ékm architecture + aménagement

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MCGILL UNIVERSITY BIKE CENTRE

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Since the pedestrianisation of McTavish Street in 2010, the underground parking garage in the University Centre has been closed to vehicular parking and used instead for ad-hoc storage needs.  In 2015, McGill University engaged ekm architecture to develop a conceptual redesign of the space through a feasibility study to accommodate a bike commuting centre. McGill’s Bike Centre would provide a secure and clean facility for bike parking in addition to locker & shower facilities and a space for the community-run bike collective. The feasibility study included the determination of the needs, a proposition of design and the cost of each element of the project. The general principles guiding the concept were the visibility of the bike center, it being welcoming, accessible, durable and easy to maintain. The impact of this project goes far beyond its physical infrastructure; it encourages its community to be active and live sustainably. As an educational institution, McGill can use the project to serve as an innovative model of sustainable development for the academic community, the rest of the city and even other cities in northern climates.