Limberlost Place received the 2023 Research and Innovation in Architecture Award from the Royal Architecture Institute of Canada (RAIC) recently.
The building has been gaining attention through media coverage and numerous other awards mainly for the innovation it projects through its mass timber construction and net-zero carbon emissions.
Nerys Rau, project director of the Limberlost Place said, “Without taking away from the architects and the fact that this is a design award, George Brown had a particular vision from the very, very beginning many years ago. Our vision was that this is not just a beautiful building, but a sustainable building. One that is really a leader in sustainability.”
Limberlost Place set to open for students January 2025. Photo by: Salina Kassam.
The Limberlost Place combines design and structural elements that lead to low carbon emissions and high energy efficiency through use of deep-water cooling systems and photovoltaic panels.
Additionally, it is designed for long-term flexibility in a study environment, allowing changes to the physical spaces if required in the future.
It is also the first of its kind in Ontario and this award from RAIC reflects the amount of research and innovation that went into it.
“This is the tallest institutional mass timber building in Ontario. We had to work with the city outside of the code with alternative solutions to get this building built. So, in every way, it’s a huge innovation that will drive the mass timber industry,” Rau said.
Rau said that this structure also contributes to the knowledge and learning of the city.
“The design team and consultants worked extremely closely with the city on the design and on the application for the design. So, I would say it offered a great deal of information to the city and learning for the city. We’ve had the city planners tour the building to see the progress.”
Aspirations are that Limberlost Place will inspire more similar buildings to come up in Toronto.
The construction is expected to be completed by August 2024 and students will be able to use the new building starting January 2025, tentatively.
