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Site development of the central islands of the Bonaventure project

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Project located in the southern part of the island of Montreal, between the Lachine Canal and the downtown core. Impressive sequence of public spaces, offering an important green space in a highly urbanized environment dominated by hardscape and impervious surfaces.

Major construction project for Montreal that aims at completely eliminating an elevated section of the Bonaventure Expressway, and converting it into a new prestigious city entrance with luxuriant green public spaces and an urban boulevard.

Through the landscape architects’ initiative with the City, the Bonaventure Project is one of 55 SITES-certified projects around the world, and the first in Canada, receiving a silver level certification.

One of the Montreal 375th anniversary legacy projects and completely executed within in a very short timeframe (1 year of design, 8 months of construction), landscape architects showed ingenuity by developing innovative and realistic construction management principles, allowing the project to be delivered on time and on budget.

At the city level, these large-scale urban public spaces are designed as an open-air gallery that hosts, among others, the monumental sculpture “Source” that results from a close collaboration with the international artist Jaume Plensa, and which is set to face the downtown core.

Is also found on the place de l'Aviation-Civile-Internationale the artwork "Dendrites" by the Quebec artist Michel De Broin, chosen within a national competition driven by the City for which the landscape architects participated in the technical studies and for which Rousseau Lefebvre volunteered as jury member.

Connecting with the downtown core, the space is defined by a densely vegetated area at one of the extremities of the unifying gesture and sculptures, the latter being the starting or endpoint of an elevated experiential walkway along the infiltration gardens.

Rich in history, the development of this sector highlights the passage of the Sulpicians’ canal and its orchard, the old hay market and the little Rivière Saint-Pierre that was channeled in the 19th century, the latter being a structural and playful part of the playground.

The heart of the park is divided in two blocks that can be united into one grand space with a temporary street closure to accommodate seasonal gatherings, including a more active area and a relaxation area with breathtaking views of downtown.

The southern portion of the park is the threshold into the city, a transition from the expressway to boulevard, where a long densely vegetated area is covered in tall ornamental grasses reminiscent of the industrial past of the hay market all the way to the edge of the sculpture. The dog park and sitting area allow a connection in the adjacent neighborhood.

Project manager to the consultant team of engineers, industrial designers and lighting specialists, the landscape architects led an integrated design process and maintained a rigorous and collaborative monitoring schedule until full completion of the project.

SITES: LEED equivalent for environmental certification of landscape projects, that aims to protect, improve and regenerate the benefits and services of healthy ecosystems for the well-being of the users, with practical strategies and solutions for design, construction, operation and maintenance.

100 % of the Expressway structure was recovered or reused in adjacent construction sites and 30 % of the contaminated soils found under the structure were revalued on site.

With more than 83 % of the stormwater amenities located on planted surfaces and a judicious choice of plants, 80 % of rainwater is diverted from the sewer system by infiltration and evapotranspiration.

In order to reduce the heat island effect in this highly urbanized and mineralized area, softscapes cover 62% of the site with over 300 trees and 30,000 shrubs and perennials, 52% of which are native. This is 500% increase in biomass.

In addition to the Expressway built for the opening of Expo 67: Man and his World, the site is rich in history, so distinctive signage associated with each historic components was developed and allows visitors and passers-by to enrich their experience.

Exemplary environmental project: In addition to reducing the heat island effect and retaining more than the 80th percentile of rain events, the tree cover will sequester 233 tonnes of CO2 and intercept more than 21 million liters of rain over the next 25 years.

The Bonaventure Project is a space that is alive and that has been able to meet the numerous objectives required: becoming a prestigious city entrance, reconnecting the urban grid, reaching a large and diverse group of users, allowing numerous activities and being a model of environmental landscape planning.

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2019 National Award / Medium-Scale Public Landscapes Designed by a Landscape Architect (1 to 5 ha)

Site development of the central islands of the Bonaventure project

Groupe Rousseau Lefebvre

In the heart of a new urban boulevard and at the entrance of downtown Montreal, six islands of greenery offer its citizens a rich program and a new image of the city. An exemplary environmental project, it presents new sustainable approaches and defines tomorrow’s standards in the context of climate change.

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