Quayside is a unique waterfront development in Toronto, Ontario designed specifically to fulfil a sustainability mandate.
Situated along the Toronto waterfront, Quayside is a 12-acre property, which has been conceptualised as an affordable, sustainable and inclusive development where residents will have access to safer streets, more breathable air and walkable sidewalks; people are more engaged with their world than with their phones; and artists and entrepreneurs are welcomed for the creative class and the working class. The developers’ vision for Quayside would create a neighbourhood that is more inclusive and responsive to community needs.
All of the buildings in Quayside are planned to be built with sustainable mass timber through a modular, factory-based construction process, which would also help catalyse an Ontario based industry focused on sustainable construction and building technologies. Flexible loft spaces are designed to accommodate a mix of residential and non-residential uses that can evolve to meet the neighbourhood’s changing needs.
Quayside’s low-carbon resilient neighbourhood will have a significant number of environmental innovations, including sustainable building materials and designs, an advanced power grid for electricity, a clean thermal grid for heating and cooling, a smart disposal chain designed to increase recycling and active storm water management.
The mass timber buildings planned for the neighbourhood are just as strong and fire-resistant as steel or concrete but dramatically more sustainable. Mass timber parts would be produced in an Ontario-based factory, accelerating project timelines by up to 35 percent without compromising safety or design excellence.
Affordable housing is also targeted with 40 percent of the units aimed at the below-market segment. Efficient and ultra-efficient units have been designed with reduced size to enable affordability while remaining liveable through thoughtful design features such as space-saving furniture, shared building amenities and access to off-site storage space with on-demand delivery.
All of these environmental innovations at Quayside aim to create a nearly carbon neutral neighbourhood that cuts greenhouse gases by 85 percent from the city average.
