The proposed Academic Wood Tower build at the University of Toronto, Canada will be an iconic, precedent-setting building at a unique site on St. George campus. The tower will be the Canada’s tallest academic timber building. It is intended that the tower become a prototype for the use of mass timber both nationally and worldwide. Source: Timberbiz
Given the prominent sustainable effort driving the project, the design approach will both reveal this unique timber structure to the street, while also responsibly designing the building envelope to respond to its four unique solar conditions via a passive design strategy.
The intent is one that responds specifically to its context, while also delivering the highest energy performance and thermal comfort solution.
The site offers a strong, highly visible location. A fully glazed façade to the north will showcase a timber structure to great effect along the Bloor St corridor.
The ability to expose underside of timber decks will provide an attractive finished ceiling, with a resulting interior character evocative of Toronto loft buildings.
The Academic Wood Tower will primarily accommodate the academic and research requirements of three groups: Rotman School of Management, the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy in the Faculty of Arts and Science and the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education.
Even prior to construction, the Academic Wood Tower was attracting significant attention for its innovative design.
Designed by award-winning Canadian firms Patkau Architects and MJMA Architecture & Design with consulting from Blackwell Structural Engineers and Smith+Andersen, the Academic Wood Tower’s unique and sustainable structure has already 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 building is expected to serve as a case study for designers and engineers who can analyze this milestone achievement and potentially apply the tower’s best practices to their own projects.
