Sustainable Office Building To Rise in Toronto's Leaside

An office building known as the Leaside Innovation Center (LIC) planned for Toronto's Leaside neighborhood could serve as a model for efficient and sustainable architecture, writes Lloyd Alter in Treehugger. The building, "developed by Charles Goldsmith, designed by Greg Latimer of Studio CANOO, and engineered by David Moses," is constructed from mass timber, which lowers its carbon footprint and reduces the weight load on the foundation. "Unusually, the Leaside Innovation Centre is clad in prefabricated thin brick panels with only a 40% glass-to-wall ratio. They note this allows for much more insulation, reducing the size of the mechanical systems." 

"The LIC is a five-minute walk to a new transit line and is surrounded by very expensive homes in desirable residential areas. Basically, it's what could be ground zero in a Leaside 15-minute city, and may well attract tenants and buyers from the immediate area." The building will also feature 30 bike parking spaces and two showers. 

According to Alter, "If people are going to get dragged back to the office, this is where they will want to go—close to home, lots of light and fresh well-filtered air, a little biophilic goodness from all the wood, nice amenities, and a glorious bike locker."