Highlights
Nearly 21,000 visits in two days!
A record number of visitors took advantage of the third annual Design Montréal Open House on May 2 and 3. A total of 20,955 visits were recorded, double last year’s number. During these two days, devoted to a gathering of Montréal designers and architects and to the discovery of inspiring places in the city, the public had the chance to see more than 65 agencies, projects and design venues free of charge. You can view an interactive map (In French) for more information on participating sites and offices, organized by neighbourhood. And for an overview see the promotional video (In French).
A weekend of discoveries
Visitors had the opportunity to meet the designers of award-winning projects in national and international competitions at their workplaces. These designers proudly displayed their most recent achievements. Projections on giant screens, 3D models, activities, guided tours and interactive workshops – all this and more was organized to give the public a better understanding of designers’ work and to demystify common images of design, in a friendly atmosphere well suited to exchanges and discussions.
Among the new features this year was the “Youth Design” component, intended especially for young people aged 10 and over. The program aimed at initiating them to the many facets of design and having them meet designers. Almost a third of the participating professional firms offered educational activities, such as animated or video presentations, sensory or sound experiences, design workshops, quizzes, rallies, interactive technological experiments, and more. This proved decisive: there were more than 1,200 visits from young people.
In addition, nearly a dozen young designers and emerging design collectives opened their doors to the public (Pecha Kucha Montréal Emerging Practices Selection). The up-and-coming generation also had a place of honour, with visitors having the chance to see exhibitions of work by university students who are graduating in the various design and architecture disciplines.
Partners and organization
The Design Montréal Open House is an initiative of the Ville de Montréal in collaboration with the professional design community and partnership with the Ministère de la Culture, des Communications et de la Condition féminine du Québec under the Agreement on the Cultural Development of Montréal.
Organizing partners
• Association des architectes paysagistes du Québec
• Association des designers industriels du Québec
• Association professionnelle des designers d’intérieur du Québec
• Canadian Centre for Architecture
• Créativité Montréal
• Fonds d’études et de recherches en design intérieur de l’Est (FERDIE)
• Grafika
• Intérieurs
• Royal Architectural Institute of Canada
• Ordre des architectes du Québec
• Ordre des urbanistes du Québec
• Pecha Kucha Montréal
• Société des designers graphiques du Québec
• Stationnement de Montréal
Québec and Canadian professional competitions referenced
2008 Créativité Montréal competition
Retail business and office design competition
2008 Grafika competition
Graphic design, exhibition design, event design and Web design competition
2008 Graphex competition
Society of Graphic Designers of Canada graphic design, exhibition design and Web design competition
2008 Governor General’s Medals in Architecture
For outstanding achievements in Canadian architecture
2008 Design Exchange Awards
National competition in architecture, landscape architecture, visual communications, industrial design, interior design, fashion design and urban design
2007 Ordre des architectes du Québec Awards of Excellence
Architecture competition
2008 Canadian Architect Awards of Excellence
Canadian Architect magazine’s architecture competition
2008 RAIC National Urban Design Awards
Royal Architectural Institute of Canada regional and urban design national competitions
2008 Canadian Society of Landscape Architects Awards of Excellence
Landscape architecture competition
2008 Intérieurs FERDIE Prizes
Interior design and interior products design competition
11th Best of Canada Design Competition
Canadian Interiors magazine’s industrial design, interior design, architecture and crafts competition
2007 Marcel-Parizeau Prize
Prize awarded by the Ordre des architectes du Québec as part of its Awards of Excellence
Fashion
In the absence of a local competition, a Fashion Selection Committee was assembled by the Ville de Montréal Fashion Commissioner’s office.
Emerging Practices
Pecha Kucha Montréal Emerging Practices Selections, chosen among participants in the organization’s Pecha Kucha Nights.
Designers and places to visit
On Saturday, May 2, and Sunday, May 3, between noon and 6 p.m., Montréal design offices that have won distinctions in national and international competitions over the past two years opened their doors to present the work that earned them these prestigious awards. The designers of Montréal-based projects were on hand to talk about their creations and answer visitors’ questions.
50 Design offices and agencies
Architecture
• Brière, Gilbert + associés
• Jodoin Lamarre Pratte et associés Architectes
• Lemay Michaud Architecture Design
• Les architectes FABG
• Natalie Dionne Architecte
• _naturehumaine architecture & design
• Pierre Morency Architecte
• Rayside Architecte
• Smith Vigeant Architectes
Landscape architecture
• Claude Cormier Architectes Paysagistes
• Daniel Arbour & associés
• NIP paysage
Architecture and urban design
• Cardinal Hardy – architecture-paysage-design urbain
• Daoust Lestage
Urban design
• Minimum Cost Housing Group, Université McGill, Alternatives et Santropol Roulant
Industrial design
• Aquaovo
• Couper Croiser
• Eklipse
• eXtension Concepts
• Michel Dallaire Design Industriel présente le BIXI
Sustainable design
• Perennia
Interior design
• Materia Design
• Moine Urbain
• Moureaux Hauspy Associés Designers
Electronic design
• Electronic Crafts
• Moment Factory
• Pneuma | Topological Media Lab
Graphic design
• Atelier Chinotto
• Atelier Louis-Charles Lasnier
• Atelier Pastille Rose
• Baillat Cardell & fils
• Bélanger Branding Design
• FEED
• INPHO
• Omen
• orangetango
• Paprika
• Rita Studio de design
• Thomas, Thomassin & Renzo
• TOXA
Fashion design
• Bodybag by Jude (Jude Clothing)
• CLUC Couture
• ENVERS par Yves Jean Lacasse
• Harricana
• Katrin Leblond
• Marie Saint Pierre Design
• Mylène B
• Rudsak
• Véronique Miljkovitch
6 urban spaces
• Boutique Michel Brisson by Saucier+Perrotte Architectes
• Buvette Chez Simone by Zébulon Perron & associés
• Domison by Blazysgérard
• Loft Encadrex
• Pascale Girardin in the Laurie Raphaël restaurant at Hôtel Germain
• Restaurant DNA by Braun-Braën
9 exhibtions and other activities
• Montréal Biennale 2009 : The Good Conspiracy, walk along the Saint-Laurent Boulevard, from Sherbrooke to Duluth Streets, presented by Amuse
• Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA): 20 Years: 20 Hours
• Galerie Monopoli: In Homage to the Model
• Galerie Yellow Fish Art : Design for Heroes
• Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal : The Design Lab
• Concordia University: Transition , exhibition by the graduating class, Design Art Program, at Galerie Push
• Université de Montréal : Exhibition by the graduating class, Faculty of Environmental Design
• Université du Québec à Montréal : Exhibition by the graduating class, Graphic Design, at the UQAM Design Centre
• McGill University: Exhibition highlighting student work from the design studios of Fall 2008 and Winter 2009
Youth design
The Youth Design Passport was valid May 2 and 3, 2009. To enter both parts of the “Great Youth Design Experience” contest, you had to make at least one visit during the Design Montréal Open House on May 2 and 3 with your parent(s) or teacher, and actively participate in the on-site activities.
Online Contest – Find a name for Claude’s tomato!
Created by the brainchild of Québec industrial designer Claude Mauffette, this ingenious utensil helps frugal ketchup lovers extract the sauce at the bottom of the old bottle and transfer it to the new one.
To enter this part of the contest, you had to suggest an original name for this utensil and answer the questions on the online contest form.
The winner of this online portion of the contest is named Victor. He is 10 years old and attends École Nouvelle-Querbes. The name he suggested, which the tomato tool’s designer liked best, was “Gravitomato.” The designer gave Victor his prototype as a gift, and invited him to spend a day in his studio, with his parents, to learn first-hand how industrial-design objects are conceived and manufactured. Photos of this wonderful experience will be posted soon!
Mail-in Contest – Clothing designed by Marie Saint Pierre
To enter this part of the contest, contestants had to mail in the entry ballot on the last page of their Youth Design passport, after getting the passport stamped during the Design Montréal Open House.
The winner of the random draw is 10-year-old Geneviève, a student at École Marc-Aurèle-Fortin. Geneviève is a fashion maven, and already has several designs to her credit! Thanks to the Great Youth Design Experience contest, she had the opportunity to create and manufacture a one-of-a-kind custom-tailored garment, assisted by Marie Saint Pierre.
Partners
Youth Design is an initiative of the Design Montréal office of the Ville de Montréal and the UNESCO Chair in Landscape and Environmental Design at Université de Montréal, being conducted in partnership with the ministère de la Culture, des Communications et de la Condition féminine, the ministère des Affaires municipales, des Régions et de l’Occupation du territoire and the Conférence régionale des élus de Montréal and the Ville de Montréal.
