Thanks to a structure with a large capacity, and thanks also to the participation of the city’s School of Architecture (École d’Architecture, la Ville et le Paysage), the project generates a piece that is capable of creating a rich variety of situations. Three concrete slabs, at 9, 16 and 23 meters above grade and connected by a gently sloping ramp, gradually put the city’s ground in contact with the sky above.

A lightweight steel structure further divides the height of the main floors, opening up space for the university program and creating an adequate system to allow for further building extensions or changes. The program spaces are all associated to large, double-height volumes that always have a varying function. They are protected with transparent facades that capture sunlight and provide good climate control inside the building. Students, teachers or guests can make these spaces their own, depending on the event or program at hand. As if it were a sort of pedagogical tool, the project questions the traditional methods used to teach architecture, as well as the rules, techniques and their own development process.