Arthur Meighen Building Rehabilitation (AMBR)

Location: Toronto, ON
Client: Government of Canada
Completion: 2022
Size: 41,085 sq m

442,235 sq ft
DIALOG Services: Architecture

Electrical Engineering

Interior Design

Mechanical Engineering

Structural Engineering

The Arthur Meighan Building Rehabilitation (AMBR) project presented a significant challenge: preserving as much as possible from two 1950s era office buildings while improving their function and performance. AMBR is a pilot project in the Canada Green Building Council’s zero carbon initiative, and will be the federal government’s flagship for sustainable building. The new design will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 80%, and put occupant health and wellbeing first. The project combines two buildings into one, with a new façade and a visual separation that runs diagonally across the building. This is manifested an unbroken open staircase that allows active circulation within the space while permitting an abundance of light to filter towards the back of the deep floorplate.

01/06

athur meighen building exterior toronto carousel 02 — Sustainability The envelop uses non-combustible terracotta panels that are durable, easy to maintain, and prevent water infiltration. Argon-filled glass windows will reduce solar heat gain while maximizing daylight.

arthur meighen building ariel toronto carousel 03 — The roof is equipped with a special membrane that will reflect radiant heat in summer and reduce convective heat loss in winter. It will also house a solar photovoltaic system to generate electricity.

arthur meighn building meeting rooms toronto carousel 04 — The heating and cooling systems will take advantage of the latest geo-thermal technology. The lighting will be enabled by a system of daylight and occupancy sensors that adjust light levels.

arthur meighan building meeting rooms toronto 05 — Following principles of biophilic design, natural materials, access to light, and views to nature are incorporated into the design, increasing comfort, reducing stress, and enhancing creativity.

arthur meighan building lobby toronto 06 — Accessibility The building is fully accessible and is already part of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind’s (CNIB) Shop Talk: Blind Square Enabled program.

arthur meighan building lobby toronto 07 — This allows visually impaired individuals the opportunity to independently navigate within a neighbourhood with the use of Bluetooth-enabled personnel devices.

Meet The Team

See more team members

This project embodies our commitment to improving how we manage the energy performance of federal buildings. Through this and other initiatives across government, we are taking steps to reduce our [carbon] footprint and green our buildings.

Steven MacKinnon, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement

ambr v2 — It All Started With A Sketch
Merging buildings The AMBR project brings together the two buildings in this sketch into one new cohesive space.

arthur meighen building diagram design story 02

The Design Story 01

Solar energy in the form of light and heat enters the building in the upper corner of one building, but needs to be carried town to the lower levels of the other.

arthur meighen building diagram design story 03 v2

The Design Story 02

One way to achieve this heat and light transfer would be through a diagonal connection between the two spaces.

arthur meighen building diagram design story 04 v2

The Design Story 03

Once the rectangular blocks and constraints associated with floorplates were removed, a path emerged.

arthur meighen building diagram design story 05 v2

The Design Story 04

The next challenge was connecting the two buildings with one unified façade ...

arthur meighen building diagram design story 06

The Design Story 05

... and adding windows wherever possible to ensure that the building was flooded with natural light.

The Design Story 06

The new façade acknowledges the coming together with a visual separation that runs diagonally across the building.

A flagship building for Public Services and Procurement Canada

Built in Toronto in the 1950s, the Arthur Meighen Building is set to be one of the first federal carbon neutral buildings. When complete, it will include solar panels, a geothermal heating and cooling system, and will serve as the main Government of Canada building for the Ontario region.