The revitalization of Toronto’s East Bayfront has been meteoric, and George Brown College continues to be at the heart of this exciting urban development and flourishing community. In 2012, GBC opened the Daphne Cockwell Centre for Health Sciences; in 2016, the college opened its first residence, The George; and in 2019, the School of Design opened at Daniels Waterfront – City of the Arts. The newest addition to George Brown College’s Waterfront Campus is Limberlost Place, a 10-storey mass timber and net zero carbon emissions building. Once complete, it will be the first institutional building of its kind in Ontario.
At the recent Waterfront Design Review Panel (WDRP) Awards, Limberlost Place, designed by Moriyama & Teshima Architects and Acton Ostry Architects, won the Excellence in Design Innovation award. Created by Waterfront Toronto in 2005, the WDRP works to promote a cohesive, thoughtful approach to revitalizing Toronto’s Waterfront; the WDRP awards celebrate innovative designs and building excellence along Toronto’s Waterfront.
George Brown College is deeply invested in the future of Toronto’s waterfront. Limberlost Place embodies George Brown’s commitment to the environment, sustainability, and the continued growth of Toronto’s East Bayfront community.
Defined by its innovative and sustainable design, Limberlost Place will harness green energy from the surrounding environment through solar chimneys and deep-water cooling from Lake Ontario. Two solar chimneys located on the east and west facades will create a sustainable system of natural convection, drawing air up and through the building from operable windows. This ‘healthy’ building is designed to maximize access to natural light and fresh air with a 40 per cent window-to-wall ratio, smart daylight sensors, and dimming controls. Limberlost will serve as a living lab for George Brown students, as they will learn in and learn from this flexible and future-proof facility.
Currently under construction at the corner of Queens Quay East and Dockside Drive, just north of the Daphne Cockwell Centre for Health Sciences, Limberlost Place is expected to be completed by September 2024 and will welcome students into the building in January 2025.
Representatives from George Brown College, Moriyama & Teshima Architects, Waterfront Toronto and the Waterfront Design Review Panel, October 27, 2022.
