Intelligent City starts production on a nine-storey mass timber housing project in Toronto

230 Royal York Drive is set to be the tallest mass timber residential structure in Toronto

VANCOUVER, BC, April 3, 2025 /CNW/ – Intelligent City, a Vancouver-based company that specializes in the design, engineering, and manufacturing of prefabricated mass timber building systems for mid- to high-rise urban housing, is pleased to announce the official start of production on a nine-storey mass timber residential building in Toronto’s west-end neighbourhood.

Set to rise at 230 Royal York Drive, this building is set to claim the city’s tallest mass timber residential structure- until future projects currently in the pipeline surpass it. It will include 58 market-rate rental units and two replacement rental dwelling rooms to this area of the city, offering affordable and long-term rental options. The project is developed by Windmill Developments and Leader Lane Developments, and delivered with the help of project partners Oben Build, Lang Wilson Practice in Architecture Culture Inc. (LWPAC) and Moses Structural Engineers.

Intelligent City’s manufacturing facility in Delta, B.C., will manufacture the main structure and envelope of the building, over the course of four months. Using advanced automation, including industrial robots and AI to process and assemble building parts on the production line, the company is driving innovation in industrialized construction processes. This development is a true demonstration of the power of prefabricated construction and sustainable materials reshaping the future of housing. By moving work from on-site to off-site, this approach can cut the construction time by three to four months.

“New construction practices like this shorten the time to build housing and reduce the impact of construction on neighbours,” says Councillor Amber Morley, who represents Ward 3, Etobicoke Lakeshore. “This means our residents will be able to move in sooner to much-needed rental units that are within walking distance of transit. The sustainable, mass timber development at 230 Royal York Drive is reflective of a commitment to reducing carbon emissions and expanding environmentally responsible housing. I’m encouraged to see developers embracing green building practices and working toward a more sustainable future for Toronto.”

As Toronto faces an ongoing housing shortage — and data shows the problem could get even worse, Intelligent City’s building platform – called Platforms for Life ™ –  offers a vertically integrated solution that combines a systematized approach to design with robotic manufacturing and pre-engineered mass timber components to cut construction times while improving quality at the same time. On-site installation of Intelligent City’s components will begin in May and it is expected that within just 90 days, the entire structure and enclosure of the building will be completed.

“This project is a testament to how prefabrication can meet growing housing demand without compromising on sustainability, design, or quality,” says Oliver David (OD) Krieg, president of Intelligent City. “Intelligent City’s mission is to accelerate the supply of urban housing using renewable resources and industrialized manufacturing, while maintaining a high level of design quality and freedom.”

With growing support from policymakers and industry leaders, Toronto is embracing mass timber as a viable solution for sustainable urban housing. Mass timber is a natural, renewable, and sustainable building material, with a lighter carbon footprint than other construction materials. Maximizing use of mass timber in construction in Canada could remove an estimated 0.6 million tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere annually by 2030 – equal to taking 125,000 cars off the road.

Not only will this project be made with sustainable materials and assembled much faster, it will also be done so at cost. It is expected that projects like this could be 10 to 20 per cent less expensive than traditional concrete construction. As Intelligent City expands its operations into the Ontario market, it expects that it can not only reduce costs but also construction time by the same amount, ultimately increasing the speed at which housing can be supplied.

Once completed, the project will stand as a major shift toward sustainable urban development, reducing reliance on carbon-intensive materials like concrete and embracing the future of low-carbon construction and innovation in manufacturing for the delivery of housing.

About Intelligent City
Intelligent City accelerates the supply of urban housing using renewable resources and industrialized manufacturing to empower people to live in better homes and communities. The company is taking a product-approach to the design and manufacturing of prefabricated mass timber building systems for mid- to high-rise urban housing. By integrating automation, AI, and sustainable materials, Intelligent City delivers efficient, low-carbon, and high-performance buildings while focusing on affordability, sustainability, and scalability in the construction industry. For more information visit https://intelligent-city.com/

SOURCE Intelligent City

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