In the early 1900s, Montréal pharmacist Henry J. Dart founded the Grace Dart tuberculosis treatment hospital in honour of his late daughter. After more than one hundred years of service, the centre closed in 2016 and the Neo-Georgian building sat vacant. Demolition was avoided, and the landmark heritage building was transformed by Provencher_Roy into a residential project consisting of 299 rental units. The project was awarded the 2026 Order of Architects of Quebec Award of Excellence for its adaptive reuse and historic preservation—proving that sometimes the most sustainable buildings are those that already exist.
Adaptive reuse
Renamed Mellem Grace Dart, the project consists of the original building and a new structure, totalling at 24,500 square metres and bringing rental units, a cafe and green spaces to the city of Montréal. The original purpose of the existing building was completely reimagined following a zoning change process and over five years of design, public consultation and implementation. The architects describe the result as an "inclusive living environment" at a "neighbourhood scale." Located within an established neighbourhood and steps from the Cadillac métro station, the project promotes more sustainable modes of mobility while limiting urban sprawl in the city
Reimagination
The heritage building fronts the historic and internationally renowned Sherbrooke Street—named the world's coolest street in 2025 by Time Out. Its location required that the building retain its distinct identity through the development. To do this, the architects concentrated the densification at the rear of the site, where a new six storey volume has been constructed from red brick that references the period building and surrounds.
Preservation
The project preserves much of the historic building's envelope and retains mature trees on the site, reducing environmental impact while protecting the biodiversity of the site. The exterior of the hospital—its structural brick facades, window styles, and wrought iron details—has been restored to its former glory. Inside, the existing structure has been reformatted to allow for residential spaces. The unique configuration and generous ceiling heights allowed the architects to design residential spaces that incorporated the original character and period features of the building.
Community-oriented
On the ground floor, units are accessed directly from the exterior. Without corridors for entry, each one spans the entire depth of the building offering windows on both sides—an uncommon feature in new multi-residential construction. The layout of the masterplan creates a range of outdoor spaces for both residents and the public. Among them, an outdoor gym, green pathways and landscaped lawns, private and communal terraces and a community garden and orchard that hark back to the original use of the land when the Grace Dart hospital was initiated.
