Table Architecture, LAND Italia, civiliti and Biodiversité Conseil: Grand Winners of the " Biodiversity Corridor in Saint-Laurent" Competition

Montreal, April 26, 2018 – At a press conference held at the Bibliothèque du Boisé on April 26, the name of the winning team was announced in the multidisciplinary landscape architecture competition "Creating a Biodiversity Corridor in Saint-Laurent"—a team of 4 firms: Table Architecture, LAND Italia, civiliti and Biodiversité Conseil.

The Mayor of Saint-Laurent, Alan DeSousa, was very pleased with the jury's choice: "For the past 15 years or so, Saint-Laurent has been at the forefront of environmental and sustainable development innovation. This corridor project is part of that vision to give Saint-Laurent residents an opportunity to enjoy nature in the heart of the city as well as the infrastructures of a modern economy. I congratulate the winning team that will be working with us to carry out this visionary project."

The biodiversity corridor

Once completed, the biodiversity corridor will cover a vast territory of approximately 450 hectares, including industrial, commercial and residential sectors. It will extend from the intersection of Boulevard Cavendish and Highway 40 service road to Bois-de-Liesse nature park, via the Marcel-Laurin hub, at the corner of Poirier and Cavendish.

This biodiversity corridor will make it possible to connect natural environments to the other existing green spaces within the area concerned in Saint-Laurent. It will also encourage the movement of wild life and the spread of plant life, while increasing their diversity. And lastly, it will encourage residents to travel to places that combine the benefits of diversified nature with the Borough's heritage, historical, cultural and artistic attractions.

In winning this competition, the chosen team will be awarded a $125,000 contract to develop the master plan for this biodiversity corridor. This master plan will offer Saint-Laurent recommendations on orientations, intervention strategies and developments, in order to transform this corridor into an environment featuring a wealth of biodiversity and an attractive destination for residents as a whole.

The competition

The competition, organized in cooperation with the Bureau du design de la Ville de Montréal, was open to landscape architects, biology and ecology specialists, designers and other architects across Canada. This is the first time that a competition has been held for a biodiversity project in Québec.

All proposals, finalists' entries and competition documents are available at designmontreal.com, the Web site of the Bureau du design de la Ville de Montréal.

The competition jury

Chaired by architect Pierre Thibault, from Atelier Pierre Thibault, the jury was composed of the following people: Alexandre Beaudoin, biodiversity advisor, Unité du Développement Durable, Université de Montréal; Jacinthe Daprato, biologist, planning advisor, Borough of Saint-Laurent; Kenza Diboune, urban planning advisor, Borough of Saint-Laurent; Stéphanie Henry, landscape architect, Castor and Pollux; Louis-Charles Lasnier, designer, professor, École de design, UQAM; Caroline Magar, planning advisor, development coordinator, Les Amis du Champ des possibles, and Claude Thiffault, biologist.

Exhibition of the competition candidates' projects

The projects submitted as part of the "Creating a Biodiversity Corridor in Saint-Laurent" competition by the seven competing teams will be on display in the lobby of the Bibliothèque du Boisé until May 6.