Community

New building in the downtown business district > Community

New building in the downtown business district

HEC Montréal has sought to integrate itself into the neighbourhood right from the start of its development downtown, in particular by involving the neighbourhood and the local community in the design of its new building. It is continuing this approach with the goal of making this an inclusive and welcoming forum for dialogue.

Already a well-integrated presence

The design of the Hélène Desmarais Building included a series of meetings with neighbours and the local community.

Collaboration with the St. Patrick Parish Fabrique
Discussions with neighbours (from 2016 to 2021)
Co-design workshop (January 2017)
Consultations with different instances and experts

Sustainable in our building… and in our hearts

HEC Montréal asked one of its professional teams to work with the community to define a strategic project, with the goal of making the new building a forum for dialogue on the topic of sustainability. This led to a broader consultation involving about a dozen community stakeholders from the Faubourg Saint-Laurent neighbourhood, working closely with the Centre for Sustainable Development.

Some of the organizations involved in the consultation

Société de développement social de Ville-Marie
Centre for Sustainable Development
Pôle d’innovation urbaine de Montréal
Table de quartier du Faubourg Saint Laurent
Destination Centre-Ville
Partenariat Climat Montréal
St. Patrick Parish Fabrique
Carrefour Jeunesse Emploi centre-ville
Women’s Y

Plans for the present and future

This consultative approach helped us clearly define the different social issues in the neighbourhood and jointly develop short-term initiatives in order to revitalize some vulnerable sectors.

Some examples:

Labour market insertion projects, in co-operation with the Carrefour jeunesse emploi centre-ville
Collaboration with the Women’s Y to promote inclusion of women out of the labour market
Development of experiential training, in co-operation with Centre for Sustainable Development

“We wanted to create an initiative with and for the community, so we talked with potential partners about ways to use our strengths and bring about positive and lasting change in our new neighbourhood.”

Nadia Ponce Morales, , Co-ordinator – Sustainable Development, H HEC Montréal

Longer-term programs

In addition to these initial actions, a program will be rolled out starting in 2022. HEC Montréal wants to be a key partner for the community and contribute to engaging and enriching neighbourhood life. In particular, this initiative consists of:

Partners sharing the Base entrepreneuriale co-working space, to develop new projects with the HEC Montréal community
Pursuing community consultations and co-design workshops, with the goal of holding outdoor activities and using the site as a space for socializing and sharing knowledge
Integrating sustainable development principles in different parts of the building (e.g.: wellness room, outdoor spaces)
Experimenting with innovative practices with local and municipal partners: collaborative urban planning, creating a resilience centre, etc.
Sharing information on fighting and adapting to climate change, and concrete steps to encourage resilience

Learn about our other initiatives to encourage sustainable and responsible management

Work Info

De La Gauchetière Ouest closed from Monday, January 16 to Friday, January 20

A crane will be erected on Monday, January 16 on De La Gauchetière Ouest to complete work on the curtain wall of the building.

To carry out this work safely, the section of De La Gauchetière Ouest between Saint-Alexandre and Côte du Beaver Hall will be closed to automobile traffic from 7 a.m. on Monday, January 16 until the end of the day Friday, January 20. Note that local traffic will still be allowed, to maintain access to indoor parking in the buildings on this section of De La Gauchetière Ouest.