Projects
Partnershipaimstocreatefirstcross-laminatedtimberclustercommunity
PROJECTS
Partnershipaimstocreatefirstcross-laminated timberclustercommunity
TracyHanesJune14,2022
Whentheshovelsgointothegroundforthreecross-laminatedtimber(CLT)buildingsinWest Torontolaterthisyearorearly2023,itwillmarkacondoconstructionfirstforthecityand raisetheprofileofCLTinOntario.
WindmillDevelopmentsandLeaderLaneDevelopmentsarepartnersinthemain-streetprojectwhere the83unitswillbethecity’sfirstCLTcondos,spreadbetweenthreesitesandanchoredbytheMimico GOTrainStation.
Thebuildings,targetingLEEDPlatinumcertificationandfollowingOnePlanetLivingprinciplesfor environmentalandsocialsustainability,willhaveR-Hauzservingasdesign-buildcontractor
CLTisanengineeredwoodproductcreatedbygluingtogetherseverallayersofkiln-driedlumberlaid flat-wise.Panelstypicallyhavethreetoninealternatinglayersofdimensionlumberandthushaveahigh strength-to-weightratio,aswellassuperiorstructural,thermal,fireandacousticperformance,according totheCanadianWoodCouncil.
BecauseCLTbuildingsareprefabricatedoff-site,embodiedcarbonissignificantlyreducedforthe structure.Otherbenefitsincludereducedconstructiontimelines,lessconstructionwasteandfewer overallcarbonemissions.
“CLTisgettingmoretractionandsomethingwe’vebeenfollowing,”saysJonathanWesteinde,CEOof Windmill.
WesteindesaysWindmillhashadconversationswithalotofgroupsaboutbringingCLTsolutionstothe market,butR-Hauzfounder-developerLeithMoorehadworkedthroughmanyofthechallenges involved,developedaprefabsolutionandcompleteda26,000-square-footpilotprojectthatincludestwo five-plexesonToronto’sQueenStreetEast.
WesteindesaysR-Hauzwaslookingforalong-termpartnershipsuchasthistocreatemissingmiddle housing.WhileTorontohasapolicythatencouragessixtoeight-storeyprojects,fewbuildersconstruct thembecauseapprovaltimescanbelengthyandsmaller,one-offprojectsoftenaren’tfinanciallyviable.
BecausetheR-Hauzdesignisrepeatable,approvalsdon’thavetostartfromscratchforeveryproject.
“Ourthreesitesneedslightminorvariances,butLeithhasworkedwiththecityandthatwillallowfasttrackingofwhatwe’redoing,”saysWesteinde.
R-Hauz’ssix-storeypilotprojectonToronto’sQueenStreetEastwasOntario’sfirstall-wood,mass-timber residentialbuildingwithmultipleunits.
Itsprefabricatedpanelswerebuiltoff-siteatElement5Co.’sSt.Thomas,Ont.plantthenassembledon location.
ThepilotusedmasstimbersourcedfromAustria;subsequentprojectswilluseOntariowood.
Oneofthebiggesthurdlesingettingthepilotprojectapprovedwasthewoodenelevatorshaftand staircase,notpermittedundertheOntarioBuildingCode. Thebuildingcodebarrierswereovercomeby usinganon-combustiblecoveringoverthewoodenstairs.
WindmillandLeaderLane’sthreesitesarewithin250metresofeachother,withtheplantocreatea clusterthatwillformonecommunity,saysWesteinde.
Thebuildingswillbeconstructedonesiteatatime.Assoonasoneissoldandbuilt,thenextwill progress.
WesteindesaysconstructionwillstartinDecemberorFebruary,withresidentsmovingineightto12 monthslater
AsforCLTconstructioncosts,theyaresimilartotraditionalconstructioncosts,saysWesteinde.The savingsarenotinthecapitalcosts,butintime-saving.
Heexpectstimeframestobeshorterasmoreprojectsgetbuilt. Thecrewswillbedoingthistypeofbuild forthefirsttimeandtherewillbeatraining/learningcurve.
ThedevelopersarecurrentlyworkingwithR-Hauztofinalizedesigns.UnlikeR-Hauz’spilotproject wheretheunitswererentalsanduniforminsize,thesewillrangefrombachelortothree-bedroomsuites andhaveahigherleveloffinishes.
WindmillisanOttawacompanyfoundedin2003byWesteindeandalike-mindedgroupwhobelieved thedevelopmentindustrycouldmakeadifferenceinthefightagainstclimatechange.Thecompany followstheOnePlanetLivingframeworkof10principlestoachievesustainabilityinallitsprojects.
SomeotherWindmillprojectsincludeThePlant(withCuratedProperties),anaward-winning10-storey mixed-usecondoonToronto’sWestQueenWest,withurbanagricultureamenities,andZibi,a34-acre, mixed-usemaster-plannedwaterfrontcommunityinOttawaandGatineauthataimstobeCanada’smost sustainableneighbourhood.Itszero-carbonDistrictEnergySystemwillusepost-industrialwasteenergy forheatingandtheOttawaRiverforcooling.
LeaderLaneDevelopmentsisamulti-disciplinaryfirmwithadepthofprojectexperience.
Aspartofthejointventurepartnership,allthreeCLTpropertieswillreceivefundingfromtheOnePlanet Living(OPL)Fund,developedbyWindmillDevelopmentinpartnershipwithEpicInvestmentServices. It’sthefirstprivateCanadianmixed-useopportunisticrealestatedevelopmentimpactfunddesignedto acceleratetheimplementationofimpactinvestingprinciplesinrealestatewhilegeneratingmarket returnsforinvestors.TheOPLwillbecontributingtoabillion-dollarpipelineofprojectsinOntarioand QuebecdesignedtopopularizeandproliferatetheOnePlanetLivingframework.
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