Google is spending $900 million to build a new high-tech neighborhood in Toronto full of buildings made out of wood
Construction with a timber exoskeleton will also leave more available floor space, according to Sidewalk Labs' models.
The website says that mass timber could decrease construction times by as much as 35%, with separate parts of builds mass-produced in factories and able to be fit together.
Designers came up with several potential designs for the exterior of the timber buildings.
A variety of designs are possible, and designers attempted to show that prefab buildings aren't limited to postwar designs and a cookie-cutter look.
The standardized elements of prefab buildings will not only make them faster to build, but also cheaper. Mass-produced, interlocking parts are part of Sidewalk Lab's plan to meet 40% affordable housing units.
Eckholm at Sidewalk Labs compared the idea to Lego, where designers work with a pre-existing number of bricks that must click together, and too many unique pieces dramatically increases costs. Standardized pieces could also make renovations faster and cheaper.
Selling the project to the local community, Sidewalk Labs claims it will unlock a new mass-timber industry in Toronto, creating 2,500 jobs over 20 years.
Renderings of the timber buildings show plans for mixed-use buildings with office space, residential space, and shops.
Sidewalks labs emphasizes a "15 minute city," where all of a person's needs are within a 15-minute walk. Standardized designs will also allow buildings to transition between commercial and residential as needed.
This rendering gives an idea of what the final product might look like, with a combination of residential and office spaces.
Popular Right Now
Advertisement