McGill College project named a Gold Winner in the Grands Prix du Design

The “McGill College: Reinventing the Avenue” project has made its mark once again! Just a few months after it received an honourable mention in the World Landscape Architecture Awards, the project was named a Gold Winner in the 14th annual Grands Prix du Design.

The project stood out because it significantly increased the city’s tree canopy, celebrating the return of biodiversity to downtown, as well as its concept that frees the avenue’s visual corridor towards Mount Royal, making it a perfect place to wander along and stop off at spaces that celebrate the changing seasons.

As a Gold Winner, the McGill College project is eligible to become a Grand Prize winner at the gala evening, which will be held September 18 in Quebec City.

This visionary project, which was designed by the civiliti, Mandaworks and SNC-Lavalin firms, proposes plant diversity in order to promote ecosystems and offer a varied landscape that regenerates the soil and enriches biodiversity.

In addition to site vegetation, one of the strong elements of the project consists of channeling rainwater and melted snow along a long path that leads to a water garden at the extreme south end of the site. “Le Grand Foyer,” which can be used as an agora or a retention basin, is perfect for a wide range of activities all through the year. It features a fire ring where passersby can stop and warm up during the brutal winter months.

Congratulations to the project designers!

*The GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN celebrate the work of designers who aim to improve quality of life and built heritage both for us and for their public and private clients who put their trust in them.