Pathway Arbour Mill Expansion

Raising the Roof with a Vertical Mass Timber Addition
Pathway Non-Profit in Mississauga, Ontario sought to add additional units to their housing complex for seniors quickly and with as little disruption as possible to their current residents. The solution? A mass timber vertical addition.

After much research, they decided to add 2 new floors using a hybrid steel and cross-laminated timber (CLT) structure to the top of one of their existing buildings – a 35 year-old, 4-storey, 98 unit development called Abour Mill.

This allowed Pathway to add 6 new accessible apartments to the building: two 2-bedroom units and four 1-bedroom units with roll-in showers. They are the first accessible units in the building (which is targeted to seniors).

Mass Timber - a Lightweight Building Material
This unique approach removed the need to find or develop new land - and as mass timber buildings are approximately 20% of the weight of comparable concrete buildings*, the light weight of the addition required little to no reinforcement to the existing structure.

The addition became possible after the relaxation of zoning height restrictions that previously limited the building to just four stories. It proved to be a cost-effective and innovative solution.
 
Embracing Sustainability and Efficiency
Pathway has always embraced sustainability and energy-efficient protocols – the original building was an award-winning sustainable project when it was built. The architects and construction team were the first in Mississauga to use mass timber, setting a precedent for the region.

Overall Benefits of the Project:
- Cost-Effective, efficient and fast to go up (as mass timber components were built offsite).
- Less workers and construction needed on site. Since project went up quickly, there was less disruption to current residents and the neighborhood.
- “Gentle Diversification” – Adding to the current site did not have an adverse impact on adjacent properties. New residents could immediately be integrated into an already established community with support systems.

 
* University of Toronto, Mass Timber Institute.