Waterfront Innovation Centre

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Developer: Menkes Developments, BentallGreenOak,
Architects: Sweeny &Co Architects

Located next to Sugar Beach, The Waterfront Innovation Centre, brings about 475,000 square feet of commercial office space to Toronto’s emerging East Bayfront neighbourhood.

The Waterfront Innovation Centre consists of two main structures: The 11-storey Hive, for anchor tenants, includes a flexible and adaptable workspace; The Exchange, for smaller businesses, is 10 storeys and features social gathering spaces. The two structures are connected by the second-floor Nexus, a collaborative space for meetings, conferences and impromptu coffee chats, and a direct connection to Sugar Beach. The Centre also feature more than 30,000 square feet of beachfront retail space.

The complex is one of the first developments in Canada to receive the new LEED 4.1 certification. LEED v4.1, raises the bar on building standards to address energy efficiency, water conservation, site selection, material selection, day lighting and waste reduction. The Waterfront Innovation Centre’s design and energy-efficient systems are projected to save 46 per cent in energy consumption compared to a typical office building. The building uses grey water for plumbing and irrigation. The collected rainwater of a large cistern installed in the building supplies water for all toilets and urinals in the Centre.

The building is also outfitted with a photovoltaic (PV) solar array capable of generating 5% of the building’s total energy. Efficient mechanical systems include a raised access floor HVAC system with underfloor air delivery and individual personal control, constant air quality monitoring, and use of Enwave’s district heating and innovative Deep Lake Water Cooling system. Automation controls and sensors constantly monitor occupancy and light levels. To attract tenants in the creative and technology sectors, the Waterfront Innovation Centre’s data transfer are the fastest in Canada with an ultra-high-speed broadband fibre-optic network.

HGC provided comprehensive acoustical services for this project.