CaDCR staff writer
The University of Toronto is building a new 14-storey mass timber building expected to be the tallest academic timber structure in Canada and one of the tallest mass timber and steel hybrid buildings in North America.
Pomerleau won the contract for the preconstruction, value engineering, design-assist and construction of the University of Toronto Academic Wood Tower, which, at 14 storeys and 77 metres high, will be the tallest mass timber structure in Canada. The new tower is expected to become a landmark example of tall hybrid steel-timber structures and will house Rotman Executive Programs, the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy and the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education.
Mass timber projects, while increasing in popularity, are not yet commonplace.
This meant that the Pomerleau and consultant teams had to engage in specific discussions with the City of Toronto to ensure all of the details around permitting and code reviews were in place given the height of the tower. It was a great opportunity to drive a new process for a building type that will certainly become more conventional over time.
Because a portion of the building is cantilevered over the existing building, construction is particularly complex. The fact that it is a mass timber structure brings additional challenges to that complexity.
Before construction, Pomerleau was responsible for the preconstruction phase of the project, involving value engineering that significantly reduced the cost of the project to meet the client’s budget.
Construction involves:
- Partial demolition and renovation of the existing building.
- Building on top of an occupied building (Goldring Centre for high-performance sport) and next to the historic Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy.
- Downtown project site in a congested neighbourhood with limited staging space requiring just-in-time delivery.
- The incorporation of a prefabricated panelized building envelope system.
“This inspiring piece of architecture will provide our students, faculty and staff with state-of-the-art spaces for research, learning and community engagement,” said Meric Gertler, president of the university. “It will stand as a testament to U of T’s global leadership in sustainability, as well as our commitment to city-building. It will also showcase Canada’s leadership in wood construction technologies and the forest products industry.
“We are very grateful to our donors and to all those helping us to realize this incredibly exciting vision.”
Designed by award-winning Canadian firms Patkau Architects and MJMA Architecture & Design with consulting from Blackwell Structural Engineers and Smith+Andersen, the unique and sustainable structure has won a Canadian Architect Award of Excellence.
The same team worked on U of T’s Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport, which included the tower’s foundation and basement as part of its construction. Now, with the first deliveries of mass-timber components to the site, construction of the Academic Wood Tower is proceeding under the management of industry leader Pomerleau. The university anticipates completing the building in 2026.
“The Academic Wood Tower will provide ample space to inspire our program’s participants as they work to explore and transform themselves, their organizations and their communities,” said Susan Christoffersen, dean of the Rotman School of Management. “Carefully designed to set a precedent in sustainability, space configuration and educational technologies, the tower will equip researchers and learners with the tools and forward-thinking design to educate the leaders of tomorrow on pressing business topics.”
The tower will be directly connected to the Munk School Observatory building and the Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport, one of the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education’s main facilities. The new floors will allow the faculty to continue to expand its work as one of the world’s top-ranked sports science programs of its kind, which includes facilitating the university’s massive slate of co-curricular physical activity and sports programs.
“The Academic Wood Tower will provide critical additional space for our faculty,” said Gretchen Kerr, dean of the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education. “Its proximity to the Goldring Centre and Varsity Stadium will provide us with a fantastic – and convenient – set of facilities as we continue to support healthy living through our teaching, research and programming.”
