Passage House - East Gwillimbury

Structural assembly of York Region’s 18-unit supportive housing project for individuals experiencing homelessness in East Gwillimbury was completed in just seven months through the winter.

The 11,000 sq. ft., two-storey cross-laminated timber (CLT) building, Passage House, uses an optimized and repeatable mass timber structural system developed by Element5 and mcCallumSather (formerly Edge Architects). Element5 collaborated closely with the design team to develop a CLT grid aligned with the manufacturing capabilities of its production facility, improving efficiency and constructability.

Prefabricated Mass Timber Speeds Construction
Using prefabricated mass timber for both the structure and building envelope significantly accelerated the construction schedule. Factory-built components were delivered to site and rapidly assembled, reducing labour demands and overall project costs compared with conventional on-site construction.

Off-site construction also delivers broader benefits, including improved sustainability, predictable timelines, reduced neighbourhood disruption, efficient material use, and enhanced worker safety.

Operated by Blue Door, Passage House provides supportive housing and individualized services to help residents live independently and transition to permanent housing. The highly efficient building features exposed wood interiors that promote comfort, health, and wellbeing.

The project was delivered through the Federal Government’s Rapid Housing Initiative (RHI) and began welcoming residents in Fall 2022.