Moriyama & Teshima Architects of Toronto + Acton Ostry Architects of Vancouver are the winners of a competition to design George Brown College's tall wood structure, to be called The Arbour, on land beside Sherbourne Common Park in Toronto's quickly growing East Bayfront area.

Looking east towards The Arbour, image by Moriyama & Teshima Architects + Acton Ostry Architects

A prepared statement by Anne Sado, President of George Brown College, reads “Congratulations to the teams at Moriyama & Teshima Architects + Acton Ostry Architects. The Arbour is destined to become a landmark in the city, driving forward advancements in sustainable innovation and green buildings throughout Canada. We hope that this building will serve as an example on how we can incorporate sustainability into all aspects of our lives, including where we learn, work and play.”

Interior of The Arbour, image by Moriyama & Teshima Architects + Acton Ostry Architects

The innovative design was chosen from a field of four finalists, the other three teams being Patkau Architects of Vancouver + MJMA of Toronto, Provencher Roy of Montreal + Turner Fleischer of Toronto, and Shigeru Ban of Tokyo + Brook McIlroy of Toronto.

Interior of The Arbour, image by Moriyama & Teshima Architects + Acton Ostry Architects

Moriyama & Teshima Architects are the recipients of over 200 awards, including six Governor General’s Medals for Architecture, considered Canada’s highest architectural honour. Award-winning Acton Ostry Architects recently completed an 18-storey student residence at the University of British Columbia called Brock Commons Tallwood House.

George Brown College suppiled a quick fact list regarding the planned building:

• The building is expected to have a 16,250 square-metre footprint.
• The Arbour will house research facilities for climate-friendly building practices, a School of Computer Technology, a new child care facility, and Canada’s first Tall Wood Research Institute that will generate innovative ideas and research in low-carbon, mass timber construction. 
•  Construction is scheduled to begin in 2021 at the southeast corner of Queens Quay East and Lower Sherbourne Street on a 0.23 hectare brownfield site, situated north of George Brown’s Daphne Cockwell Centre for Health Sciences. 
• The Arbour will cost approximately $130 million to build.

To build a wood building this tall in Ontario, changes to the Ontario Building Code will be required. This may explain the anticipated three year time frame before construction could begin.

We will be back with more information and new renderings soon.