New Avison Young HQ Embraces Sustainability

By Georgiana Mihaila, Contributing Editor

Starting the second quarter of 2012, Toronto’s Pricewaterhousecoopers Tower at Southcore Financial Centre will become home to the largest independently owned commercial real estate services company in Canada—Avison Young.

Phase One of the Toronto Southcore Financial Center is being developed by GWL Realty Advisors Inc. on behalf of British Columbia Investment Management Corp. Set for completion in fall, the 26-story building will encompass 650,00 square feet of office space, developed under strict LEED Gold standards.

Soon to follow are the 30-story Bremner Tower, adding another 700,000 square feet of office space to the mixed-use development, and the Delta Toronto, a 45-story four-star hotel. While KPMB Architects are in charge of the two office towers, the Delta Toronto’s design has been awarded to Page + Steele / IBI Architects, a firm with vast expertise in the hospitality field.

Featured with floor-to-ceiling glass and interior glass walls, occupancy light sensors and several green roofs, the PwC Tower will be connected to the other two buildings by more than 14,000 square feet of urban areas and pedestrian walkways.

In order to reduce both energy consumption and carbon dioxide emission, the building will be air-conditioned by tapping into Enwave’s Deep Lake Water Cooling system; the raised-floor technology will contribute to saving up to 30 percent in energy consumption. As for reducing drain on the city’s electrical grid, the building will be the first in Toronto to install a large storage cistern.

The reason underlying Avison Young’s relocation from the 150 York Street building it’s been occupying for the past 12 years is to emphasize the firm’s commitment to sustainability and social responsibility. In addition, as Avison Young principal Craig Tresham said, “The new state-of-the-art green building and working environment will reinforce the development of customer relationships and business growth. There is no longer any doubt that these high-performance buildings create a healthier, more productive environment.”