Project Description
Located on a campus along Lac St-Louis (Montreal) that was designed in the first decade of the twentieth century, the new Science Building is a state-of-the-art facility intended to foster the interdisciplinary nature of science, collaborative study and experiments, as well as the need for formal and informal learning.
Designed as a showcase for sustainability, the singular form promotes a variety of educational approaches through flexible classrooms, laboratories, learning centres, and informal spaces, where ideas and creative interaction can unfold.
The architecture stems from the landscape, taking cues from its context. There is a majestic gingko tree on site, envisioned as the centrepiece of a sociable, outdoor meeting space. The form of the building extends first of all from the campus centre, then folds to frame a public courtyard around this tree. The landscape flows into the foyer, becoming an interior topography, which transforms the fulcrum of the building into a vertical circulation space filled with light.
