Toronto’s Engineering Firms Respond to a New Era of Complexity
Toronto’s buildings are being shaped by rising affordability pressures, aggressive decarbonization goals, and increasingly intricate development programs. Projects are growing taller and more complex, combining residential, commercial, institutional, and public uses within tight urban parcels. Accordingly, engineering consultants are being called upon to do more than ever before, all while still delivering the precision of specialists.
Where once firms focused narrowly on a single discipline, today’s development climate favours consolidated teams that can respond to technical, environmental, and financial pressures all at once, with mechanical, electrical, structural, and sustainability services increasingly being delivered under one roof.
BPA exemplifies this approach. Known for decades in Toronto as TMP, a mechanical engineering leader behind some of the city’s most prominent buildings, the firm has joined BPA and expanded its scope through strategic acquisitions. Its work includes mechanical services for the under-construction Etobicoke Civic Centre.
UrbanToronto spoke with James McEwen, Director at BPA, to learn more.
“The rebrand reflects what we can do now,” McEwen told us. “We are growing beyond just a mechanical engineering firm to one offering a wide range of consulting engineering services, while still entirely focused on buildings.”
BPA’s expansion into Toronto is part of a larger national presence, with more than 1,000 staff working exclusively on building projects across Canada. From mechanical and electrical systems to structural, sustainability, and specialty consulting, the firm brings technical capacity to each stage of a building’s lifecycle. The Toronto team now operates with the resources and collaborative infrastructure of a coast-to-coast practice.
Howard Cohen, who joined BPA through the acquisition of electrical firm HCC, notes that “being part of BPA has given us access to a broader team — both on the professional and support side — which allows us to take on larger, more complex projects and deliver leading-edge design solutions.”
At CIBC SQUARE with 49- and 50-storey office towers and a GO Bus Terminal at grade, BPA provided mechanical engineering services. Design strategies focused on reducing environmental impact while ensuring user comfort. High-efficiency HVAC systems and low-flow fixtures contribute to a 40% reduction in energy costs compared to a typical new build, helping the project achieve both LEED Platinum and WELL certifications.
At The Well, BPA’s role extended beyond conventional mechanical design to include complex site integration and thermal system innovation. The downtown mixed-use mega-development posed unique challenges, including ventilation design across a multi-level underground garage that preserved the pedestrian experience above. BPA’s engineering scope featured connections to Enwave’s district energy system, thermal storage beneath the site, and air-side heat recovery.
On the west side of the city, BPA is delivering both mechanical and structural services for the Bloor & Dufferin masterplanned community. With towers ranging from 18 to 37 storeys and hundreds of new rental units, the site combines new construction with adaptive reuse, including the restoration of the former Kent School. Working alongside Honeycomb Engineering, now part of BPA, the team is coordinating mechanical and structural systems to support podium amenities.
“We started Honeycomb because we wanted to focus on the kind of work that excited us—projects where structural design plays a meaningful role in how buildings are experienced,” says Travis Goodhand, Principal. “Through it all, we’ve stayed focused on buildings, and on supporting architects and developers with structural solutions that are cost effective and elevate design.”
As Toronto intensifies, engineering teams face constrained sites, hybrid program mixes, aging stock in need of retrofit, and more. Affordable housing, student residences, and office-to-residential conversions all require nimble design approaches that balance cost, comfort, and code. At the same time, decarbonization goals are pushing developers toward ground-source heat pumps, thermal storage, and electrification.
BPA is actively involved in retrofits, new builds, and rezoning efforts for everything from labs and data centres to tenant fit-outs and mixed-use redevelopments. “BPA Toronto continues to work across a wide range of building types and project phases,” shared McEwen. “Our role is to help clients move forward with clarity—navigating complexity and meeting performance goals through collaboration.”
“We’ve always helped clients plan for low-carbon designs and retrofits,” added Adolfo Silva, Principal at Ecovert, now part of BPA’s sustainability team. “With BPA, we can help them implement the full strategy.”
“The rebrand marks a new chapter, but the values behind our work haven’t changed,” McEwen continued. “We’re still the same team, now backed by a national network that shares our commitment to building performance and sustainability. We see engineering as part of the broader city-building process.”
UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on this development, but in the meantime, you can learn more about it from our Database file, linked below. If you’d like, you can join in on the conversation in the associated Project Forum thread or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.
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