80 Atlantic combines four storeys of office over ground-floor retail, constructed using Canadian-sourced timber. The project was the first to embrace the 2015 Ontario Building Code allowance for wood buildings up to six storeys. Proceeding with only five storeys, the team designed an appropriately scaled building for its context, with a shorter approvals period.

In Toronto’s Liberty Village, 80 Altantic was designed to attract the new creative class that has adopted this neighbourhood. The surrounding factory buildings influenced its design, leading to an adapted brick and beam typology and masonry-inspired punched windows.

Building users have more control over their environment than in a typical office setting, thanks to operable windows which are easily accessible to 30% of occupants and interior shading control through user operated blinds.

Significant energy savings stem from an energy recovery ventilator with 88% sensible recovery serving the rooftop units and condensing boilers with a thermal seasonal efficiency of 90%. High-performance LED lighting and occupancy sensors reduce the energy required to light the space by more than 50% compared to the code referenced standard.

Sustainable design strategies include:

• The use of heavy timber, leveraging embodied carbon benefits;

• A high-performance building envelope with exterior insulation;

• Full building air filtration testing;

• Community integration including a shared courtyard with 60, public art in an activated laneway, and full-scale public views of the wood within.

Estimated Savings

◆ Energy intensity (building) = 104KWhr/m2/year

◆ Energy intensity (process) = 46KWhr/m2/year

◆ Energy intensity reduction relative to reference building

◆ under ASHRAE 90.1 – 2010 = 32.3%

◆ Water consumption from municipal sources = 4,712 litres/occupant/year

◆ Reduction in water consumption relative to reference building under LEED = 23%