- Location: Toronto, Ontario
- Scope: 55,000 sq ft retrofit with 600 unitized panels
- Stage: Design complete; entering RFP for construction management
Toronto’s Ray McCleary Towers, better known by its address, 444 Logan Avenue, is quietly becoming one of Canada’s most consequential experiments in retrofitting. This 21-storey, 167-unit seniors’ residence is being reimagined to deliver net-zero operational performance while keeping its residents housed, safe, and supported throughout the construction process.
Led by WoodGreen Community Housing, the project is more than just a technical upgrade. It’s a model for how affordable housing, retrofits, and social equity can align. PrimeFab’s role is central: supplying a unitized panelized wall system that enables high performance while significantly reducing onsite disruption.
Project Highlights
- Location: Toronto, ON
- Building Type: 21-storey occupied seniors’ residence
- Scope: Full recladding using PrimeWalls prefabricated envelope system
- Performance Target: Net-zero operational carbon
- Partners: WoodGreen Community Housing, industry-leading design and engineering teams
- Status: Awarded; currently in preconstruction
Why It Matters
Unlike conventional deep retrofits that often displace tenants or require lengthy, disruptive construction timelines, this project uses a panelized, prefabricated envelope solution that is manufactured offsite and installed in staged sequences. This approach significantly reduces dust, noise, and disruption—a critical factor in a building where all tenants will remain in place throughout the retrofit.
The result:
- Faster installation with minimal tenant impact
- Improved airtightness and thermal performance
- High-quality control thanks to factory fabrication
- Respectful renovation of existing social housing stock
A Model for What’s Next
With its smart use of energy modeling, integrated envelope and mechanical upgrades, and commitment to both social and climate goals, it offers a forward-looking answer to Canada’s aging housing stock and carbon reduction goals.
From a construction and policy standpoint, it showcases how ambition and pragmatism can meet on an occupied job site. And for PrimeFab, it’s a chance to prove how the PrimeWalls system can help solve real-world challenges in high-stakes, community-centered housing retrofits.
Stay tuned for a follow-up case study once installation is complete.