Transforming 38 hectares of a former Canadian Pacific switching yard, the Université de Montréal’s Science Complex—Campus MIL—stands as a 60,000 m² beacon of sustainable urban renewal. This project revitalizes an abandoned industrial site into a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly hub for innovation, living, and education.
Visitors approach Campus MIL via a sleek pedestrian bridge that reconnects previously isolated neighborhoods. A central north-south walkway guides them through topographic courtyards and past two flagship pavilions for classrooms and laboratories. These pavilions, clad in reflective glass, mirror the sky and surroundings, creating a dynamic visual experience. The library, designed as a ramp between aboveground and underground levels, sits beneath the pedestrian bridge, linking the pavilions and flooding the space with natural light reminiscent of the mountain forests on UdeM’s main campus.
Facing a mist fountain and a monumental sculpture by artist Patrick Bernatchez, the complex accommodates over 400 professors and support staff, alongside 2,000 students studying chemistry, physics, geography, and biology. The architecture and landscape are meticulously designed to reflect the prestigious reputation of one of the world’s leading research universities.
The complex includes 190 laboratories, 11 classrooms of various sizes, and a 330-seat library. Public and student spaces are interconnected through interior bridges and gradins, fostering a generous, continuous, luminous, and open environment that enhances interactions between students, professors, and researchers.
Campus MIL’s forward-looking design has earned a LEED v4 Gold certification. The buildings feature energy-efficient glass that maximizes natural light, green roofs, and facilities that encourage cycling and pedestrian access. Constructed from regional and recycled materials on decontaminated land, the complex’s operations—from ventilation and heating to lighting and water consumption—are optimized for sustainability, including passive solar gains during winter.
As part of Lemay’s master plan for a satellite campus, the Science Complex embodies the “Citizen University” concept. It offers spaces designed to inspire a love of learning and foster open dialogue and debate, all within an urban setting enriched with agoras and park access.
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