PODCASTS > Arcat Detailed Podcast Episode

155: Beamless System | Limberlost Place

1h 3m 25s |
In this episode, Cherise is joined by Phil Silverstein, Partner at Moriyama Teshima Architects with offices in Toronto and Ottawa, Canada. They discuss Limberlost Place at George Brown College in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Limberlost Place asserts itself on Toronto’s East Bayfront as a paradigm of contemporary sustainable architecture - an elegant synthesis of structure, performance, and civic expression. In addition to sustainability woven into every layer of the design, the structure employs a beamless system with exposed glulam columns and CLT slab bands that establish a rational yet refined structural grid, eliminating the need for deep beams and enabling large, column-free spans.

Phil Silverstein, Partner, Moriyama Teshima Architects



Phil Silvertein, B.Arch., AATO, LEED AP BD+C, GRP, A Partner at Moriyama Teshima Architects brings over two decades of experience managing some of the firm's most ambitious, sustainable projects. Known for his calm leadership and technical expertise, he has guided the delivery of transformative buildings such as Limberlost Place at George Brown College, the OSSTF Headquarters, and the TMU Centre for Urban Innovation. Phil's collaborative approach and deep knowledge of mass timber, low-carbon design, and construction management ensure that each project he leads is efficient, innovative, and environmentally responsible.


Project Name and Location: Limberlost Place at George Brown College, Toronto Ontario Canada



Limberlost Place stands as a new model for sustainable mass timber design and architectural excellence on Toronto's waterfront. Designed by Moriyama Teshima Architects, in collaboration with Acton Ostry Architects, the ten-storey exposed mass timber building is on target to meet LEED Gold and Toronto Green Standard Tier 4, which embodies George Brown College's commitment to innovation, education, and environmental stewardship. The building's expressive roofline and warm, copper-toned facade make it a visible landmark within the evolving East Bayfront district, while its interiors, defined by exposed timber, daylight-filled learning spaces, and naturally ventilated "breathing rooms," create a calm and uplifting environment for study and collaboration.

Home to the School of Architectural Technology and the Brookfield Sustainability Institute, Limberlost Place brings together education, research, and innovation in a single, inspiring setting. Alongside these programs, the building also includes a childcare centre, Indigenous student space, and a fitness centre with a climbing wall, supporting community life and student well-being.


Unique Features



  • Expressive form and materiality: The building's sculpted peak and rhythmic facade capture natural light throughout the day, while the exposed mass timber interior provides warmth, tactility, and a profound connection to nature.

  • Innovative structure: A refined beamless system of glulam columns and cross-laminated timber (CLT) slab bands achieves large, column-free spans, creating open, adaptable classrooms and workspaces.

  • Natural ventilation through design: Twin solar chimneys anchor the east and west facades, enabling air to flow passively through the building and reducing dependence on mechanical systems.

  • Integrated sustainability systems: The building combines rooftop photovoltaics, deep-water cooling, and high-performance prefabricated facades to achieve exceptional energy efficiency and thermal comfort.

  • Social and spatial connectivity: "Breathing rooms" and the three-storey Learning Landscape create moments of light, openness, and community along the building's vertical journey, drawing students and visitors upward through spaces of exchange and reflection.

  • Cultural and contextual grounding: The design draws inspiration from the site's Indigenous name, Tkaronto, meaning "where the trees meet the water," celebrating the meeting of natural and urban worlds through both material and meaning.


Through its synthesis of beauty, craft, and performance, Limberlost Place offers more than a new kind of academic building - it embodies a shared vision for how architecture can teach, heal, and respond to the climate future.


Project Team List:




Unique Products:


  • Mass Timber: Nordic Structures

  • Prefabricated Exterior Walls: Ennova Inc.

  • Steel: Walters Steel

  • Raised Access Floor: Global IFS

  • Metal Roof: Kalzip

  • Roofing System: Soprema

  • Demountable Partitions: Italinterior

  • Acoustic Wood Slat Walls and Ceiling Panels: 9Wood

  • Green Roof: Liveroof



Project Photography: Tom Arban, Doublespace Photography



Podcast Production: Gabl Media


Participants:

Cherise Lakeside, FCSI, CDT image
Cherise Lakeside, FCSI, CDT
Senior Spec Writer | RDH Building Science
Phil Silvertein, B.Arch., AATO, LEED AP BD+C, GRP image
Phil Silvertein, B.Arch., AATO, LEED AP BD+C, GRP
Partner | Moriyama Teshima Architects
Podcast