How a 10-storey, mass-timber structure serves as a case study for commercial buildings

Amid the traditional concrete and glass structures at Toronto’s East Bayfront, Limberlost Place – a striking mass-timber beauty and the new addition to George Brown College’s waterfront campus – stands out.

Located at Queens Quay East and Dockside Drive, the 10-storey, net-zero emissions structure is the first institutional building of its kind in Ontario. Set for a soft opening in January, 2025, the exposed tall wood building has already won more than two-dozen design and sustainability awards, including a Research & Innovation in Architecture Award from the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada and a 2024 LOOP Design Award in the Eco & Sustainable Concept category.

Limberlost Place pushes boundaries and sets a new standard for what is possible for mass-timber commercial construction. According to George Brown College, the internationally-acclaimed, award-winning building is expected to contribute to major changes to national and provincial building codes. For example, in April, 2024, the Ontario government announced plans to amend its building code to allow the construction of mass-timber buildings of up to 18 storeys. Prior to Limberlost Place, the maximum storeys for a tall wood building in Ontario was six, says Moriyama Teshima Architects, one of the firms that worked on the project.

“Over the last 10 to 15 years, mass timber has moved from a nascent, bubbling industry to a real and reliable option for designers,” says Robert Jackson, partner at Fast + Epp, the structural engineering design firm that worked on Limberlost Place with Acton Ostry Architects and Moriyama Teshima Architects.

Homegrown wood

Mass timber is gaining popularity as a low-carbon material for commercial buildings and renovations. That’s because it’s natural, renewable and sustainable, producing much less greenhouse gas emissions during its manufacturing process compared to other materials, like steel or concrete.

According to a report by the Royal Bank of Canada’s Climate Action Institute, using mass timber in new office towers, apartments and condos could cut nearly 10 per cent of Canada’s building sector emissions by 2030.

Nordic Structures – a company focused on engineered wood products – understands the appeal of mass timber well. The Quebec-based business supplied the Canadian-made mass timber used at Limberlost Place. Now a global leader in mass-timber development, Nordic Structures pivoted its business from softwood lumber.

“We moved into mass timber and engineered wood products as a means of survival,” says David Croteau, vice-president of operations and engineering at Nordic Structures. “Softwood lumber is a difficult business, and given our remote location and the size of our trees, it would have been a slow death if we did not invest in value-added products.”

‘Woodn’t’ it be nice?

In 2018, George Brown College issued a request-for-proposal, asking prospective bidders to design a state-of-the-art, low-carbon mass-timber building. The postsecondary institution with more than 30,000 full- and part-time students imagined a sustainable facility that matched the values of its current users, attracted future learners and served as a shining example for other colleges and universities.

“We wanted to create a living lab for our students,” says Michelle McCollum, George Brown College’s vice-president of facilities and sustainability. “George Brown believes colleges, universities and public-sector institutions should lead the way.”

Designing facilities that are beautiful and sustainable is in the DNA of Moriyama Teshima Architects. “The ethos in our office has always been to build buildings that better the community, both visually and sustainably,” says Phil Silverstein, principal at the architecture firm. “While our buildings are specific to each site and to each client’s needs, we always make them responsible to the environment.”

Paving the way forward

Mr. Silverstein says a project like Limberlost Place is not possible without the owner taking a huge risk.

“No one wants to be the first,” he says. “That’s why we are usually 10 years behind when it comes to design. Canadians typically don’t like to be the first out of the gate or the trendsetter. We wait for other jurisdictions to do it first, let them take the risk, and once it’s been proven, we adopt it.”

Because of George Brown’s vision and the college’s commitment to innovation, that is not the case for Limberlost Place.

“We’ve become a wood-based firm,” Mr. Silverstein says. “We start with a timber solution for all of our structures and clients unless it doesn’t work.”

Achieving net zero

Limberlost Place reduces its emissions footprint in many ways. For instance, it uses two solar chimneys – one on the building’s east side and one on the west – to draw air up and through the building. “One of the biggest opportunities to reduce operating energy is by bringing in natural ventilation because fan energy is enormous in buildings like this,” Mr. Silverstein says.

In addition, solar panels on the building’s peaked roof will generate 24 per cent of Limberlost Place’s energy consumption to offset emissions generated in the electricity grid. Limberlost Place is also being constructed with a thermally-efficient prefabricated building envelope and deep lake water cooling.

The design features a 40-per-cent window-to-wall ratio. According to Mr. Silverstein, the height of the windows is precise to allow as much sunlight in as possible and to reduce the building’s reliance on electricity. Limberlost Place has also been outfitted with smart daylight sensors and dimming controls.

“Limberlost Place signals George Brown’s intention to innovate and to think beyond today when it comes to climate change,” says Ms. McCollum. “Anything the college does going forward will push the boundaries and be ambitious. This building sets the bar for where we eventually want to go with all of our future campuses.”