160 Front Street West
Toronto, Ontario
Merit Award
Sent by: PCL Constructors Canada Inc.
Owner: Cadillac Fairview
Main design company: Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture
Construction Manager: PCL Constructors Canada Inc.
Structural Engineer: RJC engineers
MEP Engineer: Smith and Andersen
Architect of record: B+H Architects
Design Help Partner: Walters Group
The design of this 47-story office tower was shaped by extensive environmental analysis. The building, with its tapered top and bottom, is angled parallel to the direction of the site’s prevailing winds to optimize wind resistance.
The project used 12,000 tons of structural steel and more than 1 million square feet of metal roofing. The unique geometry of the steel structure required structural pin connections and special post-tensioning details to ensure a smooth interface between the materials. Curved and architecturally exposed structural steel tubes enclose a sky atrium at the top of the crown.
The tower incorporates a six-story facade restored from a 119-year-old heritage building. The first two levels were restored in situ, and the rest were cut into panels and restored off-site before being fitted into place.
For the building, located next to the Toronto Transportation Hub, the team added fall protection netting and rail climbing systems to minimize waste. Members also rented a fog cannon to reduce drilling dust. A self-tapping core formwork system was used for the concrete core of the tower. The team reported more than 2 million hours of work without a lost time injury. The building is LEED Platinum and WELL certified.
