A new community is forming around Wilson subway station in northwest Toronto, replacing former surface parking and lower-density commercial and light industrial buildings with new medium-density, mostly residential development. Among the firms reshaping this burgeoning pocket of the city is Collecdev, who have a pair of active projects in the area. The further along of the two is Tretti Condos, a 13-storey, gh3-designed development playfully given the Norwegian word for 30, its address on Tippett Road, just south of WIlson Avenue, while on Wilson Avenue itself, Collecdev has just started work on Nordic Condos, continuing the Scandinavian theme.

Panorama of below-grade forming at Tretti site, image by Forum contributor drum118

Construction commenced on Tretti in 2019, and following excavation work, forming work has been progressing gradually through the months since, impacted somewhat by the Covid situation. While sections of Tretti's four-level underground garage have now taken shape, the pit also extends to the south beyond the footprint of the 13-storey condo, as the Tretti site is to also host a pair of rental buildings, dubbed Tippett Park phases 1 and 2. The 14-storey first phase is currently under construction along with the condo, while the phase 2 rental building remains in pre-construction, filed under a different City planning application.

Below-grade forming at Tretti site, image by Forum contributor drum118

The site is one of several Collecdev projects set to make use of a closed-loop geothermal system that cycles a mix of antifreeze and water through pipes buried in the ground, utilizing the constant temperatures below the surface to heat buildings in winter months and cool them in summer months. To better understand the system, we spoke with Jon Mesquita, partner and co-founder of Diverso Energy, the company handling the geothermal work for Tretti. "The closed-loop geothermal system at Tretti Condos is expected to eliminate 225 tons of CO² and save 3.3M litres of drinking water annually, while reducing overall building energy consumption by 20%," Mesquita told us.

Tretti Condos, image courtesy of Collecdev

Work on the geothermal system was among the first activity at the site, with Mesquita saying "The geothermal bore-field was installed prior to any building construction. The holes were predrilled and the pipes were capped and cut just below final grade. This allowed for excavation to proceed as normal, and once they reached final grade, we came back in and connected our pipes together. That minimized the impact to Collecdev’s construction schedule. The remainder of the geothermal system—manifold, pumps, and controls—will be completed and connected to the building’s mechanical system closer to building completion and occupancy."

Sustainability features at Tretti Condos, image courtesy of Collecdev

Similar work is being carried out by another geothermal contractor a short distance away, for Collecdev's next addition to the neighbourhood in the upcoming Nordic Condos project. As site preparation work clears the existing buildings from the Wilson Avenue site of that 12-storey residential complex, drilling rigs are working away on boreholes for its geothermal system, in a process illustrated with photos in a recent construction update.

Demolition and geothermal drilling continue at nearby Nordic Condos site, image by Forum contributor drum118

You can learn more from our Database files for the projects mentioned, linked below. If you'd like to, you can join in on the conversation in the associated Project Forum threads, or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.

Source: Urban Toronto