A public exhibition took place to showcase the recent Hors Les Murs design studio collaboration between the Université de Montréal, Instituto Superior Técnico and Tokyo College. 20 architecture students from Montréal came to the experience the site firsthand and create speculative design proposals that reimagined its future. Their work explored how the architecture could once again mediate the human, natural, and spiritual realms through minimal interventions that would re-connect visitors with the values of the convent’s former community. The students’ proposals embraced the Franciscan ethos of humility and respect for the more-than-human world, challenging conventional market-driven architectural and heritage conservation practices. They introduced medicinal gardens, library spaces and temporary sleeping quarters among other informal interventions. Of particular importance was their proposal to reactivate the site’s hydraulic system as the unifying component. This activity has today sparked new conversations about a recovery plan involving programs directly related to the sites’ water heritage.

The event was held in Room 1150, Faculty of Planning Pavilion at the Université de Montréal between the 22nd and 23rd of November from 11:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
See here for further details.

Photos by Josue Perez Sanchez (Social Media Designer, UdeM).

Visualization of the final point clouds recorded during the course.

Acknowledgements:

Fábio Vicente (Designer and Coordinator of the Pedagogical Farm of S. Paulo in Alferrara), Hélia Silva (Architect), Tiago Borges Lourenço (Art historian), João Miguel Simões (Art historian), Alexandre Pais (Art historian), Dídia Covas (Hydraulic engineer), Inês Almeida (Architect), Francisco Luis Rasteiro (Speleologist) Pedro Alves (Speleologist), Miguel Tiago (Geologist), Lorenzo Russo (Heritage engineer), Andreia Gomes (Guide of Arrábida Convent), Filipe Magalhães (Architect and founder of FALA atelier). The course and exhibition were made possible thanks to the financial support of the Riverin Contant fund and UdeM International.