The Waterfront Innovation Centre was born from a 2015 Waterfront Toronto design competition, delivering a purpose-built, high-performance office development for Toronto's thriving technology, media, and creative sectors. Two connected mid-rise buildings seamlessly integrate passive and active sustainability strategies, from deep lake cooling to rooftop photovoltaics, targeting LEED v4.1 Platinum Core and Shell certification and setting a new standard for sustainable commercial development in Canada.
The buildings have distinct programmatic areas across both buildings; The ‘Hive’ is an adaptable, high performance secured workplace offering more than 40,892 sq m of leasable space with 3,300 sq m floorplates offering unobstructed and contiguous planning flexibility. ‘The ‘Nexus’ serves as convergence space for both the public and the buildings’ tenants in a shared, accessible, and double-height amenity. Spread across both buildings and connected by a double-height bridge, the 725 sq.m. Nexus houses two expansive collaboration lounges with flexible, multi-use seating and tables, rentable event space with high-tech conference and meeting rooms, 3 cafes area, and breakout areas. Overall, the building provides 7 outdoor terraces, two of which are accessible to the public with the remainder enjoyed by the building tenants. Achieving LEED v4.1 Platinum Core & Shell, the building was designed to optimize key sustainable strategies; raised floor ventilation that distributes cooled air in a high pressure, low energy underfloor plenum by which the tenant accesses both supply air and all cable management in a plug and play system. The individual in-floor air diffusers are easily reconfigurable and adjustable by the occupant to control their own thermal comfort. 90% of the typical office floorplate is within 40’ of the perimeter glazing. Rooftop photovoltaic arrays generate 5% of electricity demand. This building provides a destination at Waterfront and for companies looking to attract top talent.
