Hailed as the first timber-frame office building constructed in Toronto this generation, construction is well underway at the Liberty Village site of Hullmark's 80 Atlantic Avenue. The five-storey, Quadrangle-designed development began construction at the start of 2017, and almost a year later, the building is topped out and now sports the first signs of exterior cladding.

80 Atlantic Avenue viewed from the west, image by Forum contributor smuncky

New photos highlight the completed structural skeleton, built with nail-laminated timber (NLT), a product made from multiple layers of lumber stacked together and fastened with nails. With all the columns in place, crews are now placing the wooden ceiling panels atop the fifth floor. Meanwhile, metal framing has been installed along much of the exterior to support the building's glass curtainwall exterior.

Framing for exterior finishes on 80 Atlantic, image by Forum contributor smuncky

The first panels of this curtainwall glazing are now in place along the building's south facade, covering much of the second, third, and fourth levels. Under certain lighting conditions, this "high-visiblity" glazing will allow passersby to look through the exterior facade for views of the exposed timber structural elements. Unlike the glazed elevations, the building’s east facade over Atlantic Avenue will respond to the existing heritage context with a natural limestone cladding framing punched windows.

Curtainwall cladding on 80 Atlantic, image by Forum contributor smuncky

80 Atlantic's timber construction would not have been possible just a few years prior. Until 2015, the Ontario Building Code (OBC) limited timber construction to a four-storey maximum. Revisions to the code are now allowing timber-frame projects with heights up to six storeys, and 80 Atlantic is the first office property being built under the newly relaxed OBC. Once complete, the project will bring 79,758 ft² of office space and 7,719 ft² of retail space to the site.

80 Atlantic, image courtesy of Hullmark

Additional information and images can be found in our database file for the project, linked below. Want to get involved in the discussion? Check out the associated Forum thread, or leave a comment in the field provided at the bottom of this page.

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