Waste management methods in Montreal have been reinvented several times since industrialization began. City landfills and incineration, for their harmful impact on the health and quality of life of citizens, have given way to landfills in the suburbs, leaving the Dickson and Carrières incinerators vacant. Industrial relics, these monolithic buildings and their emblematic chimneys have become important landmarks in the Montreal landscape. These functionalist infrastructures, with their large volumes and sturdiness, still lend themselves well to waste processing, bringing this long-delocalized process back to the city. For the requalification of these centers to be a success, industrial activity must benefit the community rather than be deleterious to it.
The proposal is to convert the Carrières incinerator into a biomethanization plant to process Montreal's food waste, a solution that could also be applied to the Dickson incinerator. The building retains its logistics for receiving and shipping materials, but instead of releasing toxic substances, the new process produces compost and energy in the form of methane. The project aims to turn waste back into a resource. In fact, an infrastructure of this volume can process over 31,000 tonnes of organic waste per year, generating over 25,000 cubic metres of liquid fertilizer and around 2,700,000 cubic metres of methane, equivalent to 13.5 GWh of energy.
The gesture is part of a circular economy plan, giving back to the city the energy and fertilizer contained in its food waste. Circularity also operates on a building scale. Rooftop greenhouses are fertilized by the plant's compost. A restaurant directly adjacent to the greenhouses allows residents to enjoy the produce grown on the roof. The restaurant's terrace affords a breathtaking view of Mount Royal and downtown from the roof of the Carrières incinerator. As they make their way up to the roof, visitors learn first-hand about the organic waste management process as a way to raise awareness. Despite its industrial function, the project directly serves the community.
Building strong, lasting community ties implies an interdependence that links us to a universal form of proximity. Both built and social, it guides our apprehension of the environment and our active participation in it. This rehabilitation project is part of a profound desire to unify technology, economy and ecology on a scale that is tangible for all.
(From competitor's text)
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