With a planned 55,000 square feet of space, the new building will occupy the site of the existing MIFO building, which will be replaced. Spaces are designed for various French-language programs and services in support of the arts, culture and community: a theatre, a music school, a gymnasium, a running track, multi-purpose rooms, a studio, a bar, a café and an outdoor garden.
MIFO’s social and responsible engagement and its determination to develop a sustainable and responsible project targeting Zero Carbon Building certification (ZCB-Design) meant that CIMA+ could incorporate a number of value-added services into its contribution at this stage of the project (climate resiliency analysis, energy simulation, whole building life-cycle analysis, grant application support).
Many green building principles have been applied to the design of the project to reduce the ecological footprint of the building, to meet the stringent requirements of the ZCB–Design and mostly to create a healthy environment for the community to thrive in. The design strategies include high performance envelope, triple-glazed windows, geothermal energy, heat recovery, building integrated solar panels, and an abundance of green space.