DKA Portfolio English

PORTFOLIO

Index

Industrial 15 21

25

29 33

Quilicot

Groupe SPI

Industrial building Plateau Mont-Royal Industrial development Casa

Commercial 41

43

BST2

Dental clinic Daoust

Institutional 53

Guy Rocher pavilion

65

School Saint-René

59 67

School Domaine-Vert-Nord School Chambéry

71

Apprentis-Sages

77

Sainte-Thérèse Arena

75 81

Master plan for a building complex in Lachute

119

Integrated project

Saint-Charles district

121

Centro-Cité

125

Residential development in Princeville

123 127

129 133

Casola Laval

Master plan for the Office Municipal d’Habitation de Laval PPCMOI residential development in Sherbrooke Seigneurie de la gare

Multi-residential 137

Le Balt

141

Jardins Dion

139 145

149 153

Quartier 7

Rosemont housing Espace 9

Le Saint-Louis

Cégep Saint-Jérôme

161

Comtois residence

169

Lake house Rougeaud

165

Head office DKA

97

Head office Simon Lussier

Flagship store Quilicot Thaï Luncheonette

Urban Planning 105

Redevelopment of Parc Miner

109

St-Eustache

109

115

113

Single-family homes

89

99

Montée du Domaine

Aux Petits Pas

Design 91

111

Industrial development

173

175

179 181

Residence V + M Residence K

Residence T + H

Lake house Marcoux Residence A

Competitions 187

Lab-École Rimouski

191

Marieville library

189 195

Saint-Colomban library Alphonse Desjardins Theater

Firm

DKA Since 2009, DKA’s mission has been to design living environments that are considerate, diverse, and efficient in terms of human, environmental, and economic factors.

The firm stands out for its ability to offer an integrated approach, providing comprehensive urban planning and interior design services in conjunction with their architectural services.

The expertise of our professionals in dealing with the challenges of urban development enables us to optimize the social, financial and environmental benefits of a project.

DKA firmly believes in breaking down its own walls, and that challenging oneself must be an integral part of any creative process in order to build a sustainable future.

Éric Desjardins Principal Partner Architect

Sonkham Khamlong Principal Partner Architect

Vincent C. Deslauriers Partner Architect

Pierre-Olivier Petti Partner Architect

Laurie Laterreur Partner Architect

Nicola Cardone Partner Urban Planner

Virginie Roy Montpellier Partner Architect

15

Architects

4

Urban planners

5

Architectural graduate intern

1

Urban graduate intern

19

Technicians

3

Designers

2

Image professionals

8

Administrative assistants

1

BIM Coordinator

3

Site supervisors

Manifesto

Now more than ever, society needs idealists.

To inspire.

We also know that building a sustainable future requires being realistic.

To refrain from expiring.

At DKA, we combine idealism and realism. We believe that calculated risk-taking is necessary to better shape our environment.

That questioning ourselves must be part of our creative process.

Why? Because we need to break down our own walls to create space.

To let in new perspectives. Because we believe that success comes from blazing your own trail. To stir ideas and break down established disciplines.

Because with engaging solutions, our work process naturally becomes collegial with our clients. Because we firmly believe that all these elements make architecture — our architecture — a field of expertise open to everyone.

Process

Site Survey

Feasibility Studies

Aerial Photos and Videos

Conceptual Approach

Architectural Approach

Zonage Analysis and Code Compliance

Space Planning

Choice of Materials

Finishes Specifications

Plans for Permits

Functional Programming

Volumetric Studies

3D Perspectives

Custom Furniture

Plans and Specifications for Tender

Urban Studies

Explanatory Graphics and Diagrams

Preliminary Plans

CCU PIIA

Interior 3D Perspectives

Construction Documents

PREDESIGN PHASE

SHEMATIC DESIGN PHASE

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT PHASE

REVIEW WITH MUNICIPAL OR GOVERNMENTAL AUTHORITIES

INTERIOR DESIGN SERVICES

CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS PHASE

Technical Data Sheet Analysis

Shop Drawing Analysis

Site Review

CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION AND FIELD REVIEW

DELIVERY

Industrial

Quilicot

Édifice ....

Budget : 00 M$ - 6 étages - Superficie : ±3 896m2

Distribution and storage centre including headquarters and a store in Mascouche Budget : 14 M$ - Distribution and storage space : 1 533 m2 - Office space : 300 m2

- Commercial space : 763 m2 - Production space : 119 m2

Groupe SPI

Industrial building with a steel structure and wrought metal in Saint-Jérôme Budget : 7 M$ - Phase 1: base building of ± 1 900m² / ± 20 445 sq.ft - Phase 2: extension of ± 1 858m² / ± 20 000 sq.ft

Industrial building Plateau Mont-Royal

Édifice ....

Budget : 00 M$ - 6 étages - Superficie : ±3 896m2

Design of an industrial and commercial building at the intersection of Hogan and Rachel streets in the Plateau Mont-Royal district Budget : 18 M$ - Lot = ±6 474m2 (± 69 689 sq.ft)

- Building area = ±3 194m2 (±34 380 sq.ft)

Industrial development

Industrial development in Saint-Eustache Budget : 60 M$ - Lot area : ± 93 027 m2

- Building area : ± 36 017 m2

- Percentage of green canopy : 40%

The proposed complex is located alongside Innoparc Albatros, an innovative region of Saint-Eustache. The lot of four buildings is designed to be rich from both human and environmental perspectives despite its large storage function. This is reflected in the amenities that enhance the daily experience of the occupants. The quality of built spaces extends to the exterior as well. Whether through infrastructure adaptations promoting active transportation or the integration of vegetated ditches, the physical and mental well-being of individuals is a primary concern.

Ultimately, due to its scale, the entire project integrates into its immediate context, emphasizing sustainable development and landscape enhancement. Furthermore, the project is committed to being certified as ready for a carbon-neutral transition.

By developing spaces designed for residents and workers, the project aims for smooth integration in harmony with its environment.

Casa

Agricultural machinery factory in Repentigny Budget : 3 M$ - Building area : ± 1 309m2 / 14 090 sq.ft - Number of floors : 2

Dals

Immodev

Zone Enseignes

Valdi-Tech

Vasco

Si-Ci Stan

Qué-Mont

Kanzy Medipharm

IPConsul

Place Côte-Sud

Noddem

Toitures V. Perreault

Hydro-Québec Power Station

Zone Enseignes II

Groupe Alfa

Industrial Building Raymond

Coréalis Pharma

Terranueva

St-Elzéar Sawmill

Montreal Mini Storage

Transit Nord-Plus

Vasco

Commercial

BST2

Office building with a mass timber structure with a restaurant on the ground floor.

Budget : 10 M$ - 6 floors - Surface area : ±3 896m2

Dental clinic Daoust

Dental clinic located in Pointe-aux-Trembles including a laboratory, sterilization area, laundry room, kitchen, and offices Budget : 4,5 M$ - Building area : ± 5 420 sq.ft - Number of floors : 2

Inspired by the Aesthetic of the Medical Field, white was the colour of choice for this dental clinic, leaving an impression of lightness and pristine openness.

The space is divided into two distinct sections: a private area for the clinic and a public area for the reception, waiting room, and offices. This division is consistent in the interior spaces, choice of finishes, and the treatment of the exterior facade.

A long white counter extends from the entrance door to the waiting room, supporting the clinic’s fluidity and openness. The use of wood for storage, restroom doors, and the wall adds a warm touch to the waiting area.

The laboratory, sterilization area, storage cabinets, and consultation room are located in the centre of the clinic, with treatment rooms around the perimeter, giving them direct access to exterior views. On the top floor, a cafeteria and offices are bathed in natural light.

The floor plan prioritizes circulation axes with a visual breakthrough to the outside, fostering an internal-external relationship. Even from the inside, the access doors to each room are aligned with the windows to maximize the entry of light into the corridor. A garden has also been created at the back of the building.

The choice of noble yet durable materials, such as white brick, wood, and ceramic, was made to support the aesthetic.

Firma Rockethammer

F Building Laval

Medical Clinic Lachute

Harden Tower

Medical Clinic Ormstown

Medical Clinic

District 23

Dental Clinic

Jarjoura Gagnon Clinic

Caisse Desjardins

Kayali

Bugatti

Medical Clinic Prévost

Institutional

Guy Rocher pavilion

Learning centre for medical research at Montmorency College in Laval Budget : 22,4 M$ - 5 Floors

- 2 200 m2 per floor

- Classes, clinics, laboratories, an atrium and administration offices Consortium : DKA / Yves Woodrough Architectes / Yelle Maillé et Associés Architectes

School Domaine-VertNord

New elementary school of 24 classes aiming for a LEED v4 Gold certification Winner of multiple Gold, Silver and Bronze Certifications at the Grands Prix du Design Prize of excellence Cecobois Budget : 25 M$ - Area : ±8 593m2 Consortium : DKA / Yves Woodrough Architectes / Yelle Maillé et Associés Architectes

The Lab-École is a large pioneering project, which proposed a new typology for elementary schools. This project has contributed to the development of current architectural practices in school buildings for the MEQ. (Quebec Ministry of Education) This building is a single story with carefully designed spaces for stimulation, learning, and relaxation. Each classroom features a flexible, modular sub-classroom that adapts to various activities, allowing children to work with multiple educators rather than just one.

These shared teaching zones have their own colour codes on the floor and walls, helping children to claim their space within the large school. Each classroom has a skylight and a window wall to provide natural light for all users. Additionally, the teaching areas have direct access to the outdoor courtyard, designed to introduce biophilia to the users.

Custom wooden slat suspended ceilings control acoustics in the classrooms and the large multipurpose room. The slats, mounted on fabric and insulation, absorb sound and prevent reverberations. The space between the slats is an effective acoustic detail. The school design prioritizes wood in both the structure and finishes, adding warmth to the building. The natural light enhances the use of wood.

A hybrid ventilation system integrated into the fixed furniture directs air to the lower part of the walls, which rises by chimney effect, carrying contaminants before being extracted through the ceiling and evacuated from the classroom. Each classroom also has a CO2 monitor. The classrooms feature radiant heated and cooled floors through a geothermal system. Temperature control anticipates outdoor conditions to ensure optimal indoor comfort.

This project also incorporates strategies to reduce the building’s environmental footprint throughout its lifecycle.

School Saint-René

Extension of 12 new classrooms with an additional 4 classes for students with special needs and a gymnasium with amenities.

Winner of a Bronze certification at the Grands Prix du Design Budget : 12 M$ - Expansion area : ±2 866m2 on 2 1/2 storeys Consortium : DKA / Yelle Maillé et Associés Architectes

School Chambéry

New elementary school of 25 classes in Chambéry, Mirabel Budget : 35,5 M$ Consortium : DKA / Atelier Sens

Apprentis-Sages

Design of a daycare centre for 80 children in Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts Budget : 3,4 M$ - Land area : ± 6 080 m2 / 65 445 sq.ft - Building area : ± 693 m2 / 7 459 sq.ft - Natural area: 50.2%

- Ratio of built area to land : 0.11

Aux Petits Pas

Daycare centre for 80 children in Mirabel Budget : 2 M$ - Building area : ± 667 m2 / 7 180 sq.ft

Sainte-Thérèse Arena

Functional and Technical Programming for the construction of a new arena in Sainte-Thérèse Planned budget : 15 M$

The new arena aims to be a distinctive and original architectural landmark while considering its classic institutional surroundings. The concept is inspired by natural elements, namely rock and ice. The duality between these two elements allows the integration and alignment of the building within the existing context.

The main volume, the “block of ice,” is architecturally represented by a minimalist white structure opening onto the sports complex and Lionel-Groulx College. The lowering of the volume on the main facade aims to reduce the massive effect and align with the scale of the built environment on Saint-Louis Street. Subsequently, the “rock” emerges at the base of the large, sleek volume to house the peripheral functions of the new arena. The “rock” is thus represented by a classic material such as natural stone, while the “block of ice” is translated into insulated metal panels, merging modern and classic elements to harmonize with the arena’s context.

Developed in collaboration with the City of Sainte-Thérèse, the preliminary project had to consider all the city’s criteria, including the integration of the new arena into its surroundings, respect for the historical context, community connections, aesthetic and programmatic aspects, and especially energy efficiency, incorporating numerous sustainable development principles.

The project aimed for a design meeting LEED Gold certification standards, although it was not officially certified. The arena project emphasizes social and environmental concerns to ensure its operational efficiency and architectural quality, making it a recognized community and sports hub in the region. Additionally, the strategic placement of the new arena on a previously developed site aligns with an important sustainable development principle: the protection of sensitive sites.

Cégep Saint-Jérôme

Renovation of the Student Services Centre at Cégep de Saint-Jérôme Budget : 2,9 M$

Collège Montmorency

Petits Pas Daycare

Saint-Michel-Archange School

Domaine-Vert-Nord school

St-Hippolyte Fire Station

Polyvalente Sainte-Thérèse highschool

Highschool

Hôtel de Ville

Chambéry School

Design

Head office DKA

DKA’s head office in Sainte-Thérèse A+Awards Special Mention Achievement from Architizer Budget : n/d - Surface area : 6 857 sq.ft

Flagship store Quilicot Lighting

Flagship store for Bicycles Quilicot in Laval Winner of 2 Platinum Awards and 1 Gold Certification from Grands Prix du Design Budget : 1,5 M$ - Surface area : ±5 600 sq.ft

Commercial

The goal of this project was to create a signature boutique for Quilicot while democratizing cycling in all its forms.

The space is designed to be flexible and adaptable, integrating the latest digital technologies and offering the variety of a large retail store while maintaining the personal touch of a neighborhood bike shop.

The boutique’s functional program is divided into six areas: the Reception, Workshop, Sales, Meetings, Services, and the Team space located on the mezzanine. The mezzanine includes a locker room, a rest room, a kitchen, and a dining area for employees.

Given the desire to make this space a signature boutique, we focused on creating unique elements. The design of a grid lighting system is one-of-a-kind. This custom lighting highlights the bikes in illuminated boxes, showcasing the boutique like an exhibition hall.

For this project, the creation of custom cabinetry was essential to meet the client’s needs for modular displays and functional storage. The choice of light wood and prepainted perforated black steel was carefully selected to convey the brand’s accessible character. The predominant black colour in the space creates a calming environment while emphasizing the displayed products.

The simplicity of the orange-coloured signage also reflects Quilicot’s brand image effectively.

Head office Simon Lussier

Design of Simon Lussier head office in Mirabel Budget : n/d - Surface area : 5 712 sq.ft

Thaï Luncheonette

Luncheonette counter design Budget : n/d

Fogo

Golf Club Le Blainvillier

À Maison

Nordik Café

Caisse Desjardins

Cégep Saint-Jérôme

Domaine-Vert-Nord School

Empora

Hair Shop

HUB BST2

Action Sport-Physio

Urban Planning

Redevelopment of Parc Miner

The design is based on permeability, both physical and social. We want to connect residents and the public, weaving links through paths and harmonious routes.

The project aims to be a unifying, lively and green place, with shared spaces that foster connectivity between residents and nature.

Industrial development St-Eustache

This industrial development focuses on the quality of the environment, by preserving the creek on the site, and extending and adding safe bicycle paths connected to the public transport network.

It also offers road access adapted to industrial transport, while encouraging active transportation in a favorable setting surrounded by nature.

Montée du Domaine

With a focus on quality of life, this project of ±344 residential units in Saint-Eustache is based on responsible densification and harmonious integration into the existing urban fabric.

Most of the parking is underground, and the gradation of building heights and landscaping have been carefully considered to create a coherent, accessible living environment that respects its surroundings.

Integrated project

Design of an integrated project in Blainville

Master plan for a building complex in Lachute

Development of a real estate master plan for the Office Régional d’Habitation d’Argenteuil.

Saint-Charles district

Development of a social hub on Chemin SaintCharles in Terrebonne.

Centro-Cité

Development of an area of ± 362 housing units in downtown Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac. It aims to create a comprehensive, diverse, and inviting living environment for residents and citizens of the area.

Casola Laval

Analysis of potential and contraints in an Overall Development Plan process for a deferred zoning area in Laval.

Residential development in Princeville

Development of a residential sector for the Olymel project.

Master plan for the Office Municipal d’Habitation de Laval

Creating a real estate development master plan for Place Saint-Martin with the participation of various departments from Ville de Laval.

PPCMOI residential development in Sherbrooke

Seigneurie de la gare

Seigneurie de la Gare in Blainville The Seigneurie de la Gare project is set within a diverse, multi-use neighborhood that is undergoing redevelopment and a reaffirmation of its identity.

This project’s context is a key structuring element, featuring multi-residential and mixed-use buildings. The ultimate goal is to design a highquality living environment that excels in human, economic, and environmental performance.

Located in the heart of a TOD (Transit-Oriented Development) area, the site is accompanied by a metropolitan initiative to develop and densify this prime sector. The proximity to a public transport network is a significant advantage and presents an exceptional opportunity to create a comprehensive living environment centred on people rather than cars.

Designed to meet local and regional densification and development objectives, the project, through its quality, density, and mixed-use nature, addresses the needs of its immediate surroundings. Its impact on both current and new residents will be immediate and positive.

Multi-residential

Le Balt

15-storey residential building in downtown Montreal Budget : n/d Facade design : DKA Production : Simard Architecture

Quartier 7

Multi-residential TOD development in Mascouche Budget : 243 M$

Jardins Dion

Integrated housing project in Boisbriand Budget : n/d

LIVING IN A GARDEN Imagine this site as a large garden. Our goal is thus to maximize its cultivable or usable area. To achieve this, we pushed road infrastructures to the perimeter, leaving a large central garden plot.

Buildings are arranged along this wide green strip to ensure optimal orientation and gradual scaling. Each building has a unique density and typology influenced by its urban surroundings which ultimately allows us to create a natural buffer zone around the project with the existing mature vegetative cover.

Dividing the project into three phases allows us to extend buffer zones into the spaces between phases. The construction of an underground parking lot, which requires a subsoil investment, presents an opportunity to develop the interface between towers within the same phase. This approach enables us to create high-quality collective spaces that combine light and transparency, providing access to the surrounding landscape.

Rosemont housing

Expansion and revitalization of an existing building in Montreal Budget : 6 M$

Espace 9

10-storey residential building in Pierrefonds-Roxboro Budget : 45 M$

Médina

Residential building on Masson Street in Montreal’s Rosemont borough Budget : 10 M$

Le Saint-Louis

Multi-family housing 4 townhouses and 1 penthouse in Lachine Budget : 3,5 M$

Lumina

Condos de la gare

Habitations 19

Integrated project Blainville

Housing Complex 25e Avenue

Calex Papineau

O Quai du Nord

Housing Complex

Townhouses Boisbriand

Housing

Habitations Albatros

Townhouses Plateau 3

Chagall

Veridis

M3 Habitations

Housing Complex Sainte-Adèle

Quartier Q7 - TOD

Building on Grande-Côte

Luminia

Single-family homes

Comtois residence

Residence in Terrebonne Winner of a Silver certification at the Grands Prix du Design

Residence V + M

Residence in Saint-Sauveur

Lake house Rougeaud

Lake house in Mont-Blanc

Residence K

Residence in Mont-Tremblant

Residence T + H

Residence in Boisbriand

Lake house Marcoux

Lake house in Mont-Tremblant

Residence A

Residence in Dollard-des-Ormeaux

Résidence H

Chalet Saint-Côme

Résidence Blainvillier

Résidence K

Résidence A

Chalet MA

Foresta

Foresta Phase II

Foresta Phase III

Résidence H + C

Competitions

Lab-École Rimouski FROM WOODED AREA TO MEADOW Rimouski is a city significantly shaped by the landscape of its territory.

Its various neighborhoods unfold on cascading plateaus that blend into the St. Lawrence River shoreline. The site itself features a slight slope oriented towards the estuary. The spatial concept is rooted in transposing this distinctive and striking morphology.

Firstly, the school unfolds according to the site’s topography.

Specifically, six half-levels are created to subtly and fluidly articulate the progression of school levels. In this layout, from preschool to 6th grade, the program cascades from the highest levels of the site to the lowest point, mirroring the terrain. Besides emphasizing progression, the program’s topographical arrangement, along with the visual connections created between different school levels, projects the student towards their future, fostering curiosity, exploration, and intellectual and social development. A large forecourt transforms into a public square for social and community activities and provides access to the school’s main entrance.

At the sound of the bell, students are invited on a journey along the edge of the wooded area, entering the transversal axis that constitutes the school’s heart. This three-dimensional agglomeration houses versatile and flexible spaces for dining, cooking, visual arts, music, sports, and a unique locker room accessible from all outdoor areas, thus optimizing circulation and facilitating maintenance. In the form of an atrium, this space brings the landscape into the school and physically connects the wooded area, meadow, vegetable garden, and all levels, creating various atmospheres.

Ramps, walkways, a central staircase with seating, and pathways at different levels punctuate this core of subspaces, encouraging the appropriation of the environment, reminiscent of Rimouski’s plateaus.

The exterior spaces, including courtyards, vegetable gardens, orchards, and rooftop terraces, take various forms and are distributed around the school whilst embracing a balance with nature. These spaces are ultimately aiming to extend the interior environments outdoors, promoting diversity, local food production, and outdoor activities.

Consortium DKA / Atelier Sens

Saint-Colomban library THE INHABITED FOREST Saint-Colomban is an inhabited forest, a unique living environment in the heart of nature, animated by the human warmth and the unifying spirit of its citizens.

We imagine that between l’Orée des bois school and Lac des Sources, there’s an underground but very real link that connects the town’s citizens. With this project, we are activating this link by creating community moments at various points, like a rhizomic system, in the full depth of the site. These moments materialize in the form of architecture and landscaping, but are also manifested by a gathering of children, a moment of pause, a meeting.

From the start of the site on St-Nicholas, a vast access path for the exclusive use of walkers and cyclists links the pedestrian crossing to the library, offering a variety of community experiences to St-Colomban residents along the way. A public square close to the street is ideal for festive events. A children’s play area is located halfway along the path, while a plaza adjacent to the multi-purpose hall hosts community and cultural events such as a book fair, vernissage or outdoor show.

The building unfolds in five distinct rhizomes or volumes, all branched and interrelated. This conceptual choice breaks up the volumes and formalizes a library that fits in well with the scale of domesticity found in the area. The expressive conical roofs are inspired by the adjacent coniferous forest. The front portion of the building houses the cultural and community program, including the creative space and multipurpose room, which are deliberately positioned close to the entrance to facilitate user management. At the rear of the building are two library volumes for adults, teenagers and children. This location was chosen for its proximity to the forest and its immersive character. In the center is the service area, comprising offices, reception and technical rooms.

A vast access to the rear courtyard leads to the contemplative terrace, then to the reading clearing linked to the existing pathway leading to the lake.

The five volumes are judiciously positioned to create three immersive interior courtyards within which thematic gardens are deployed. The nurturing garden is accessible from the workshop kitchen and staff room. The auditory garden, where the work of art will be installed, is a larger, more accessible space, linked to the bistro and able to accommodate and can be used by users of the multi-purpose hall during intermission. The olfactory garden is adjacent to the adult area, which has its own intimate, introspective reading terrace.

Team : DKA / Épigraphe Architectes / Mandaworks / Elema / BPA / EFEL

Marieville library CONCEPTUAL APPROACH Our architectural vision for the library is deeply connected to its landscape, balancing nature and architectural sensitivity. The building emerges from the site’s geology, creating an omnipresent relationship between Édouard-Crevier Park and the library. We propose a place of convergence between nature and architecture, enhancing the site while creating a universal and welcoming space for the community—an area conducive to meetings, culture, and exchanges among citizens, akin to a church square.

The site naturally supports an elongated building, allowing for the judicious distribution of the two main competition programs: the library and the community hall, on either side of a central space. Positioned around this central area, the various programs offered by the building will be functional and visually balanced.

Serving as the building’s anchor within the community, this central area, designed with material transparency, will create an open connection between the main entrance (the community) and nature (ÉdouardCrevier Park). This transparency invites people inside while providing a strong visual link between the building and the park. This visual connection with nature and the dialogue between interior and exterior will be the project’s architectural hallmark.

SPATIAL ORGANIZATION Extending this transparency throughout the building will facilitate a dialogue between nature and the various programs. Programmatic activities are presented on the urban side, while reading and working areas are arranged along a large window offering views of the park. This creates an inviting and warm space, providing high-quality natural light favourable for reading and contemplation of nature.

On the other side of the common hall, the community rooms will allow organizations to use the central space for their activities, becoming a gathering place for the community. The abundant windows in these rooms will also enable activities to extend outside the building into the adjacent park. This entirely public zone will host social and cultural activities, providing a unique space that encourages exchanges among citizens.

Evolo Tower THE CHALLENGE The car is omnipresent in our spaces and social structures.

Consequently, it becomes an object that pollutes the daily interactions of city dwellers. This reality creates multiple issues on various levels: it affects the environment, demographics, urban planning, and the mobility of large cities.

In Montreal, as in the vast majority of the world’s metropolis, the same problem arises: the congestion of major thoroughfares affects the overall mobility of the system. Like many other large Canadian cities, Montreal has a deficient public transportation network, necessitating a major overhaul to address the car scourge. The new system we propose should not focus on individualistic thinking but rather on a collective movement. In light of the increasing car contamination, an architectural solution must be devised.

THE PROJECT An analysis of the city’s context identifies numerous hubs based on their traffic concentration and population density. These urban areas are the focal points for the revolution of the current transportation system. In Montreal’s context, ten sites of interest are selected for their proximity to the population and existing metro stations. Each of these will host an autonomous mega-structure managing the new automobile network.

underground and efficiently controlled by a master computer that responds in real-time to traffic conditions. People wishing to enter the city by car must pass through a gate where traditional chaotic driving is set aside, and a reliable autonomous system takes control.

The operation is quite simple: cars are stabilized on large metal plates, and engines are turned off. Each vehicle then becomes a sort of private wagon; the underground route automatically guides the city dwellers through a journey in its magnetic tunnels and takes them to public transportation stations. After a few quick stops at the stations, the cars are then emptied of their owners. The network then takes the cars to the nearest vertical parking tower. The car owner can then retrieve their vehicle by specifying a pickup time and location.

This tower also operates through magnetism and real-time computerization. The cars gradually arrive on their plates at the underground distribution hubs at the building’s base and are propelled vertically to the ground. The tower’s uniqueness lies in its main structural element being invisible: seven solenoids create a magnetic field that holds the vehicles vertically. The building’s envelope is thus architectonic, formed by its “raison d’être”: the car itself. The tower continually assembles and disassembles through the comings and goings of cars: the architectural form becomes intrinsically dependent on downtown traffic flow.

Vertical parking towers become urban architectural machines, and the car becomes the building block of an endless process of construction and destruction.

A new urban perimeter is designed: the entire road network is now

Alphonse Desjardins Theater

CONTEST DESCRIPTION Repentigny is now considered the commercial hub and service center in the county of l’Assomption. The heart of the city is revitalizing and transforming into a modern downtown with large pedestrian spaces, offices, shops, leisure hubs, and green spaces. Repentigny offers its citizens all the services of a large city.

There is significant potential to develop cultural life, but it is limited by the capacity of existing facilities. The Cultural Space project, which will take place in the heart of the city between Île-Lebel and the RobertLussier Library, aims to address this need. Conceived as a true cultural corridor, this unique concept will include a concert hall, an art and artistic creation center, as well as an arboretum and public art garden.

In 2017, the multidisciplinary architectural competition for the performance hall was launched. The project’s mission was to promote active participation by the region’s citizens in a rich and diverse cultural life.

By placing citizens at the center of the mission for Repentigny’s new performance hall, the goal was to envision a venue different from other performance halls, whether in the region or downtown Montreal—a venue primarily for citizens. The new hall was intended to attract a younger audience, a demographic that tends to avoid traditional halls but does not necessarily want to see shows in bars.

Consortium Atelier Paul Laurendeau / DKA

MONTREAL 278 Sainte-Catherine street, East Montreal (Quebec) H2X 1L4 T. 514 861-4410

SAINTE-THÉRÈSE 2 Curé-Labelle boul.

Suite 600 Sainte-Thérèse (Quebec) J7E 2W9 T. 514 861-4410

GATINEAU 160 de l'Hôpital boul.

Office 205-B Gatineau (Quebec) J8T 8J1 T. 819 486-4410