# Waterfront Timber Buildings 'The Arbour' is a Winning Design Concept for Toronto's Waterfront By Joey Haar | Published 2018-05-10 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-arbour References: [archdaily](https://www.archdaily.com/893892/toronto-competition-awards-timber-building-to-be-constructed-on-citys-waterfront) & [mtarch](http://mtarch.com/) [Timber buildings](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/timber-residence) are growing in popularity as engineers and architects find ways to make use of the sustainable material for large-scale construction, and 'The Arbour' is slated to be the Toronto waterfront's introduction to a natural edifice. Moriyama & Teshima Architects and Acton Ostry Architects collaborated on the design, which was the winning entry in a competition for a new school of computer science at [George Brown College](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/june-st-george). Aside from its appealing, natural design, The Arbour has practical, environmental benefits. It will be a [net-zero tower](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/wonderwoods-vertical-forest), meaning that it's carbon footprint will come out to neutral. The architects hope that The Arbour will stand as a beacon of sustainable innovation in a city that is rapidly growing. Image Credit: Moriyama & Teshima Architects ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.2/10 - Popularity: 22% | Activity: 7% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) > [Architecture](https://www.trendhunter.com/architecture) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Timber Buildings:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Explore new techniques to make use of timber as a sustainable material for large-scale construction. - **Net-zero Buildings:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop technologies and design strategies for creating carbon-neutral buildings. - **Sustainable Innovation:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Find ways to integrate sustainable design practices into urban development projects. ### Who This Affects Most - **Architecture & Construction:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Embrace timber as a viable alternative to traditional construction materials. - **Environmental Sustainability:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Promote the development of net-zero buildings to reduce carbon footprints. - **Urban Development:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Incorporate sustainable design principles into city planning and infrastructure projects. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Timber Research Hubs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/anthony-timberlands.md) - [Tropical Timber Schools](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/oceana-innovation-hub-school.md) - [Mass-Timber Expansive Buildings](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/katajanokan-laituri.md) - [Timber-Centric Non-Profit Headquarters](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-cleveland-foundation.md) - [Tree-Surrounding Mass-Timber Homes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tree-courtyard-house.md) - [Timber-Framed Coastal Homes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/timber-residence.md) - [Large Passive House Buildings](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/harmony-commons.md) - [Green-Timber Glad Office Spaces](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lumber-4.md) - [Mass-Timber Transport Hubs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/marengo-multimodal-transport-hub.md)