Assembly

Cast your vote! 📣 1120 Ossington has been named a finalist for the AZ Awards Social Good category, recognizing projects that advance equity and community impact through design. Developed with St.Clare's Multifaith Housing Society, the project delivers transitional, affordable housing rooted in dignity and long-term resilience. Public voting is open until May 8. Please consider supporting the project in the People’s Choice Award category. Learn more through the link in our bio. 📸 Photography by @riley_s_photo Partners: @smartdensity @assemblycorp_ Project Team: Hammerschlag & Joffe Inc. @birnie_electric @aspectengineers @loftinmanagment @elementfiveco @leokrukowski @quinndesign_qda

As we reflect on Earth Day this week, we are reminded that at Assembly, sustainability is the foundation of our building system. By substituting concrete and steel for mass and dimensional timber, our projects achieve 58% less embodied carbon per build compared to conventional construction. We prioritize wood not only for its performance but because it is the world’s only naturally renewable building material. This approach allows us to deliver high-performance housing that meets Canada's urgent needs while lowering long-term environmental impact. We are proving that scaling our housing supply can happen in lockstep with our climate goals. Learn more about the benefits of mass timber and off-site construction in our Life Cycle Analysis: https://lnkd.in/g5jz3Fxv (prepared by Ha/f Climate Design) #EarthDay #SustainableBuilding #MMC

What does it take to turn a complex site into a buildable project? Before the first shovel hits the ground, a project must pass through a complex landscape of regulations, codes, and community expectations. In development, this is the entitlements phase: the critical pre-construction work that makes a project buildable. As a turnkey building provider, Assembly offers more than traditional design-build services. We support development and planning management from the earliest stages of a project, helping secure approvals while ensuring the design is aligned with Modern Methods of Construction from the outset. Our work at 60 Bowden St. on behalf of @woodgreendotorg is a vivid example. Together, we are transforming a historic church site built in 1931 on Toronto’s Danforth into an eight-storey, 50-unit affordable seniors’ housing project that blends adaptive reuse with mass timber innovation. Read the full story to see how planning, innovation, and community impact came together in our latest blog post linked in bio!

Since 2011, Azure Magazine has recognized projects from around the world that push design beyond aesthetics, towards something more meaningful. The AZ Awards Social Good category, in particular, highlights work that actively advances equity, sustainability, and the well-being of communities. It’s a space reserved for projects that don’t just respond to need, but help redefine what responsible design can look like in practice. This year, 1120 Ossington has been named a finalist for the AZ Awards Social Good Award. Designed for St. Clare’s Multifaith Housing Society, this three-storey, 25-unit development was created in response to a very real and urgent need: transitional, affordable housing in Toronto. But more than that, it reflects a broader belief that housing should be designed with the same care, dignity, and long-term thinking as any other building. We see projects like 1120 Ossington as part of a broader responsibility. Housing is more than a building type - it is essential infrastructure that supports stability, health, and opportunity. That means staying engaged through complexity, working closely with non-profit partners, and delivering solutions that are practical, durable, and grounded in real community needs. Being named a finalist is meaningful for lots of reasons - not just for being recognized alongside other thoughtful projects across Canada and the world, but as confirmation that this approach matters. It reflects the value of design that prioritizes equity, collaboration, and long-term impact. It is a reminder that when we design with intention, we’re contributing to something much bigger than a single project. Learn more about the AZ Awards, and vote for the People's Choice through the link in our bio. Partners: @smartdensity @assemblycorp_ Project Team: Hammerschlag & Joffe Inc. @birnie_electric @aspectengineers @loftinmanagment @elementfiveco @leokrukowski @quinndesign_qda Photography by @riley_s_photo

The 60 Bowden project is progessing and is a great example of how modern construction methods like CLT prefabricated floor panels and wall panel systems can help bring a project to life even faster, especially in dense neighbourhoods. When completed, this great project will deliver 50 senior housing units in the Greektown neighbourhood of Toronto, while maintaining the historic character of the Danforth Baptist Church. Project Team: Design Builder: @assemblycorp_ Client: @woodgreendotorg General Contractor: @loftinmanagment Supply Of Mass Timber: @elementfiveco Supply Of PreFab Walls: @fab.structures Install Of All Systems: @timberpanelgroup Architect: @mccallumsather — Le projet 60 Bowden progresse et constitue un excellent exemple de la façon dont les méthodes de construction modernes, comme les panneaux de plancher en CLT préfabriqués et les systèmes de panneaux muraux, peuvent permettre de réaliser un projet encore plus rapidement, en particulier dans les quartiers denses. The 60 Bowden project is progressing and is a great example of how modern construction methods like CLT prefabricated floor panels and wall panel systems can help bring a project to life even faster, especially in dense neighbourhoods.

That’s a wrap! Assembly Corp finished Week 2 of our workforce development program, providing hands-on experience at our site, 60 Bowden St. and the Assembly manufacturing facility. Participants learned directly from our industry experts through practical prefab construction activities including: Framing, Membrane Installation, Cladding Systems, and Cavity Installation. The panels featured will be used for our active, 5 bungalow project at Constance Lake First Nation. We extend our sincere thanks to @costi_org for their partnership in connecting us with these incredible individuals and to the Skills Development Fund (SDF) for making the program possible. #ThisIsSDF

At Assembly, we believe that sharing expertise is integral to building a workforce capable of transforming how we deliver housing. Last week, we welcomed 15 enthusiastic participants for an intensive training program. Our team of experts led deep-dive sessions into the mechanics of prefabricated construction, sharing insights on: Digital Innovation: Parametric Design, DfMA, and the integration of AI. Operational Scale: Factory planning, estimating, and project management. Professional Foundations: Construction law, permitting, and health and safety. We extend our sincere thanks to @costi_org for their partnership in connecting us with these talented individuals. This program was made possible through the support of the Province of Ontario and the Skills Development Fund (SDF). Check out the photos from Week 1 below, including a sneak peek at the construction starter kits provided to all participants! #WorkforceDevelopment #IndustrializedConstruction #Prefabrication #HousingInnovation #ThisIsSDF #AssemblyCorp #OntarioSkills

We stopped by the 60 Bowden site and Marco Chiodo, Intermediate Technologist, gave us a tour 🎥 Here’s a peek at the progress on this affordable seniors housing project , delivered through an integrated, team-based approach. @woodgreendotorg @assemblycorp_ @loftinmanagment @fab.structures @thorntontomasetti @elementfiveco

Our project for the Region of Halton at 1258 Rebecca St. is officially complete! Assembly delivered 14 prefabricated barrier-free homes in a low-rise bungalow village, supporting independence in a senior housing community. The project was designed to a Passive House-informed standard, utilizing precision prefabrication for a high-performing building envelope. Key MMC details include: Net-Zero Ready & Energy Efficiency: The building is fully electric, featuring state-of-the-art air source heat pumps, high-efficiency HRVs, and an envelope with triple-glazed windows and a nominal R39 wall (approximately 50% more exterior insulation than building code requires). An EV charging station is also included, and plans for solar energy offsetting are in the works. Accessibility-Focused Design: The homes are built for universal use, featuring automatic door openers, accessible light switches and controls, roll-in showers, roll-under sinks, grab bars, and wider-than-standard interior doors, ensuring ease of movement and comfort for all residents. Community-Oriented Site Planning: The site includes a central landscaped island with a pergola and raised planter beds for communal gardening, all designed to foster resident connection and gathering. The end result is a high quality, sustainable project, delivered at an accelerated speed and a predictable cost. We are proud to create beautiful, functional, and livable communities using our MMC system approach. Photography: @riley_s_photo Project Team: @mccallumsather @jackmanltd @quinndesign_qda Building Knowledge Canada #SeniorHousing #AffordableHousing #AccessibleDesign #SustainableBuilding #Prefabrication #MMC #PanelizedTimber

The structure at 60 Bowden St. is topping off this week! Watch the progress in the video below, achieved just 10 weeks after the first columns and panels arrived on-site. With the CLT prefabricated floor panels now installed, our focus shifts to the wall panel systems. These are delivered to the site 80% complete, featuring outbound insulation, cavity insulation, and a vapour barrier protection. This factory-based approach has been key to keeping the project on schedule and safe from this winter's harsh weather. The precise installation of the porcelain cladding is scheduled for next month. The 60 Bowden development is a powerful example of uniting modern methods of construction (MMC) innovation with heritage preservation. It will create 50 units for seniors in the Greektown neighbourhood while carefully preserving the history and community functions of the Danforth Baptist Church. To book a site tour, contact: [email protected]. Project Team: Client: @woodgreendotorg General Contractor: @loftinmanagment Supply Of Mass Timber: @elementfiveco Supply Of PreFab Walls: @fab.structures Install Of All Systems: Timber Panel Group Inc. Architect: @mccallumsather #MassTimber #PrefabricatedConstruction #AffordableHousing #MMC

Accessible and affordable housing requires careful coordination between policy objectives, site realities, long-term performance, and resident needs. At 1258 Rebecca Street in Oakville, mcCallumSather worked with Halton Region and Assembly Corp. to help navigate these decisions and translate accessibility and affordability goals into practical, buildable housing. Designed as a small-scale, village-like development, the project delivers 14 fully barrier-free homes across seven single-storey duplex buildings. Accessibility was treated as a core design driver rather than a minimum requirement, shaping unit layouts and site planning to support independence, dignity, and aging in place while avoiding an institutional character. To support long-term affordability and performance, the project was designed to a Passive House–informed standard and delivered using prefabricated construction. These strategies improved construction quality, reduced energy demand, and helped manage risk, while careful coordination of grading, servicing, and circulation ensured the site functioned efficiently despite tight spatial and topographic constraints. Projects like 1258 Rebecca Street require balancing accessibility requirements, construction realities, and long-term operating performance without compromising affordability. Our role was to help align these priorities into a clear, buildable path forward, giving the Region confidence that the project would perform as intended for both residents and operators over time. Photography by Riley Snelling @riley_s_photo Read the full project story through the link in our bio. @assemblycorp_ @regionofhalton @jackmanltd @buildingknowledgecanada @quinndesign_qda

Project Complete! We are excited to announce the successful delivery of three prefabricated bungalow structures to Constance Lake First Nation. This project was the first to utilize Assembly's manufactured panels. Our configure-to-order delivery system ensured the panels arrived on site with fully clad walls and pre-installed windows. Despite Hearst being one of Ontario's snowiest locations, Assembly successfully delivered these homes on time. By prefabricating the panel work in our factory, we mitigated the harsh winter conditions, guaranteeing high-quality homes with exceptionally efficient envelopes. Local trades then fitted, serviced and completed the bungalows. This project perfectly showcases our value for clients: Accelerated Delivery, Predictable Cost, and Sustainable Quality. We are scheduled to deliver 5 additional bungalow structures for CLFN starting at the end of February. As always, our work is designed to be repeatable and flexible in scope, from turnkey to structure only offerings. As an added bonus, our team witnessed the spectacular Northern Lights during one of their site visits! Project Team: Foundation: Basekamp Installation: Lolke Construction #PanelizedConstruction #MMC #DfMA #AffordableHousing #SustainbleDesign