Reception pavilion – Parcours Gouin
The project for the reception pavilion of the Parcours Gouin trail and the development of its surrounding area, situated in Basile-Routhier Park in the Ahuntsic-Cartierville borough, near the Rivière des Prairies, is a model of sustainable development.
It is Montreal’s first building to achieve net-zero energy consumption, meaning it generates as much energy as it uses up.
The pavilion serves mainly as a rest stop and includes spaces for relaxation, a café, a multi-use room, washrooms, and a service point for the rental and repair of sports equipment; it also houses the offices of a community organization and depots for materials and maintenance equipment. Also present are outdoor spaces: a sheltered terrace looking out onto the park and the river, an amphitheatre with tiered seating incorporating vegetative elements, an accessible green roof, and a large elevated terrace for appreciating the canopy of mature trees.
Architects
Birtz Bastien Beaudoin Laforest
Electromechanical
Stantec
Photography
David Boyer_Boyer Media
Contractor
Anjalec Construction
Structure
Stantec
Landscape
Groupe Rousseau Lefebvre
Certification
Gold LEED NC
Country
Canada
City
Montréal
Client
Ville de Montréal
Surface Area
375 m²
Year
2019
Multifunctional
Besides providing services to park users and the broader community, the pavilion fulfills an educational mission as an environmental showcase focused on the principles of sustainable development that informed the project’s design and construction and that continue to be applied in its operation. The activities programming further promotes the safeguarding of the environment and also healthy lifestyle choices, particularly from the standpoint of diet and physical activity. The pavilion features a large multi-use space on the second floor as well as a shelter topped with solar panels for hosting a variety of community and cultural activities. The architectural design gives the building a distinctive signature and harmoniously integrates the structure into its surroundings while enabling it to meet user needs.
The pavilion has earned LEED® Gold certification and has an annual net-zero energy consumption target. The facility offers informative and awareness-building tools that convey environmentally responsible best practices to visitors and hopefully inspire them to apply such practices back at home. The strategies implemented by the pavilion are demonstrated and explained during guided visits. The result is a place that is dynamic, accessible and a must-see attraction in the heart of the neighbourhood.
