UnitiWall Corporation has unveiled its prefabricated, high-performance, fully unitized wall panel system for use in new construction and deep energy retrofits. Anchored on a cold-rolled steel structural frame, the system integrates an air vapor barrier, perimeter seals, thermal breaks, insulation layers, and a patented bridge-free Thermal Plenum frame for drainage and ventilation.
Additionally, UnitiWall incorporates all types of exterior cladding options and window types, resulting in a complete wall system that is customized for each project, delivered fully clad and ready to install, with the work of half a dozen trades built in.
Designed to exceed even the most stringent code requirements, UnitiWall panels are energy efficient, delivering a combined U-value of 0.029 and an effective R-value of R35 and higher. Additionally, the system’s materials and production processes are engineered to minimize their direct and indirect environmental impact over their lifecycle, using locally sourced, recycled materials that will also be 100 percent recyclable at their end-of-life.
In addition to its superior energy efficiency, UnitiWall’s elegant engineering provides unmatched benefits: developers and architects will appreciate the system’s unlimited design freedom, flexibility, and its ability to accommodate every possible type and size of window or cladding material to deliver aesthetically appealing buildings that stand out on city skylines. For building owners, UnitiWall exceeds next-gen building codes and is built to last and reduce maintenance and renewal costs. For builders, UnitiWall prefabricated panels are delivered on site, ready for installation from the inside, significantly improving site efficiency and safety, and increasing installation speed to reduce construction schedules for new builds by up to 80 percent.
It is fitting that UnitiWall’s debut project will be to create the exterior of one of Canada’s most innovative buildings: the Academic Wood Tower at the University of Toronto. Designed, engineered, and built by the consortium of Patkau Architects, MacLennan Jaunkalns Miller Architects (MJMA), Blackwell Structural Engineers, and Pomerleau Building Construction, the 80-metre, 15-storey tower will be one of Canada’s tallest mass timber structures, and will also establish new standards in the use of prefabricated building components. UnitiWall is providing the Wood Tower’s exterior opaque wall panels, a complex system designed to mesh invisibly with the façade’s glazing and the wooden super-braces that wrap the tower diagonally, while providing an airtight, sustainable exterior.