Vancouver-based mass timber building systems manufacturer Intelligent City has announced the start of production on a nine-storey mass timber residential building in Toronto’s west-end neighbourhood.

Located at 230 Royal York Drive, this building is set to claim the city’s tallest mass timber residential structure. It will include 58 market-rate rental units and two replacement rental dwelling rooms.

The project is developed by Windmill Developments and Leader Lane Developments, and delivered with the help of project partners Oben Build, Lang Wilson Practice in Architecture Culture Inc. and Moses Structural Engineers.

Intelligent City’s manufacturing facility in Delta, B.C. will manufacture the main structure and envelope of the building over the course of four months. Using advanced automation, including industrial robots and AI to process and assemble building parts on the production line, the company is driving innovation in industrialized construction processes.

By performing work off-site, the company expected it can cut the construction time by three to four months.

“New construction practices like this shorten the time to build housing and reduce the impact of construction on neighbours,” says Councillor Amber Morley, who represents Ward 3, Etobicoke Lakeshore. “This means our residents will be able to move in sooner to much-needed rental units that are within walking distance of transit. The sustainable, mass timber development at 230 Royal York Drive is reflective of a commitment to reducing carbon emissions and expanding environmentally responsible housing. I’m encouraged to see developers embracing green building practices and working toward a more sustainable future for Toronto.”

On-site installation of Intelligent City’s components will begin in May and it is expected that within just 90 days, the entire structure and enclosure of the building will be completed.

“This project is a testament to how prefabrication can meet growing housing demand without compromising on sustainability, design, or quality​,” says Oliver David Krieg, president of Intelligent City. “Intelligent City’s mission is to accelerate the supply of urban housing using renewable resources and industrialized manufacturing, while maintaining a high level of design quality and freedom.”

With growing support from policymakers and industry leaders, Toronto is embracing mass timber as a viable solution for sustainable urban housing. Mass timber is a natural, renewable, and sustainable building material, with a lighter carbon footprint than other construction materials. Maximizing use of mass timber in construction in Canada could remove an estimated 0.6 million tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere annually by 2030 – equal to taking 125,000 cars off the road.