The borough of Saint-Laurent is launching a multidisciplinary landscape architecture competition to produce a master development plan for the Cavendish-Laurin-Liesse biodiversity corridor.
Creating a biodiversity corridor in Saint-Laurent
Multidisciplinary Landscape Architecture Competition
The purpose of the competition is to select a project that will provide the borough of Saint-Laurent with a master development plan for the Cavendish-Laurin-Liesse biodiversity corridor. This plan will set out the vision and orientation guidelines for the corridor’s development and enhancement over the long term, and it will propose targeted short-term interventions (i.e., between 2021 and 2023).
With an industrial park covering about 70 percent of its territory, the borough of Saint-Laurent has some of the largest heat islands in the Montréal region. Habitats favourable to biodiversity are fragmented by barriers such as Autoroutes 40 and 13, by large boulevards such as Cavendish, Henri-Bourrassa, and Thimens, and by residential, commercial, and industrial developments.
The borough therefore wishes to create corridors to connect these natural environments and other green spaces fragmented by development and also to provide pathways for citizens. The Cavendish-Laurin-Liesse biodiversity corridor at the focus of this competition was initially identified in 2015. The corridor is associated with the Bertrand Creek green belt.
The budget for carrying out the work targeted by this project is $4.5 million, including taxes.
This project competition is:
- a multidisciplinary landscape architecture competition;
- national in scope;
- held in two stages: the first consisting of anonymous proposals, the second consisting of service offerings prepared by four jury-selected finalists.
Stage 1
All competitors are invited to submit a proposal: an overall idea that conveys their vision of the project and its mission, in accordance with the competition objectives.
The jury will select up to four proposals. This stage is unpaid and anonymous.
Stage 2
Finalists will be asked to expand on their idea and publicly present a service offering (concept/sketch) to the jury. At the conclusion of this stage, which is paid, the jury will select a winner.
Stage 1/ Proposal
Any landscape architect, team, or firm that fulfills the following criteria is eligible:
- includes a landscape architect who has been a certified member of the AAPQ or a member in good standing of a Canadian landscape architecture association (component associations of the CSLA) for over five (5) years; OR a landscape architect who has been a graduate of a university landscape architecture program for over five (5) years;
- works out of an office located in Canada at the time of entering the competition.
The city encourages the formation of multidisciplinary teams, in particular those made up of landscape architects, biology/ecology specialists, designers, and architects, who may come from outside of Canada.
Stage 2/ Service offering
Any firm or team that fulfils the following conditions, is eligible for stage 2:
- has one landscape architect who has been a certified member of the AAPQ or a member in good standing of a Canadian landscape architecture association (component associations of the CSLA) for over ten (10) years; OR a landscape architect who has been a graduate of a university landscape architecture program for over ten (10) years who works out of an office in Canada at the time of entering the competition;
- includes one expert who has been a graduate of one or more of the university programs listed below for over ten (10) years and who has a specialty in wildlife management, population ecology, conservation biology, herpetology, biodiversity, or ornithology:
- bachelor’s degree in biology, ecology, environmental studies, science, environmental sciences, forestry management, environmental geography, geography, sustainable ecosystem management, wildlife biology;
- masters’ degree in biology, environment, environmental sciences, geography, wildlife management and habitats.
The jury is the same for both stages and is made up of the following people:
- Alexandre Beaudoin, biodiversity advisor, sustainable development unit, Université de Montréal
- Jacinthe Daprato, biologist, planning advisor, Borough of Saint-Laurent, Ville de Montréal
- Kenza Diboune, development advisor, Borough of Saint-Laurent, Ville de Montréal
- Stéphanie Henry, landscape architect, Castor et Pollux
- Louis-Charles Lasnier, designer, professor, school of design, UQAM
- Caroline Magar, development advisor, development coordinator, Les Amis du Champ des possibles
- Pierre Thibault, architect, Atelier Pierre Thibault
- Claude Thiffault, biologist
Competitors (Stage 1)
No fees or allowances will be paid for this stage of the competition.
Finalists (Stage 2)
Each finalist who presents a service offering deemed to meet the competition rules will receive a lump sum of $24,000, taxes included.
Winner
The professional fees for producing the development plan are $125,000, taxes included.
Competition documents (regulations and program) can be obtained on the Québec government’s electronic invitation to tender system SÉAO until November 6, 2017.
The complete proposal or service offering of competitors or finalists must be received by the following dates at the address below:
Stage 1/ Anonymous proposals
Monday, November 6, 2017, 12:00 p.m., Montréal time
Stage 2/ Finalists’ service offerings
Thursday, March 22, 2018, 12:00 p.m., Montréal time
Submission address:
Concours – Créer le corridor de biodiversité à Saint-Laurent
Bureau du design
Ville de Montréal
700 Rue de la Gauchetière West, 28th floor
Montréal, Québec H3B 5M2
Canada
All communications must be emailed to the professional advisor at: concours.corridorbiodiversite@gmail.com
This competition was held in compliance with the proposed Règlement type pour un concours d'architecture, pluridisciplinaire ou de design de la Ville de Montréal (Model rules for an architectural, multidisciplinary, or design competition sponsored by the Ville de Montréal), approved by the Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l'Occupation du territoire (MAMOT).