The design of this centre of teaching and creativity brings into concrete form our vision of an architecture which flourishes from its response to imposed constraints. The specific character of the project is above all derived from the academic importance and cultural presence of UQAM’s department of Environmental Design in the fields of architecture, design and graphic arts.

The corner site, located within a dense quarter of Montreal’s commercial centre, is tight and irregular in form. The large studios on the upper floors are separated from administrative offices by a long, deep slit through which natural light penetrates to the heart of the building. This opening provides a vantage point revealing and identifying all the diverse activities within the School. The ground floor includes a large public exhibition space, reinforcing the open civic nature of the School. The urban potential of an existing alley is met in its conversion from a service access into a garden courtyard which will welcome the overflowing of cultural activities of the School. A public tunnel directly links the new pavilion to the main UQAM campus and Montreal’s subway system.