Ontario Construction News staff writer
Limberlost Place, the first tall wood building in Ontario, is one of 20 recipients of the World Architectural Festival’s WAFX Awards.
“This is a truly humbling achievement,” Moriyama & Teshima Architects wrote on Twitter after the award winners were announced last week. “We are pleased to celebrate this success.”
The new addition to George Brown College’s waterfront campus, is a tall wood, low-carbon building that will feature ecological innovation across its entire life cycle.The 225,000 sq. ft., net-zero building also has a “Made in Canada” structural solution, where all the mass wood components will be sourced nationally.
As the first tall wood building in Ontario, the design provides generous spaces, and the form and façade will be shaped to maximize access to natural light and fresh air. Two solar chimneys located on the east and west facades will be used to create a sustainable system of natural convection, drawing air up and through the building from operable windows.
Also, the large span, beamless structure will enable demising walls to expand and contract, providing flexibility of sizes for a variety of learning spaces. The angled apex of the Tall Wood Institute will speak to future advancements of tall wood technologies as well as the development of net-positive and low carbon building methodologies. The outer bars will house classrooms, labs, and administrative offices that look outward towards the Water’s Edge Promenade, Sherbourne Common, and the upcoming School of Design.
Limberlost Place is the first building of its type to be constructed in Ontario, in Canada and perhaps the world. The architectural team utilized fly-throughs, 3-D models and numerous meetings with authorities during the approvals process.
“One very positive outcome of this high-level of engagement on the process was the research and academic papers that have arisen henceforth, contributing to long-term research and understanding of mass timber systems,” the judges noted.
World Architecture Festival 2022 will take place in Lisbon from Nov. 30 to Dec. 2.
Now in its 15th year, the World Architecture Festival (WAF) is the world’s largest festival and live awards competition dedicated to celebrating and sharing architectural excellence from around the globe. It is also an opportunity for the architecture community to share expertise and learn from each other through networking and seminars.
A unique live-judged awards programme allows designers to pitch their work to a panel of expert judges and their peers – with live presentations from over 500 finalists providing details of some of the best architecture and interior projects in the world today.