Hélène Desmarais Building – HEC Montréal

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.

The Hélène Desmarais Building consists of 27 classrooms, a 296-seat amphitheatre, a research wing composed of over ten research and knowledge transfer units, welcoming and administrative spaces, in addition to an event and conference centre. A library, cafeteria, and indoor garden are also integrated. Such public equipment and new community spaces link the modern face of HEC Montréal with the older elements of the city. Traffic is organized around two perpendicular axes (from De la Gauchetière Street West to René Lévesque Boulevard, and from the entrance to Beaver Hall Street to the Basilica garden). At the intersection of these axes, in an Atrium encompassing five storeys, sculptural staircases and elevators guide building users to upper levels.

Centred on community well-being, the contemporary HEC Montréal Building was imagined as a vast network of learning, research, and collaborative spaces, encouraging pleasant exchanges between students, teachers, and business professionals. 

Collective spaces were also designed as meeting spaces for these different communities. The spatial organization and range of service offerings bring together disciplines, cultures, and various generations. For instance, a spacious community cafeteria, and a mix of different offices dissolve disciplinary silos. The abundance of natural light fills the site with a warm and welcoming atmosphere for users. The project design was guided by an aesthetic logic valuing seasonal contrasts, the benefits of light therapy, and the virtues of in-person meetings. Two contemporary art pieces, created specifically for the space by Québécois artists Nicolas Baier and Ludovic Boney, contribute to the Building’s charm. 

Particular attention was placed on all material choices for the project. 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. The architecture demonstrates responsible, ecological, and sustainable design, extending all the way to the envelope. 

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. 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.