{"id":18057,"date":"2024-05-29T21:38:53","date_gmt":"2024-05-29T11:38:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/?p=18057"},"modified":"2024-10-21T20:19:21","modified_gmt":"2024-10-21T10:19:21","slug":"31-storey-mass-timber-high-rise-to-ease-torontos-squeeze","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/31-storey-mass-timber-high-rise-to-ease-torontos-squeeze\/","title":{"rendered":"31-Storey Mass Timber High-Rise to Ease Toronto’s Squeeze?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

One of the world’s tallest mass timber buildings could rise in Toronto after planning officials reviewed and recommended that city officials green-light a 31-storey cross-laminated timber building close to the University of Toronto’s new 14-storey mass timber building under construction.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The proposal\u2014which first hit the City’s desk in July 2022\u2014comes from Unix Housing Group and Icon Architects<\/a> and includes 490 rental units (80% of which will be offered as affordable housing for at least 40 years). The building envelope will take 191, 193, 195, and 199 College Street and 74 and 76 Henry Street in downtown Toronto.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is according to the most recent documentation submitted in February 2024. The previous submission, made in mid-2022, dubbed the project “the tallest wood construction building in Canada” after it pledged to use Cross-Laminated Timber instead of\u00a0traditional concrete construction<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
The proposed 31-storey high-rise will neighbour the University of Toronto’s Academic Wood Tower which is set to top out in 2026. (Image Credit: Rendering courtesy of Patkau Architects + MJMA) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As reported by Canadian-based Storeys<\/a>, this would place the new building amongst the world’s tallest, comfortably ahead of the 25-storey Ascent in Milwaukee, which was crowned the world’s tallest timber building in 2022<\/a>, and ahead of Canada’s current tallest, Brock Commons in British Columbia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wood Central understands that the proposed design will incorporate a cluster of heritage-listed commercial properties. Icon Architects will formulate a design that blends the old with the new while maintaining a delineation between the two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The new podium and tower components will be clad with a wall panel system including glazing and aluminium spandrel panels deployed in a variegated pattern throughout,” according to Unix planning rationale. “This will clearly distinguish the new components from the retained heritage buildings and provide a compatible and sympathetic relationship.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New Building Code Permits 18-Storey Timber Builds.<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

It came after Wood Central reported last month that Toronto would soon allow encapsulated mass timber buildings to rise to 18 storeys after Ontario, like British Columbia, approved changes to its Building Code.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Announced in April<\/a><\/em>, Ontario’s Building Code will increase the allowable Encapsulated Mass Timber Construction by 50% from 12 storeys over the next few months to address the province’s housing shortage. Encapsulated buildings mean timber components are covered with fire-rated treatments, like drywall.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"From
From downtown to midtown, Toronto is home to more construction cranes than any other in North America – and is ground zero to a building boom across Canada’s major cities. (Photo Credit: CharlineXia Ontario Canada Collection \/ Alamy Stock Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

According to a statement by the Ontario government, mass timber construction has been proven to offer quieter and faster construction with the same fire and structural protection as other building methods \u2013 with mid-rise and high-rise construction a crucial part of Ontario’s Forest Sector Strategy<\/a><\/u><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wood Central understands the changes apply to all residential, commercial and institutional buildings in the province, including Toronto, Canada’s most densely populated city, which ranks fourth in the world and first in North America for the number of skyscrapers under construction.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n