Project Profile

One York Street

Project
One York Street is located at the base of York Street in Toronto’s dynamic South Core business district. The development includes a 4-storey podium structure with three towers built atop – two 60+ storey residential towers on the north side, and the 800,000 square foot 35-storey One York commercial tower on the south. The commercial tower and its dedicated portion of the podium not only achieved LEED® Platinum certification but earned 89 points – the highest score ever awarded to a Toronto building.

Located in the newly evolved and thriving South Core business district, the building is within walking distance to Union Station, Canada’s busiest multi-modal passenger transportation hub. A connection to the PATH system, downtown Toronto’s primary underground walkway facilitates pedestrian access to public transit and a huge network of retail services.

Client
Owned by Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP) Realty Inc., the project was developed by Menkes Developments. Green Reason was part of the consultant team led by Sweeny & Co. Architects; a renowned sustainable architectural firm.

Green Reason’s Role
LEED Consultants for the Project Team. The team included architectural, structural, civil, mechanical and electrical engineering consultants, as well as the construction management team.

What Was Done
Green Reason joined the project team during the design development phase and immediately embarked on a complete evaluation of the design in relation to the LEED Platinum target, identifying areas of both concerns and opportunities for the project team. A major contribution was managing team awareness to maintain a strategic LEED boundary that differs from the TGS site boundary due to the complexity of the project. As well as contributing to team knowledge and integration, Green Reason has also acted as a resource to Menkes to communicate sustainable building features to tenants. Green Reason worked closely with the construction team through the lengthy construction phase of the project.

The following was accomplished:

  • Due to limited parking availability, alternative commuting is supported with over 300 bike racks as well as shower facilities in the common area of the building
  • Preferred parking spaces for carpool vehicles and electric charging stations have been provided on-site
  • Rainwater cistern system serves as a major component of the stormwater management plan while supplying the drip irrigation system and to offset the washroom flush fixture demand
  • Building plumbing fixture selection and the rainwater cisterns combine for an annual savings of over 5 million litres of potable water
  • Extensive photovoltaic solar panel array located on the commercial tower produces approximately 86,000 kWh of energy annually
  • Connected to the EnWave district energy system
  • Underfloor demand control air distribution system
  • Occupancy and daylight sensors installed on all interior office lighting
  • A podium rooftop garden provides occupants with a venue in which to enjoy outdoor space in a dense urban area
  • Achieved 15% recycled content, and 35% regional content for construction materials
  • Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) wood was used exclusively
  • Certified low-emitting products used, including paints, adhesives, flooring and manufactured wood

Results Speak for Themselves
Menkes continues to be involved as the property manager now that the building is in operation. Sustainable programs are being developed to ensure the building is maintained in a sustainable and environmentally preferable way.