A sustainable building designed to better serve families
In Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, the Coopérative funéraire du grand Montréal has acquired a new building to house its head office, operational centre and crematorium. Designed by CIMA+, this project meets a vital need: to provide a modern, practical facility within a sober, respectful environment that is tailored to the funeral service context and well integrated into its surroundings.
The two-storey steel building is distinguished by its elegant architecture, refined façades and imposing visual screens, which contribute to the building’s harmonious integration into its surroundings. With a surface area of approximately 750 m², the ground floor includes a garage, a cold room, rooms for identification, hairdressing and preparation, as well as the crematorium chamber. The first floor houses the administrative offices, a cafeteria and a large outdoor terrace.
By bringing administrative and operational activities together in a single location, it enables the Cooperative to offer more efficient, better-coordinated services tailored to families’ needs. The project’s restrained architectural design and features serve to mitigate the visual impact of certain technical equipment and respect the surrounding neighbourhood esthetic.
Addressing technical constraints through rigorous structural design
Structurally, the building rests on a steel frame supported by shallow foundations. However, the site’s ground conditions required the installation of footings and foundation pads at a depth of over 3.8 metres. In-situ testing and close coordination with the geotechnical team enabled the foundation design to be optimized during construction, thereby ensuring the stability and durability of the structure.
One of the project’s distinctive features lies in the design of the visual screens surrounding the chimneys of the crematoria. Standing over 7.8 metres above the roof, these galvanized steel structures were integrated into the building to withstand inclement weather while limiting the occurrence of thermal bridges. This approach helps to improve the building envelope’s performance and make it a more sustainable construction.
Close coordination with the Coopérative funéraire du grand Montréal was also essential to incorporate the specific requirements of this type of facility, including the structural reinforcements needed for the crematoria and processors, garage drainage, and the supports required for mortuary lifts and other specialized equipment.
Finally, the façades combine masonry, curtain walls and precast concrete panels. Close collaboration between CIMA+, the architectural team, the contractor and the supplier enabled the seamless integration of these components, resulting in a building that is sustainable, functional and of the highest quality.