Overview

Owner: Société en commandite Brennan-Duke

Architect (ext): Menkès Shooner Dagenais / Dupuis LeTourneux

Architect (int): Provencher Roy + Associés architectes / Moureaux Hauspy + Associés designers

Builder: JEVerreault

Location: Montréal, Québec

Building type: Municipal office building (tenant improvement for the City of Montréal)

Size: 40 000 m² over 10 floors

Completion date: November 2006

Rating or other recognition: LEED-CI Silver

Within the framework of a major reorganisation of several departments, the City of Montréal decided to unite four services under one roof. Located along one of Montréal’s most prominent bike paths, the Louis-Charland building is the eighth and last phase of Montréal’s Multimedia City . At the western edge of Old Montréal, the area was redeveloped on a former industrial brownfield site along the Lachine Canal.

The vacant 10-storey office building had previously won the Order of Québec Architect’s Prize of Excellence in 2003. The interior retrofit meets LEED-CI Silver standards and compliments the light-filled interior with a design promoting equity, comfort and an intelligent use of space. At Montréal’s southern gateway, the City wanted to provide a demonstration of ecologically sensitive office design.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Isabel R. Laliberté,
Project Manager, t.514.380.2181 ilaliberte@shdm.org
Patrick Pretty,
Project Manager, t.514. 380.2130 ppretty@shdm.org

Website: www.sdmtl.org/francais/fiche_1055.php or www.sdmtl.org/english/fiche_1055_en.php
Photo: Marc Cramer

ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS

Through LEED CI – Commercial Interiors – the project addresses the six ecological categories outlined in the rating system. Regrouping several Municipal services on a formerly contaminated site with reduced automobile parking (underground), bicycle facilities, access to public transit and indigenous landscaping are some initial aspects of the scheme.

The building shares its heating and cooling with a central neighbourhood service. Energy performance is optimised and additional commissioning was used to regulate HVAC performance. Energy Star equipment and light detectors also contribute to the building’s energy savings.

Attractively integrated into counter, workspace and storage design, the recycling programme separates paper, glass, plastic and metal. In addition, there is also a building-wide composting programme. 76% of the project’s construction waste was diverted from landfills and selection of building materials favoured local sources and recycled content.

Interior air quality was managed throughout the project: during construction, by choosing low VOC emitting products and optimising ventilation. As a normal part of quality design, task lighting, natural lighting and thermal comfort are also accounted for in the project’s conception.

In a long-term perspective, the City undertakes to remain at their new location for at least ten years and to facilitate future departmental reorganisation, demountable interior walls were installed. An ongoing educational programme informs employees and the public about the ecological qualities and maintenance of the building.