A NEW AGORA
Our proposal for a sports complex must be evaluated according to the architecture's ability to address a broader vision of the community and its civic spaces. While this proposal aligns with the human and athletic values specific to the program, it is also rooted in our understanding of the intrinsic character of the sites.
Each site has its own landscape heritage and architectural history. Agricultural divisions dating from the seigneurial era have left deep traces on the territory of Montreal and, in its spatial layout, our proposal elaborates on this history. The reminder of these agricultural layouts structures and gives rhythm to our project layout. We can say that the implantation and the layout remind us of the old rows that have structured our landscape.
At first glance, during the experience of the site, the existing and protective embankments surrounding the school remain unavoidable in the apprehension of the place. Evocative, they support the poetic approach that we defend of the landscape. Our project respects the character of this school from another era and its use of topography. From a historical point of view, the embankment and the school have retained all their heritage integrity. It is therefore this condition that we seek to enhance, to reinforce. Our architecture is meant to be integral with the existing landscape, the potential landscape.
Our program design examines the various activities that animate the public space. We develop gazebos, bleachers, a natural amphitheater and an event hub. The sports elements frame and interact with these spaces, connecting the park and the city. The whole becomes a community campus. At its center, this hub of activity is the new agora.
Our organizational strategy for the project is most rational. This results in a tripartite subdivision of the various functions and the soccer field. This analysis conditions the entire complex, right down to the design of the steel elements defining the three main structural spans. Below these three spans, the program elements are characterized in their structure and form. The envelope, protective and functionally folded, is a finished composite of sheet metal over wood framing. Structured according to the three main bays, it also projects towards the public space. The repetition of walls gives a rhythm to the whole; they are planes of brick masonry that emerge from the ground and define the limits of each element of the program.
Our organization of the project along these three large spans creates a compact building. It will be easy to construct and most economical. This modular structure gives the project an interesting flexibility of adaptation and budget. But beyond this material efficiency and the interest of the sports functions, our project addresses the needs of a community through and its capacity to act as a social instrument.
Our stance and commitment to the community will be realized in a project with a minimal ecological footprint. This project aims for a LEED Gold certification. It proposes innovations in its approach to energy performance, in ventilation and air treatment, in lighting, and in the treatment of outdoor spaces.
(From competitor's text)
(Unofficial automated translation)
Functionality
- very functional and attractive project;
- easy access to all program functions;
- the central checkroom is well positioned;
- the interior link with the school is direct and functional;
- the organization of the pool allows for the isolation of the two (2) pools;
- the side entrance works well, but it is too far from the current parking lot and not easily identifiable;
- the jury deplores the dichotomy between the interior organization and the exterior massing;
- the project proposes a 3300 m2 overrun of the program;
- the variable height of the soccer stadium is considered problematic.
Image
- good affirmation and legibility of function; provocative image;
- the ramp on the roof represents a problem with a school clientele nearby;
- the use of wood in the structure and interior finish is very attractive and contributes to a welcoming atmosphere;
- elegant project whose transparency announces the function but the pool will be in the parking lot;
- the side entrance is not visible from Thimens Boulevard;
- beautiful presentation, illustrating the thought and research that went into the design;
- the volumetry is imposing, monumental effect seen from the street.
Exterior design
- good use of the park façade with the addition of the bleachers;
- the parking lot has been relocated to the park; not consistent with the program;
- the side entrance is enlivened by a welcoming and vibrant plaza, but poorly oriented;
- good study of the site and urban circulation;
- the exterior design will generate traffic conflicts; pedestrians, cars, trucks and make access unsafe;
- the protection of the embankments is not based on the right hypothesis, historically they date from the expansion of the school;
- The construction of a gazebo in the linear park is not permitted;
- Phase II is unrealistic due to the elimination of most of the school's parking lot.
Sustainable Development
- the project has a massing and envelope that is not conducive to energy conservation, despite being set in the ground
- the northeast facing entrance will be dark, windy and snowy, and is not conducive to occupancy
- daylighting is well exploited for the gym and soccer;
- the footprint is maximized by excavation and a full footprint design.
Budget
- the magnitude of the massing, the relocation of the parking lot in phase 1 and the importance of the use of wood in the structure raise budgetary concerns; the project offers less latitude for cost reductions without affecting the concept;
- Raising the roof of the soccer field on either side of the gazebo ramp results in additional costs that are difficult to justify.
(From jury report)
(Unofficial automated translation)
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