Quality Toolkit - Design Montréal
The Bureau de Design de la Ville de Montréal recently set up the Quality Toolkit, a digital awareness, information and planning tool for all stakeholders directly or indirectly related to design and architecture. Let's sum up together this essential tool for everyone, also for m3béton in its capacity as manufacturer-designer! You can first take a look at the website if you want, here.
Two principles are first stated: the quality vision, and the quality operation.
The quality vision sets out six dimensions to make our projects the best possible projects: resilience, environment, economy, culture, equity and inclusion, and health and well-being. We leave it to you to read each of these decisions, a lot of very complete information is available by following this link.
“Montréal's 2030 Agenda postulates that design and architecture contribute to designing a city that promotes the health and well-being of all and that is more equitable, plural and socially inclusive, more ecologically responsible, more efficient economically, more attractive and fulfilling culturally and more resilient to crises and climate change.
The quality operation, for its part, proposes six strategies to be implemented, independently or collectively, in projects, namely: mobilizing, communicating, imagining, entrusting, reframing, and perpetuating. Here again, the strategies are very well developed on the site of the Kit and do not wish to repeat, you can access the strategies by clicking here.
Finally, four tools are available in the Toolkit, distinct but interrelated and dependent on each other:
> Compass : an individual and collective exercise tool to federate the project team around a common vision, using two main exercises, the quality vision, and the quality operation, in accordance with the two principles explained above.
> Backgrounders : four sheets are currently available, covering the essential quality principles.
Let’s take stock together of the “quality is now” concept.
All the steps are listed, in order to ensure a qualitative follow-up of your urban project and to ensure that it runs smoothly. The steps indicated are standardized according to the governance framework for municipal projects and programs of the City of Montreal. The main steps are:
the justification, i.e. setting up the context, constraints, stakeholders, budget, benefits, etc.
the start, i.e. the definition of the program, as well as the conditions for carrying out the project,
planning: definition of various action plans in all spheres (financial, human, material, etc.), as well as assignment of tasks and roles,
execution: apply previous plans and ensure their proper development,
closing, explicitly, closing the project but ensuring downstream monitoring of quality and learning.
All the details on this concept here.
> Videos : case studies and application of the concepts set out.
Our favorite case study is the Pierrefonds Library project, but all projects are ambitious, admirable and successful. Watch the videos here.
> Publications : all concept reference documents explained.
The document “Architecture + Homelessness: inclusive practices for a united city” particularly resonated with us. The creation of sharing spaces for all and inclusion are subjects that are close to our hearts, because we advocate a united society, helping all, and accessible to all. It is also essential to better understand current needs, and thus base design and development on these deeply useful and existential needs. These adaptations must then be validated and put into practice by various stakeholders, in order to be suitable for the greatest number of people, or even everyone. We leave it to you again to read the document (plan a coffee!) in order to have all the dimensions of the explanations, right here (in French only).
To recap, the Kit by Design Montreal, with the Design Office of the City of Montreal, is a new informative and participatory digital tool, to ensure quality architectural projects, in accordance with the design values put in place and qualitative standards. Inclusion, the environment, sustainability and aesthetics are today key pillars of our development, of which we must all be a part.
m3béton is proud to combine these fundamental pillars as much as possible, by offering durable products, with fewer raw materials, without compromising quality and resistance, while being aesthetic and minimalist. We also work regularly with architects and other players in this sector, in order to take part in projects in which we believe.
