The path to zero-carbon operations starts with a clear, integrated vision for a high-performance building. From the beginning, we consider energy performance to shape a, orientation, envelope, and systems. Our team establishes a carbon budget and sustainability strategy with purpose, carrying these high ambitions throughout the design process. By making the architecture work hard, we significantly reduce the energy required to operate the building.

Low-carbon material choices shape both the environmental impact and the experience of occupying a building. We lower embodied carbon and define the architectural vision of our projects by using natural and renewable materials, including mass timber. To help us balance carbon data with design criteria, we employ a life cycle assessment during our iterative process.

Sustainability frameworks and certifications serve as a shared language for building owners to demonstrate leadership in high-performance design. Our experience spans some of the most rigorous standards, from LEED Platinum to Zero Carbon Building Standard certifications. We also work with local and federal public policies, such as the Toronto Green Standard and the Federal Greening Government Strategy with experience in policy compliance and development.

Our consideration of landscape alongside architecture is grounded by the land and what existed on site before development. MTA approaches each place as a part of a broader ecological system, creating resilient buildings that respond to and strengthen the natural conditions around them.

The reuse of existing structures provides cost and carbon benefits while allowing us to preserve the cultural significance of a building. Our approach to renewal considers performance, life cycle value, and long-term stewardship. We develop retrofit strategies that elevate existing buildings to higher levels of performance while balancing the social, environmental, and civic context embodied in them.