters. The software teams in the upscale office spaces of the Breithaupt Block, made major contributions to familiar products like Gmail, Inbox, Chrome, and Ads. Within the unique historic building once a rubber factory, and now converted into office spaces, the company continues to align with its mission of organizing the world’s information to make it universally accessible and useful.
Shopify
While this Canadian multinational e-commerce firm is headquartered in Ottawa, similar to technology giant Google Inc., the company chose Waterloo Region as home to its software engineering and technology teams. Expanding to Waterloo Region in 2016, the technology team is nestled inside a 19th century whiskey distillery in Waterloo’s Barrel Yards, the original barrel storage area for Seagram’s Whiskey. An inspiring addition was built in 1984, with further modernizations inspired by the company, which moved in to develop a proprietary e-commerce platform for the creation of simple online stores with complimentary retail point-of-sale systems, with a product of the same name - Shopify.
The Tannery
Another building transformation inspired by technology lies in the historic building developed for The Lang Tanning Company founded in 1848 by Reinhold Lang. The Lang family members were prominent local industrialists, whose cultural and political leadership established Berlin as an important urban centre of industrial activity in southern Ontario. The company was the first major industry in Berlin and it became the largest sole leather producer in the British Empire. The Tannery is a complex of interconnected buildings on the block bounded by Charles, Francis, Joseph and Victoria streets, and has been revitalized as a historic brick and beam office space, with a stunning tall glass floor to ceiling entrance bringing the new age technology industry into the building.
Vital Images
A leader in the medical imaging software industry, this company is part of Canon Medical Systems, and provides health imaging informatics solutions. Millions of medical images and health records are handled by their products each day around the world. Improvements to the quality of patient care is supported by enabling the storage, exchange and analysis of clinical information across health care enterprises and communities. Vital centres its software and technology teams in Uptown Waterloo for a collaborative environment, casual culture, and to be within a region surrounded by technology innovation.