Parc de la Rivière des Mille-Îles is a multipurpose centre located in the City of Laval. The facility serves as a community and educational resource, a service area, and a support centre for the park’s activities.
The new building includes an interpretation centre for the river and its ecosystems, annual sporting and educational activities, and special access to its protected wildlife zone, which is the largest one in the metropolitan area.
In order for the project to integrate seamlessly into its environment, wood was recommended for the building’s exterior and interior. Additionally, the structure was built to preserves the mature trees growing onsite
Cardin Julien minded every detail throughout the process of building the interpretation centre. Most notably, the firm recommended raised floors for the exhibition area to enhance the space’s comfort, aesthetic, and flexibility.
The main building includes three areas: a ground floor, lower level and a multipurpose room.
The ground floor is home to a large multipurpose hall that has a view of the river (café, reception, diffusion), a monitoring room (conferences and events), and museum programming (exhibition, animal reserve).
The lower level (river level) houses the equipment rental area and a locker room, an ecology laboratory, researchers’ offices, and day camp facilities.
The multipurpose room can be rented and divided into three sections upstairs alongside the employee relaxation area.
The project also repurposed the old stable as a workshop and equipment distribution kiosk (watercraft, docks, supports).
In addition, the project entailed designing a new exterior site to include parking, a bike path, pedestrian walkways, and landscaping.
Cardin Julien paid particular attention to water conservation by designing a system to recycle rainwater.
Energy conservation is also at the heart of the building’s design with a high-performance envelope and the integration of vegetation (roofs and walls).
Parc de la Rivière des Mille-Îles is the City of Laval’s first public project to aim for LEED NC 2009 GOLD certification.
