

Forgotten construction methods brought back to life
Wrapped in a traditional skin, the building shares little with its historical counterparts. Structural wood floor assemblies called nail laminated timber (NLT) were re-introduced. NLT’s which were commonly used in factory construction in the 19th century allows for the removal of concrete and steel, decreasing our carbon footprint while adding a unique design feature.
In sharp contrast to construction practices of that era, the buildings are one of the best performing commercial buildings in Canada for their size. Energy modeling by efficiency NS concluded they use less than half the energy of other buildings of their size.
Nail Laminated Timber (NLT) wood-framed structure
Two thousand lengths of fourteen-foot pine, sourced locally from an independent mill on the South shore of Nova Scotia provide structure, fire separation, additional ceiling height, and an amazing ceiling! It took four carpenters one month and 250,000 fasteners to connect the NLT decks.