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At the leading edge of a small wave of timber-framed buildings coming to Toronto, Hullmark's project at 80 Atlantic Avenue will serve as the city's first wood-frame office building in a generation. The five-storey, Quadrangle mass-timber design in Liberty Village has been underway since 2017, and the latest photos show the project racing towards a completion date mid-this year.
We last checked in on the project in the final weeks of 2018, when the building had just reached structural completion and installation of exterior finishes had begun. In the months since, the crane used to construct the building has been taken down, while the ongoing installation of exterior finishes is bringing the project closer to the aesthetic shown in preconstruction renderings.
The bulk of the curtainwall glazing has since been installed on the building's north and south elevations. The 'high-visibility' glazing allows views through the exterior facades under certain lighting conditions, offering glimpses at the building's nail-laminated timber (NLT) superstructure. The structural skeleton's NLT components are made from multiple layers of lumber stacked together and fastened with nails. In contrast to the glazed areas, the east facade over Atlantic Avenue is being finished with a natural limestone cladding framing punched windows.
Such a building would not have been approved under pre-2015 Ontario Building Code (OBC) regulations, which limited timber construction to a four-storey maximum. A change in the OBC to permit timber buildings as high as six storeys paved the way for 80 Atlantic. Even taller timber projects are being proposed across the city which will require either site-specific exemptions or further OBC revisions to move forward.
Once complete, 80 Atlantic will introduce 79,758 ft² of commercial office space and 7,719 ft² of retail space to the Liberty Village area.
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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