Side Walk Talk: Exploring the Future of Mass Timber Building
Sidewalk Toronto is a proponent of mass timber, a sustainable new building material with great potential for efficient factory production. The Aspect team is proud to be part of the engineering team on this state of the art project. Learn all about the Sidewalk Toronto Proposal, a new approach to inclusive urban growth.
We also invite you to explore Side Walk Talk a blog where technologists and urbanists discuss the future of cities:
We think timber buildings could be even taller, so we spent the past year working with a world-class team of architects, engineers, and environmental designers to create a mass timber “proto-model” at 35 stories — a height yet to be achieved in practice. We call this project Proto-Model X, or PMX. What’s a proto-model, you ask? Associate Director of Development Cara Eckholm explains that and more in a PMX mini series on the Sidewalk Talk blog.
Their blog will take you through this project and the potential of mass timber building:
- Introducing PMX: Our model for how tall timber buildings could work in cities (Introduction)
- How to design a timber building that can reach 35 stories (Part 1)
- How to design a timber building that’s easy to make in a factory (Part 2)
(Image: Michael Green Architecture and Gensler)
more news
Fresh Press: ASPECT featured on Woodworking Network for Modular Timber Housing System project
September 9, 2026
ASPECT is part of the team behind the Modular Timber Housing system, led by Perkins&Wil, an initiative dedicated to advancing modular and mass timber housing solutions across Canada. In this piece, Woodworking Network breaks down the research findings and the potential impacts of integrating modular planning, off-site manufacturing, and mass timber construction.
Meet Julian: Engineering from Bern
September 8, 2026
What happens when you combine timber, battery storage, hydropower, and a healthy dose of engineering problem-solving? A pretty kick a$$ project, as it turns out.
BehindTheBuild: When the Building Won’t Stack
September 8, 2026
At ASPECT, we spend a lot of time in the space between design intent and real-world constraints, helping our clients figure out how to move a project forward without compromising what matters. It’s also something we look for in the people we bring into the business.




