Demonstration project aims to position
Canada as a world leader in tall wood
construction and the low-carbon economy
By Donna Mayer
Special to the Canadian Design
and Construction Report
A project that will set a bench-
mark for sustainable design and con-
struction in commercial building
received another show of support
with the recent announcement of a
$2 million funding contribution.
Toronto Region and Conservation
Authority’s (TRCA) new carbon neu-
tral administrative headquarters is
one of the winning proposals under
the Green Construction through
Wood (GCWood) Program.
The 8,100 square metre, four-
storey, mass timber office building is
intended to be one of the most en-
ergy efficient office buildings in
North America. It will be constructed
almost entirely of wood, approxi-
mately 948 cubic metres.
Model simulations are predicting
the structure will net a CO2 benefit
of approximately 1,142 metric
tonnes. Currently under construction at 5
Shoreham Drive in Toronto at the site
of TRCA’s previous permanent head
office near York University and the
Black Creek Ravine, the office build-
ing will accommodate over 400
TRCA staff members
The GCWood Program, adminis-
tered by Natural Resources Canada,
supports Canada’s transition to a
more wood-inclusive construction in-
dustry by funding projects that en-
courage greater adoption and
commercialization of wood-based
products in the construction of inno-
vative tall wood buildings, timber
bridges, and low-rise wood build-
ings. The funding is intended to offset
the cost of being the “first mover” of
wood-intensive projects, and to sup-
port the development of knowledge
and tools to support the success of
future projects.
The funding announcement was
greeted enthusiastically by industry
experts. “We are very excited about this
announcement,” said Marianne
Berube, executive director of Ontario
Wood WORKS!, an industry-led initia-
12 – Summer/Fall 2019 — The Canadian Design and Construction Report
tive of the Canadian Wood Council
that promotes and supports the use
of wood in all types of construction.
“The design of the TRCA’s new
head office is very innovative,” said
Berube. “It demonstrates applica-
tions for mass timber products and
systems that are currently uncom-
mon in the low-rise commercial sec-
tor.” The structure will be built with
glue-laminated timber, an engineered
wood product that is bonded to-
gether with durable, moisture-resis-
tant structural adhesive. The glulam
beams and columns, and upstand
glulam beams will permit innovations
such as bigger column grid and long
spans floor assemblies.
Cross Laminated Timber (CLT)
stairs and elevator core will be con-
structed along with CLT as shear
walls for Lateral Forces Resistance
Systems (LFRS) against wind and
earthquake forces.
“The educational value of this
building is significant, and the exam-
ple it sets will help drive advance-
ment in sustainable wood