The Lighthouse is a condominium in Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada built using Amvic ICFs by Alleguard. The Lighthouse was the winner of the MultiFamily Low-Rise and People’s Choice awards in the 2024 ICF Builder Awards. Pat Dube, the contractor and developer with the company Greystone describes The Lighthouse as a 43-unit residential building with underground parking and amenity rooms. Zoning restrictions provided a maximum building height below existing residential homes behind the project to protect water views. This project was proposed as an urban infill development on surplus rail lands that required remediation. There were three previous phases of this project where ICF was also used, for a total of four buildings and 135 units. This phase clocks in at 20,570 square feet.

ICF allowed for winter construction particularly on the shores of Georgian Bay with extreme winds and subzero temperatures. Dube says two months of work time were saved by ICFs allowing the team to work through the northern Ontario winters, with no additional cost.

Complexity and Challenges
Dube describes the site conditions as “extremely challenging” due to the triangular shape of the property, which was previously used as a rail spur, and limited access with minimal setbacks. Extremely steep grades and significant rock blasting were required to fit the building. Stepped walls, building articulation, and creative features were required to overcome property lines and limit height restrictions. “The waterfront location demanded large glazing windows, large balconies, and extensive openings achieved with inexpensive concrete lintels in ICF walls,” he says.

ICF walls also acted as shear walls to deal with shear forces in the building without changing material types and allowed for continuous, efficient ICF installation. This ultimately reduced the complexity of the build and reduced time on site as a result of having fewer trades involved because ICF was used in lieu of traditional masonry walls, he says. The unique building site for the Lighthouse required significant design consideration. With three floors at the back and five on the waterfront side, the parking garage was best located mid-floors to bridge grade and maintain building height restrictions. Since this was reclaimed land from the industrial era, contaminated soil had to first be removed. Triangular land requires a footprint with many corners,” Dube says. “ICF remains the material of choice because the product has a natural modular feature that provides for efficient construction with increased structural and thermal performance.”

Significant grade differentials required large and tall basement walls. Ten-inch ICF with increased reinforcing was used to retain as much as 12 feet of grade per level. The project was designed to optimize nautical views from large balconies. Along with Plumwall bracing systems, ICF allowed for a straight and square building, with timber details presenting a mix of materials and natural earth tones. This contemporary design required carefully crafted concrete construction to produce a very quiet, and extremely energy efficient building. “Using techniques to cut out ICF and bring concrete to the face of ICF walls allowed for structural ledger boards to be installed directly on plane with the outside face of foam, without compromising insulating or structural characteristics of the ICF construction,” Dube says.

Sustainability and Significance
Timber overhangs reduce incoming sunlight during summer to reduce cooling costs, and promote incoming sunlight in winter months to promote passive heating and minimize heating costs. LED lighting is used throughout the project. Building management software provided by Bell’s Smart One System provides owners with remote temperature control, security, and controlled access. The system provides connectivity in many situations including for those aging in place with services/relatives at distance.

“This is an incredible building envelope with ICF exterior walls, increased roof insulation of R60, and spray foam closure over dissimilar materials,” Dube explains. Thanks to HVAC provided by Vertical Terminal Air Conditioners with the Condo Pack module, building owners benefit from very low heating costs. Dube says the yearly average is $15 per month per unit, which represents approximate savings of 85% when compared to a single family home in central Ontario.

The Lighthouse was completed on time despite many challenges including supply chain issues, restrictions, and escalating costs. Additional land has been purchased for future phases. This land is also critically contaminated but is in the process of remediation, so future developments will likely happen here. Greystone has been building ICF structures since 1998 with a team who is proficient in the processes. “We are an active and deep-rooted proponent of ICF construction and we believe in the product’s many benefits,” Dube says. “In the past decade, 90% of our projects have been constructed with ICF elements, most of which were constructed of ICF from footings to roof.” In this case, the Amvic by Alleguard ICF brand was selected based on cost comparisons between products, along with the analysis of lead times and turnaround on orders, plus available products/accessories that can help facilitate installation and specific details on Greystone’s projects.

“The Lighthouse has raised the bar for condominium living,” says Dube.