Limberlost Place Advances Tall Timber Construction in Toronto
Limberlost Place is a ten-storey mass timber building on Toronto’s waterfront. Designed by Moriyama Teshima Architects and Acton Ostry Architects, the educational building aims to demonstrate how timber can support lower-carbon, high-rise construction.
George Brown College selected the design through an international competition focused on architecture, technology and sustainability. Completed in 2025, the building accommodates up to 3,400 students. It houses the School of Architectural Studies, the Brookfield Sustainability Institute and the college’s executive offices. Other facilities include a fitness centre, daycare and event space.
Its design references Tkaronto, the Indigenous name associated with the site, meaning ‘where there are trees standing in the water’. A copper-coloured façade and sculptural roofline give the building a distinctive presence within the rapidly developing eastern waterfront district.
An Innovative Timber Structure
At the heart of the project is a structural system developed with engineering firm Fast + Epp. The design team needed to create nine-metre column-free spans across ten storeys while remaining within a strict height limit. At the time, local regulations permitted mass timber buildings of only six storeys for this type of public use.
The resulting shallow structural assembly combines glulam columns with cross-laminated timber (CLT)–concrete slab bands and CLT infill panels. This refined system reduces the visual and physical bulk often associated with mass timber construction. It also creates more open and flexible interiors.
The team has made the structural innovation open source. This allows other designers and engineers to build upon the system and may help accelerate the wider adoption of tall timber construction. Solutions developed for the project have also contributed to changes in Canadian national and provincial building codes.
Timber, Daylight and Passive Ventilation
Inside, large black spruce columns rise through the all-timber Learning Landscape. The largest column weighs approximately 10,000 kilograms. Slatted timber surfaces filter daylight, while a sculptural staircase encourages people to move through the building on foot.
Two nine-storey solar chimneys draw fresh air through the interior using passive ventilation. Operable windows and extensive natural light further reduce reliance on mechanical systems. Quiet ‘breathing rooms’ feature oak desks, controlled acoustics and clear wayfinding to support concentration and wellbeing.
Limberlost Place combines mass timber engineering with passive environmental strategies and sensory interior design. As both an educational facility and a living laboratory, it offers architects and engineers a practical model for more ambitious lower-carbon timber buildings.
Source: Architizer
Photos: Doublespace Photography