Opening of the new building of the Google Kitchener-Waterloo office at 20 Breithaupt St

The air in October 2024 had that crisp, early-autumn feel, but inside the new building, the atmosphere was electric. We stood in the lobby of BRT3 (the new building hosting the Google Waterloo Office), the glass walls soaring around us, and it felt like we were standing on the edge of the future. For years, we’d watched it rise from across the street, a gleaming tower of steel and glass that promised a new chapter for our campus. And now, here we were.

I remember looking across the bridge that connected us back to the familiar brick of the old Breithaupt Block. It was more than just a physical link; it felt like a connection between our history and our path forward. We had started as a handful of engineers with big dreams, and now our home spanned an entire city block.

The speeches that week were full of excitement for the innovation that would happen within these new walls. In the conversations between colleagues, the excited whispers as we explored the new cafes and collaboration spaces, and the way we all gazed out the floor-to-ceiling windows at a city we’ve grown with. This opening renewed our collaborative spirit, as it brought together Googlers from different offices in downtown Kitchener into a single location. That week wasn't just about opening a new building. It was about celebrating how far we'd come and feeling the boundless potential of what we would build next, together.