BEAToronto Tour: Women of Limberlost

Thursday, January 8th, 6:30 - 8:00 pm EST
Limberlost Place at George Brown Polytechnic, 185 Queens Quay East

Join us for an exclusive tour of Limberlost Place, led by four women whose contributions were key to the design and construction of this landmark project.

Located on George Brown Polytechnic’s Waterfront Campus, the 10-storey Limberlost Place is Canada’s only—and possibly the world’s first—academic mass timber tower. To accomplish this feat, the team led by Moriyama Teshima Architects and Acton Ostry Architects needed to achieve the longer spans required for classrooms with mass timber, as well as to overcome regulatory hurdles related to the occupant load of an assembly-type building.

Added to the use of mass timber was a host of other sustainability ambitions: a passive, natural ventilation strategy for the building to achieve net-zero emissions, a pre-fabricated façade to save time and materials, and a small-footprint, localized mechanical system that would open up the penthouse to become an events space.

Achieving this tightly integrated design vision required an exceptional degree of teamwork and capacity for creative problem-solving. This tour highlights a few of the several remarkable women who held key project team roles, working to meet these challenges and realize the building.

Photo of Limberlost by doublespace photography

The tour will be led by:

- Carol Phillips, Partner, Moriyama Teshima Architects

- Nerys Rau, Executive Director of Facilities and Sustainability, George Brown Polytechnic

- Krista Palen, Partner, Transsolar KlimaEngineering

- Kayley Mullings, Senior Interior Designer, Moriyama Teshima Architects

About the speakers:

Carol Phillips, Partner at Moriyama Teshima Architects, is a recognized leader with over 30 years of experience shaping transformative places for communities. A Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, she has been at the forefront of sustainable design, pioneering low-carbon and mass timber construction while advancing net-zero carbon strategies. Her portfolio spans academic institutions, cultural landmarks, and civic buildings across Canada and internationally, each project marked by innovation, inclusivity, and environmental responsibility.

Guided by a design philosophy that emphasizes the connection between people, place, and nature, Carol creates architecture that fosters collaboration, cultural sensitivity, and ecological stewardship. Her empathetic and collaborative approach ensures that every project not only responds to the climate crisis but also strengthens community bonds and enhances the human experience through beautiful, inspiring, thoughtful, and context-driven design.

Nerys Rau is George Brown Polytechnic’s Executive Director of Facilities and Sustainability and served as the Project Director for the Limberlost Place Development. Holding a BSc and an MBA, she has moved through various roles in the education sector and brings multiple perspectives to post-secondary facilities projects. Since joining George Brown, Nerys has led numerous projects, including the development of multiple state-of-the-art buildings now forming the college’s Waterfront Campus. This scope included planning and implementation, but also stakeholder and industry engagement. During this time, Nerys also oversaw the development of a student residence in Toronto’s Canary District, a legacy project of the Pan Am Games. Subsequent roles at the Polytechnic included Director of Strategic Planning and Governance and Director of ITS Operations, before moving back to lead the development of Limberlost Place and, more recently, taking over the leadership of the Facilities and Sustainability team.

Krista Palen is a Partner at environmental engineering consultancy Transsolar KlimaEngineering. Krista is passionate about contributing to innovation in the sustainable architecture and design field. She believes that this can be best achieved by merging design thinking with building science and ecology. She excels at facilitating collaboration within design teams to develop radical and successful ideas and approaches. Her expertise covers areas like complex thermal simulation, daylight modelling, and natural ventilation design. With a background spanning engineering, architecture, and interdisciplinary design, Krista has led teams to create numerous award-winning ultra-sustainable innovative projects worldwide, while operating from Toronto.

Kayley Mullings is a Senior Interior Designer at Moriyama Teshima Architects, with a focus on how design can address societal and environmental challenges. Her experience includes contributions to several of MTA’s most ambitious institutional and civic projects, spanning cultural, academic, civic, and workplace environments.

In recent years, Kayley has played a key role in many of the firm’s most innovative projects, such as Limberlost Place at George Brown Polytechnic, the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF) Headquarters and Multi-Tenant Building, and the BCIT Campus Service Centre. These projects highlight her expertise in mass-timber construction, sustainable material strategies, and complex interior renovations. Managing work across all phases - from concept through construction administration - Kayley ensures transparent decision-making, thoughtful design integration, and effective communication among all stakeholders.

Location:
Limberlost Place
George Brown Polytechnic
185 Queens Quay East, Toronto, ON M5A 0B6

Tickets:

$20 General

$10 Student

Limited tickets available!

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