The Espace citoyen des Confluents transforms a former petrochemical brownfield in Laval into a civic landscape that integrates ecological regeneration with public amenity. Projet Paysage, collaborating with Cardin Julien, reimagines a 13-acre site as a living infrastructure that supports social engagement, biodiversity, and stormwater management. The intervention reverses decades of industrial impact, creating a landscape where water, vegetation, and topography are orchestrated to sustain both human and ecological activity over time.
LANDSCAPE
The design approach emphasizes hydrological intelligence. Permeable pathways, drainage trenches, and interconnected basins capture and direct rainwater across the site, converting runoff into functional wetlands that foster wildlife and biodiversity. Excavated materials from the site are shaped into subtle landforms that guide water flow, while over 300 trees and diverse plantings establish biological corridors and microhabitats. Even infrastructural elements, like the triangular parking lot and sedimentation wells, are carefully configured to minimize impervious surfaces and integrate into the ecological system.
Spatial experience is central to the project’s success. Observation platforms, footbridges, and preserved mature trees provide access and perspective, allowing visitors to experience the gradual transformation of the landscape. Seasonal changes, layered vegetation, and natural textures encourage contemplation and sensory engagement, offering moments of respite within an urban context. The landscape operates as both a civic amenity and an ecological laboratory, inviting community interaction while demonstrating the regenerative potential of infrastructure.
Architecture and landscape are tightly coordinated, with the civic buildings positioned as focal anchors and the surrounding terrain guiding movement. Bioclimatic orientation and site-specific planning optimize passive solar gain and natural lighting, ensuring a seamless connection between interior and exterior spaces. The project’s integrated design earned LEED v4 Gold certification, reflecting the commitment to environmental performance and long-term sustainability.
Beyond ecological considerations, Espace citoyen des Confluents functions as an urban catalyst. By reactivating an underutilized area, the project strengthens connections with adjacent neighborhoods and contributes to Laval’s 2035 strategic vision. The landscape is conceived as essential infrastructure, supporting soil health, community life, and urban development while demonstrating how public space can embody both utility and beauty.
Through careful planning, multi-disciplinary collaboration, and ecological foresight, Projet Paysage delivers a landscape that redefines civic space. Espace citoyen des Confluents is simultaneously functional, regenerative, and experiential, a model for integrating human and natural systems in urban redevelopment.
