Designed by KPMB architectural practice, the ETFO represents over 76,000 teachers and education workers in the province of Ontario. Aiming at teaching and inspiring students, citizens, developers and the city, the 121,072-square-foot headquarters has been created as a sustainable and efficient green building by using architecture as an educational opportunity.
Located in the Upper Jarvis Neighbourhood, a small enclave of Victorian homes in downtown Toronto, the facility is surrounded by high-rise commercial and condominium towers. To become the greenest, and most energy-efficient commercial office building in Metro Toronto, the ETFO headquarters is conceived as a sustainable building practice with goals for a minimum 60% energy reduction over the Model National Energy Code Building (MNECB), and LEED Platinum certification.
The four-storey Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario headquarters is 20 metres tall with one level of underground parking. The building has been designed with several exterior deck areas plus an extensive green roof to provide insulation as well as storm water management.
The massing is broken down into a series of residential sized forms to respond to the rhythm and scale of Victorian homes to the west. The landscaping includes the planting of new trees to help the new building blend into the neighbourhood. A huge Black Walnut tree has been preserved by creating a west facing tree court cutting into the building. The construction process saved as many mature trees as possible.
To connect the community to the public programs offered by ETFO on the ground floor, which are highly visible from the street, the front entrance has been designed as a porch. Its articulated façade features passive solar shading fins and panels to provide a finer grain. To complement the heritage buildings, it features large, brick-coloured fibre-cement panels and muted warm greys.
Commenced in May 2011, construction of ETFO’s new headquarters was completed in March 2013. The building opened on 1 June 2013.
