DESCRIPTION OF THE MANDATE
With the acquisition of a former parking lot in the rear of the site, the Pain Doré bakery in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough wanted to consolidate employee parking close to the main building on rue de Rouen. Bordering the railroad right-of-way to the south, parking lots to the west and a residential alley to the north, the lot was surrounded by a significant overgrowth of mature trees, grasses and herbaceous plants, giving way to illicit activities and generating complaints from adjacent residents.
WATER MANAGEMENT
The idea of a green parking project integrating the remediation of the brownfield, including the protection and integration of existing mature trees, emerged partly in response to the borough's regulatory requirements to combat heat islands and promote biodiversity. The client's positive response to the team's proposal for rainwater management, leading to a water-efficient layout with no irrigation system and incorporating a rain garden and bio-retention gutters, resulted in a responsible and resilient project.
PLANTATIONS
The plantings, mostly of native varieties, were chosen specifically to meet the needs of the main areas of the green parking strategy including a rain garden and bio-retention in an artificial meadow at the bottom of the lot. The storm water management strategy started with the premise of working with the existing gradient of the land, creating parking terraces with openings in the curbs and punctual water-receiving basins for final reception in the rain garden, located at the low point of the development. This involved considerable coordination with the project's civil engineer. In addition, during the decontamination of the site, strategies for maintaining and rehabilitating the existing wasteland enabled us to preserve this mature vegetation, adapted to the site conditions. Taken together, these initiatives have significantly improved the quality of the area, not only visually but also in terms of its ecological performance.
NEIGHBOURHOOD OUTREACH
Particular attention has also been paid to the relationship and cohabitation with residents. Following occasional meetings, the beautification initiatives undertaken along the alley in previous years have been preserved and improved with the development.
THE PROJECT'S DEVELOPMENT
We accompanied the client for a year to monitor the project's progress, with recommendations for snow management during the winter, and occasional interventions in the spring. All in all, the project is progressing well and has made a significant contribution to a better space for employees and residents alike, and, we believe, for the neighborhood's wider natural environment.