Very Long Building
School: McGill University
Year: 2017
Course: Design studio
Team: Eryn MacLellan and Maryam Nasr
Instructor: Fabrizio Gallanti
A 200,000 sq.m. site is allotted to host the expansion of the Université de Montréal. The triangular lot is located amidst two very different neighborhoods: residential Outremont on the East side and an industrial working class neighborhood Parc Extension on the West. The site is split by train tracks, which further separate the two parts of the city.
We enclosed the train tracks in a transparent envelope and designed a pedestrian+bike path on top of it. The path conveniently bridges the two parts of the city and provides a circulation route for students and the general public. The classrooms are located in central cores amidst a vast urban greenhouse. Sunlight permeates through a transparent facade and perforations in the roof. Different microclimates coexist beneath a broad shell, creating a diverse indoor environment that complements the outdoors during cold Montreal winters.
