As financial institutions work to reduce the environmental impact of their real estate portfolios, BMO’s Fischer-Hallman branch in Kitchener, Ontario demonstrates how mass timber can help redefine a familiar commercial building type. Completed in 2024, the 5,000 sq. ft. branch is BMO’s first net-zero energy bank in Canada and is designed to meet both Passive House Classic and CAGBC (Canada Green Building Council Zero Carbon Building) Design certification standards.
Developed as a prototype for future low-carbon branches, the project combines prefabricated mass timber with high-performance building systems to deliver exceptional energy efficiency, reduced embodied carbon and an inviting customer experience.
Element5’s Mass Timber Solution
Element5 supplied and manufactured the building’s structural mass timber system, including prefabricated cross-laminated timber (CLT) wall and roof panels, along with exposed Glulam columns and beams.
Designed to support the project’s ambitious Passive House performance targets, the CLT wall panels were delivered with vapour barriers pre-installed, accelerating enclosure while helping achieve the exceptionally airtight building envelope required for certification. Serving as the substrate for the continuous airtight membrane, the panels contributed to an air leakage target of less than 0.6 air changes per hour.
Manufactured off site for precision and efficiency, the prefabricated system also improved quality control, reduced construction waste and enabled faster on-site installation.
A Model for Future Low-Carbon Construction
Beyond a single branch, the project establishes a repeatable model for sustainable commercial construction. As a standardized retail building, the structural system can be adapted across multiple locations, allowing future branches to benefit from the speed, precision and sustainability advantages of prefabricated mass timber.
Combined with rooftop solar, an all-electric mechanical system and a high-performance envelope, the project demonstrates how mass timber can help owners reduce embodied carbon while achieving ambitious operational performance targets.
Awards Won
- 2026 Canadian Green Building Award (Commercial Industrial [Small] Category)
- 2025 REmmy Award – Workplace Excellence (Small – under 20,000 rsf category)
A celebration of innovation, creativity, and excellence in corporate real estate.
In the News
- Canadian Green Building Award Winning Project, SABMag, July 14, 2026
- BMO opens its first net-zero energy branch in Ontario, Construction Canada, July 22, 2024
- Bank opens net-zero energy branch in Kitchener, CTV News, June 13, 2024
