Driving the future, respecting the past
“The work we undertook during the past year on the Grey Nuns’ tower and masonry demonstrates our respect for history and for the Montreal community of which we are a part.”
For Marie-Claude Lavoie, her spring 2018 appointment as Concordia’s Associate Vice-President of Facilities Management is a return to her professional roots. Prior to her time looking after the City of Montreal’s 674 buildings, she worked for Université de Montréal’s building operations unit.
“The business of managing facilities might be the same, but working in the academic world means you are focusing on future generations and constantly evolving needs. Like at the city, you’re serving a community, but always with the idea of being on the cutting edge, working to set new and better standards.”
Something else that strikes Lavoie about Concordia is the collaborative and consultative manner in which projects are undertaken.
“The stakeholders with whom we work are experts in various fields. We’re surrounded by intelligent, visionary people. Working with them is natural. It enriches the work of the Facilities Management team, one made up of people who are really proud and dedicated to supporting academic needs. They really go beyond!”
A cornerstone for scientific research
Lavoie hit the ground running, overseeing the first phases of construction on the new Loyola Science Hub less than a month into her mandate.
“This is one of Concordia’s biggest undertakings in the last 10 years. Our goal is to support research with high quality facilities and the latest technology. This first development phase will provide researchers with the space they need to innovate and establish a solid base for future development.”
Facilities Management planned the new hub with current needs in mind and the flexibility to continually adapt to the new requirements of researchers. Both the federal and provincial governments financially backed the project.
“The building will be able to adapt as space requirements evolve in the years to come, with minimal inconvenience to the researchers who will be working within.”
The new science hub was also planned with sustainability objectives in mind.
“We are aiming for a LEED Gold certification, working to reduce the building’s ecological impact throughout its lifecycle. As a university, we have an important role to play in respecting the environment.”
Conserving history
In addition to working towards a better future, the Facilities Management team is proud of its accomplishments in preserving Quebec’s built heritage.
“The work we undertook during the past year on the Grey Nuns’ tower and masonry demonstrates our respect for history and for the Montreal community of which we are a part.”
The team went to great lengths to preserve as much of the original structure as possible, taking time to verify historical accuracy. Investment from the Canadian Government helped with the costs.
“We were meticulous in the work, finding the right kinds of stone where replacement was required and removing the epoxy filler that had been used as a stop-gap previously. We cleaned everything, right down to the gargoyles.”
When the team discovered that the caps on the turrets needed replacement, they commissioned a local artist to carve exact replicas, backed by Grey Nuns archives.
“Since the project’s completion, building experts and historians have come by to admire the work. We hope members of the Concordia community will also come see for themselves.”
Wellness under one roof
The 2017-2018 academic year also saw Concordia’s Access Centre for Students with Disabilities (ACSD), Accommodated Exams, Counselling and Psychological Services, the Student Advocacy Office and the International Students Office move from the Hall Building. All groups are now consolidated in a new Wellness and Support centre on the third floor of the Guy-De Maisonneuve Building (GM), right above Health Services.
The space was completely renovated with accessibility in mind as well as a holistic approach to wellness services. The work was undertaken with a modern understanding of the impact of space on people’s quality of life.
“The new facilities were designed with the needs of individuals at heart. Our team wanted to ensure that employees would have what they need to thrive in their place of work and that students would feel good using services in the new space.”
