Ontario Construction News staff writer
Vancouver-based Intelligent City has started construction on a nine-storey residential building in Toronto’s west-end. This development at 230 Royal York Drive will soon claim the title of Toronto’s tallest mass timber residential structure, although future projects are already in the works to surpass it.
The project, which will include 58 market-rate rental units and two replacement rental dwelling rooms was developed by Windmill Developments and Leader Lane Developments, the building is a collaboration with project partners Oben Build, Lang Wilson Practice in Architecture Culture Inc. (LWPAC), and Moses Structural Engineers.
Intelligent City’s manufacturing facility in Delta, B.C., will produce the building’s main structure and envelope. The use of advanced automation, including industrial robots and artificial intelligence, will significantly speed up the process, with production set to take just four months. This cutting-edge prefabrication method can reduce construction time by three to four months, thanks to the shift of much of the work off-site. Once installation begins in May, the entire structure and enclosure of the building are expected to be completed within 90 days.
“New construction practices like this shorten the time to build housing and reduce the impact of construction on neighbours,” said Councillor Amber Morley, who represents Ward 3, Etobicoke Lakeshore. “The sustainable, mass timber development at 230 Royal York Drive is a step toward reducing carbon emissions and expanding environmentally responsible housing options.”
Toronto’s housing crisis continues to worsen, with growing demand for new rental units. Intelligent City’s innovative building platform, Platforms for Life ™, is poised to meet this demand by combining robotic manufacturing and pre-engineered mass timber components. This approach not only reduces construction time but also improves the quality and sustainability of housing developments.
“This project is a testament to how prefabrication can meet growing housing demand without compromising on sustainability, design, or quality,” said Oliver David (OD) Krieg, president of Intelligent City. “Our mission is to accelerate the supply of urban housing using renewable resources and industrialized manufacturing, while maintaining high levels of design quality.”
Mass timber, a renewable and sustainable building material, is becoming an increasingly popular choice for urban development due to its lower carbon footprint compared to traditional construction materials like concrete. In fact, maximizing the use of mass timber in Canada could eliminate an estimated 0.6 million tonnes of CO2 annually by 2030—equivalent to taking 125,000 cars off the road.
Beyond sustainability, mass timber construction also presents cost benefits. It is expected that projects like the one at 230 Royal York Drive could be 10 to 20 percent less expensive than traditional concrete-based buildings. As Intelligent City expands its operations in Ontario, it anticipates that its innovative approach will not only reduce construction time but also make housing more affordable and accessible.
Once completed, the 230 Royal York Drive project will stand as a significant milestone in Toronto’s push toward sustainable urban development. By reducing reliance on carbon-intensive materials and embracing the future of low-carbon construction, the building will showcase how advanced manufacturing and green building practices can reshape the urban landscape and address the city’s housing needs.
