All design decisions were rigorously assessed for long-term value, health and wellness of employees, and operational savings. Designed to the highest environmental standards, the facility is built on a foundation of social, environmental, and financial sustainability. This project is spatially divided to house both the OSSTF Headquarters as well as two floors of leasable tenant space. Joined by a central atrium, the building offers abundant outside views, light, openness, and numerous opportunities for spontaneous interactions between the OSSTF staff and tenants.
Furthermore, shareable spaces include the lobby, café, and ground floor terrace, as well as a multipurpose, convertible Event Space that is shared not only by the building occupants, but by outside groups, providing opportunities for engagement with the wider community. The Don Valley ravine edge on which the building sits went through intensive restoration and stabilization through naturalization and water balance strategies. The building design prioritizes democratic access to light and views as well as access to outdoor space and communal connection to the ravine.
The exposed timber environment, beyond the commitment to renewable, carbon sequestering construction, creates an enveloping connection to nature in the daily life of the employees. In the landscape design, natural local capstone was used, and reclaimed wood from the site was utilized for furniture. Exterior materials with low embodied carbon included rammed earth signage for wayfinding, wood bollards, and a cedar wood fence around the property.