Limberlost Place will soon open its doors.

The project has long been in the works for George Brown College (GBC) at the waterfront campus, setting records and earning awards long before the building was near completion.

As the first mass timber institutional building of its kind in Ontario, Limberlost Place is not just a campus addition—it represents a monumental leap forward in architectural innovation and environmental stewardship.

“It’s the first of its kind in terms of the scale of the building, 10 stories. There’s no gas line coming into the building. It links into the n-wave co-generation plant across the waterfront, which provides us with the cooling and heating,” said Gervan Fearon, GBC president.

The 10-storey building, spanning more than 200,000 square feet, is a stunning showcase of mass timber construction, marking a significant step in the evolution of sustainable design.

The building’s advanced features, including solar panels, solar chimneys for natural air circulation, and a highly efficient, intelligent building automation system, offer a glimpse into the future of eco-conscious design.

The impact of Limberlost Place on GBC’s educational programs is equally impressive. It will house the School of Architecture, providing a real-world, hands-on learning environment for students.

“The building, by way of example, will be hosting our School of Architecture, and that means, then that in terms of the architectural Technician program that’s offered through the school, that those Students will be working directly in a building that, in terms of the design of the building itself, is absolutely innovative. So that means it’s inspiring to our students, and the students studying in the building can find examples of architectural innovation that they can bring to their own work into their own ideas,” said Fearon.

This close interaction with the building’s design will inspire creativity and innovation in future architects and designers, while also serving as a powerful example of sustainability in action.

Students will not only benefit from exposure to cutting-edge design but will also engage with the building’s operational systems.

“The building is an active building, meaning that the windows can open, so students can actually get engaged in the cooling and heating and operations and conduct of the building,” said Nerys Rau, director of operations of the Limberlost Project.

Limberlost Place also stands as a beacon for the wider architectural community. Mass timber, still an emerging technology for institutional buildings, has now been de-risked by this project.

“Mass timber buildings for institutional usage are still evolving, and some of the technology used in the building means it’s available to other participants in the sector,” explained Rau.

This positions GBC as a leader in the field, both in architectural design and in shaping policy around sustainable building practices. In fact, the college was instrumental in the engagement with the Ontario government, which recently passed new legislation allowing mass timber buildings up to 12 stories high.

The complexity of the building makes it one of its kind as an institutional building, which is explained by Rau

“It’s a ten-storey mass timber building. As such, when it opens it will be the tallest mass timber institutional building. In Canada, I believe, and I’m emphasizing institutional because there are larger and taller mass timber buildings, but institutional buildings have much more stringent building code that we have to meet. Exiting requirements, there’s a lot of details that are much more difficult in an institutional building of any description. But to accomplish that in the mass timber is even more of a challenge. Apart from that, it is going to achieve both lead goal and tier four of the Toronto Green Standard, which is the target for 20 to 30 in in Toronto, and I believe when Limberlost opens, it will be the first building to open that has achieved Tier 4 of the Toronto Green Stand.”

A project years in the making, the feedback from students, faculty, and staff has been overwhelmingly positive.

“A number of our students and a number of our graduates actually worked on putting the building up. It’s been really gratifying to know that our former students are now leading individuals in the sector, and were a part of actualizing that vision,” said Fearon.

The official opening is set to happen later this year.