Located near the landmark water tower overlooking downtown Greater Sudbury, the Sudbury Peace Tower Housing Project is a five-storey, 25,500 sq. ft., affordable housing development that combines an important social mission with an innovative approach to construction.
The not-for-profit development provides 38 deeply affordable, one-bedroom homes for people on Greater Sudbury’s rent-geared-to-income housing registry. More than 90% of the units are designed to be accessible and barrier-free. Shared common areas and office space for community-based service providers further support the project’s goal of creating a welcoming and supportive community.
Building Differently in Northern Ontario
The Peace Tower is the first multi-residential cross-laminated timber (CLT) project in Northern Ontario. The five-storey structure uses prefabricated CLT wall, floor and roof panels, together with glulam beams and columns.
Mass timber offered several advantages for a project in Northern Ontario, where the construction season can be constrained by weather. The timber components were digitally modelled and manufactured off-site before being transported to Sudbury and assembled on a challenging hillside site beside a large rock face.
A six-person crew erected the complete five-storey mass timber structure in just 23 working days.
The prefabricated components arrived ready for installation and were lifted into position by crane. By the end of the erection sequence, the building’s primary timber structure, including its floors and walls, was in place, allowing subsequent trades to move into the next phases of construction.
Designed for Sustainability and Community
Sustainability was also an important part of the project vision. The Peace Tower is an all-electric building designed to be net-zero ready, while its use of mass timber incorporates a renewable structural material into the development. The mass timber remains visible in selected interior and exterior areas, providing a visual connection to the building’s timber construction.
Ultimately, the significance of the Peace Tower lies in the homes it provides. The project demonstrates how mass timber, prefabrication and thoughtful design can come together to support the delivery of high-quality, accessible and deeply affordable housing.
For Greater Sudbury, the result is 38 new homes and an important example of how new approaches to construction can help communities respond to an urgent need for housing.
