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Having grown significantly over the years and requiring new spaces, HEC Montréal entrusted Provencher_Roy with the design of a new cutting-edge building. The Hélène Desmarais Building is situated between St. Patrick’s Basilica, Beaver Hall Street, and De la Gauchetière Street West. HEC Montréal was founded in the Ville-Marie borough in 1907: in over a century, the world has changed significantly. The Business School has evolved, as reflected by its new building. The School’s contemporary face was shaped to respond to three objectives: opening up a dialogue paying homage to a remarkable heritage, establishing a downtown presence reflecting its international character, and supporting the principles of sustainable development by creatively applying current standards.
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Since the Hélène Desmarais Building doesn’t surpass 8 storeys, it is respectfully integrated into the neighbourhood. Façades not exceeding the roof crest of St. Patrick’s Basilica incline as they move away from the religious building, conserving views of the historical structure. The Building’s north-east façade opens up to the sky, reflecting the inverted diagonal of the neighbouring bell tower, while the south-east façade inclines in the opposite direction, overlooking the vegetative covering and softening the presence of the newly arrived visitor in their environment. Soaring glass windows open up the Building towards the adjacent public place, continually offering renewed perspectives of the green spaces surrounding the Building.
The project has a Gold LEED Certification. All materials are locally sourced (transported less than 800 kilometres to the construction site) and 30% recycled. User health and security were prioritized, given that materials used do not contain volatile organic compounds. To create a high-performance completely glazed membrane, an innovative cladding glass system was created against opaque walls, as a replacement for traditional curtain wall technology yielding unsatisfactory thermal capacities. The performance of the glass skin (surpassing by 30% that stipulated by the National Building Code), judiciously placed openings (not exceeding 36% of the total exterior surfaces), and integration of geothermal energy make the Hélène Desmarais Building a particularly energy-efficient construction.
This new HEC Montréal campus establishes a hub not only for developing initiatives of benefit to the institution’s community, but also for society at large. Rain water retention and wastewater systems, breathable insulated walls, and emphasis on green projects and sustainable entrepreneurship are just some examples of the initiatives developed. Actions have been taken to integrate a maximum of WELL certification characteristics (access to nature, green roofing, biophilia, maximization of natural lighting, optimization of active circulation, promotion of physical activity, and the integration of landscape design favouring biodiversity). The location of the new Building also facilitates mobility with low-carbon emissions. In addition to the various public transit options (metro, trains, and the REM), bicycle racks are also accessible. All of these efforts enable economies of over 430 tonnes of CO2 per year. The Hélène Desmarais Building was designed to achieve LEED Gold Certification. As the contemporary face of an historic institution, the resulting Hélène Desmarais Building must function as an ambassador of the responsible architecture of its time.
"Our modern functional building is integrated harmoniously and respectfully into its built environment. Its walls and soul are imbued with sustainability principles. What’s more – we are especially proud to have rigorously respected the construction budget allocated to this realization." Loretta Cianci, Director, Campus Development, HEC Montréal
Dedicated to sustainable development and urban renewal since 1983, we create living environments that respect people and the built environment through architecture that is inclusive, meaningful and sustainable, so that the human experience always comes first. Our approach draws its inspiration from the physical, cultural, geographical, identity, historical and economic constraints, as well as the tangible and intangible heritage, that inhabit each of our intervention sites. We analyse this heritage by studying how it has evolved over time and by identifying its implicit and explicit potential. This enables us to transform each site into a space that serves collective well-being. Our approach contributes to a broader understanding of the issues relating to the development of the site, its urban context, the architectural design of the new building and its functional and physical coexistence with its environment.
