Visioning session
Session duration: 1 – 2 hours
We’ll meet with your project lead, sustainability manager and a design team member to help define your project requirements and sustainability priorities.
Efficient apartment living in midtown
Toronto’s first suburban strip mall, built in 1952, is reinvented as twin towers with rental apartments, office space and retail shops next to the Leaside Crosstown LRT station.
Highlights
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During the full-day Savings by Design workshop, they were not only able to support their objectives to conserve energy and reduce carbon emissions but also stormwater management solutions.
Results
$90,583/year
Projected annual energy cost savings
82,426 kg CO2e
Projected GHG reduction**
15.3%
Projected better energy performance than Ontario Building Code
417
rental units
375,000
square feet
16- and 11-storey
mixed-use residential towers
Rise of a major redevelopment
Thanks to a wave of transit investment, Bayview and Eglinton has been designated a special policy area by the city of Toronto. A key part of this policy involves intensifying mid-rise development. Property owner RioCan REIT partnered with Concert Properties, known for their extensive portfolio of West Coast rental buildings, to redevelop Sunnybrook Plaza.
“Sunnybrook Plaza is one of our most exciting midtown developments,” said Edward Sonshine, Chief Executive Officer, RioCan REIT. “Participating in Savings by Design enables us to support our objectives to conserve energy and reduce carbon emissions in our communities.”
Energy and beyond
While a major focus of the Savings by Design workshop is reducing energy use, the group also reviewed stormwater management solutions, as flooding has long been a concern at Bayview and Eglinton. The project team opted for a number of recommended building envelope enhancements, including improving whole-building air tightness (a 50 percent reduction from Code infiltration rate), and upgrades to appliances and fixtures for more efficient hot-water use.
Breathing easy with ERVs
The team also chose to upgrade in-suite energy recovery ventilators (ERVs) to 75 percent effectiveness. ERVs provide constant, balanced airflow to keep residents comfortable while using less energy.
Key energy-saving enhancements
- Improved in-suite ERV effectiveness
- Improved opaque wall performance
- High-performance, double-glazed windows
- ENERGY STAR® appliances
- Low-flow water fixtures
“Participating in Savings by Design enables us to support our objectives to conserve energy and reduce carbon emissions in our communities.”
Edward Sonshine,
Chief Executive Officer, RioCan REIT
