YWCA Elm Centre

This 300 unit affordable & supportive housing project, for our long-time client YWCA Toronto, was developed by Hilditch Architect and regional Architects, and is located on an entire city block between University and Bay north of Dundas Street. The project was completed in 2011.

The project incorporates a large residential development, ranging from 5 through 17 storeys, with a listed heritage building dating to 1848, along with headquarters for YWCA Toronto, a restaurant, a boutique, the head offices of YWCA Canada, and an Aboriginal Economic Development Centre.

The project is provided with extensive indoor and outdoor amenity space, including an accessible roof terrace, a large green roof and a 200 seat indoor lecture hall. The project is a mix of affordable and geared-to-income rental housing, along with 100 units of housing dedicated to women-with-concurrent disorders, with significant support.

The project incorporates a large geothermal well field and heat pumps as part of a geo-exchange ground source heating and cooling system coupled with a radiant slab distribution system. The project was designed to provide upgraded energy efficiency, as well as significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, targeting a 41% energy use reduction over a base case that would have met 25% better than MNECB.

Elm Centre is owned and operated by YWCA Toronto. For more information, please see:

https://www.ywcatoronto.org