The three key concepts driving this year's Charrette design are Density, Variety and Connectivity.

The minimum density allowed will be an overall Floor Area Ratio, FAR, of 1. There is no height restriction; buildings over three stories need an elevator. Variety in this excercise means various types of housing as well as associated services such as a restaurant  or restaurants, a clinic, a small office builing, a depanneur, a bicycle repair shop, a healthclub etc., and connectivity means that the newly created community has to be woven into the existing fabric as smoothly as possible. This means that the area should have good links to downtown by foot, by bicyle, by bus (or tram) and by car.

These three major development concepts , when applied, will inevitably lead to an energy efficient environment, when compared to the urban sprawl which now dominates the new housing market in the Montreal region. (Of four new houses built in the Montreal region, three are built off-island!) The high density required and the proximity to downtown guarantees that for many people the distance between home and work, and home and school will be short, and the use of the car will be minimized.

Any additional energy-friendly measures in the proposals, such as optimal solar exposure of the buildings, solar energy storage of any kind, (photo voltaic or hot water), district heating and recycling of wastes (water, garbage) is strongly encouraged.

Preservation
The conversion of the Lachine Canal zone from the core of the heavy industry in Canada to its new vocation as a recreational/residential area has been achieved by restoring the Canal as a waterway, by excavating some of the filled in basins, and by saving and where possible reusing, many of the large scale elements that make up the landscape along the Canal. (The Redpath Building, and the Stelco buildings, are now housing projects, and the Lasalle Coke Tower and the huge Five Roses Flour neon sign have been preserved just for their historical value).

The site chosen for the Charrette is partly occupied by the grain silo complex and the partly filled-in Wellington basin. In the spirit of the recent positive changes in the Canal area, it is suggested that preserving the grain silos in form (and suggesting a use for them) should be a priority. The industrial function can move elsewhere; the non-grain silo parts of the complex may be demolished. In  the same spirit, restoring all or part of the Wellington basin should be considered. The other buildings on the site may be demolished.

The opportunity to make the silos and the Wellington basin the people core of the area (recreation, terraces, shopping, boating etc.) should not be overlooked.

Go to this link to read an interesting study on the feasibility of reusing Silo no5.