Charles Street Shoppers Drugmart

The Yonge and Charles Mixed-Use Mass Timber building won the 2019 Innovation Award at the Ontario Wood Design awards. As Toronto’s first mass timber building, the structure pays homage to the history of the site as well as the Yonge and Charles neighbourhood where it is nestled. The historical façade upholds the 1880s character, while the light and airy interior complete with an atrium, brings a warm, contemporary upgrade to the structure. The timber accents, such as exit stairs and elevator shafts, are also a low carbon alternative to concrete, so the integrity of the building’s history meshes beautifully with a modern, sustainable design.

Purpose

• Flagship downtown store and offices

Novel Features

• First mass timber project approved in Toronto
• First use of all-wood elevator and stairwell shafts in Toronto
• First concrete – CLT composite slab design approved in Toronto

Progressive Features

• Adaptive reuse

Notable Value

• Guidance and leadership to Matt during the design phase
• Creative problem solving for the heritage façade retention and mass timber framing concepts

Awards

• Ontario Engineering Project Award of Excellence, 2021
• Canadian Wood Council Award, 2020
• Ontario Wood Design Awards, Innovation Award, 2019

LINKS:
Brook McIlroy

SHOUT OUTS:
Matt Van Riesen (Blackwell) – project engineer, construction administration
Simon Rayment (Blackwell) – lateral system design
Cory Zurell (Blackwell) – engineer of record for the construction phase
Adam Gerber (Aspect Engineers) – peer review of concrete-CLT composite design

IMAGE CREDITS:
Scott Norsworthy