Partner creation and director of lemay’s urban design studio, Michel Lauzon, described how the future area of El-Menia will be a multifunctional and autonomous urban agglomeration on a 47-hectare plateau directly in front of the heritage city of Constantine, the third-most important city in Algeria, and the future cultural capital of the Arab world in 2015, located some 431 km east of Algiers. He added that the proposal, “Once upon a time in El-Menia”, stands out for its unique visual signature that will be visible on the walls and pathways in the old city, a gem of the World Heritage.

Donald Bonsant, associate urban planner and senior director of exp’s design, urban planning and sustainable development department in Quebec explained, for his part, that this prized mandate involves the planning and development of a new neighbourhood, and fits within a distinctive World Heritage global development plan. The design mandate granted to the joint venture includes design of main buildings and typologies as well as public spaces and traffic networks.

Design and Cultural Approach
Developed according to sustainable development principles, the main intention of the concept proposal is two-fold: create a rich and diversified living environment and mark the territory with an urban configuration that lives up to the mythical status of the 3000-year old city of Constantine.

Inspired by the traditional Maghrebian courtyard, at the center of the medinas and Arab towns of North Africa, the concept reflects the cultural characteristics of the landscapes and integrates a clear hierarchy between private and public spaces and between openness and privacy. In this prized proposal, this medina figure is reinterpreted according to the new realities of contemporary urban life based on the peculiar topography of the sector. Using the mountains and the dramatic landscape, the design benefits from major elevations, which create zones of variable density with fluid and iconic green wedges meandering through. Consequently, even though the city was planned to achieve optimal density avoiding urban sprawl and automobile dependency, large and autonomous green spaces were planned to support biodiversity

As the sinuous lines of Arabic calligraphy and arabesques, El-Menia urban figure proposes a symbolic relationship between the individual and his territory. The iconic silhouette of the new neighbourhood will extend over an area of 1.2 million m² as a stamp on the region, at the image of the ancient and legendary cities.

Modernity and heritage
Although the concept is inspired by the history and typologies of Algeria, the proposition aims to house more than 20,000 residents, as well as various offices, shops, recreation centers and schools for a growing population of workers, visitors and tourists. The project of 6,500 to 7,500 housing units will be adapted to a contemporary lifestyle but in continuity with local traditions.

In this perspective, the proposed strategies will consolidate the citizens’ lifestyles and advanced technologies in terms of design, construction, and, of course, sustainable development. In this regard, all service areas are located from a short walking distance of residential zones and an efficient and low-cost cableway system was planned to facilitate commute throughout the city. Spaces were design to promote urban agriculture inside the city to reduce the dependence towards imported food, to allow food self-sufficiency and support the local industry. Optimized green spaces, a reduce road network, infrastructure fighting heat islands, use of solar energy as well as studies on the use of wind turbine, photovoltaic cells and geothermic system were also integrated into the program.

In other words, El-Menia is a model city in its ecological planning, based on leading best practices in sustainable development, all in the heart of an urban lifestyle. This project, which will be carried out with exp and lemay’s signature expertise will meet the population’s needs perfectly, in the creation of the new neighbourhood of El-Menia, a place that is set to become a richly diversified living environment for the people of Constantine.

With its pragmatic and audacious strategies, the city of El-Menia can be perceived as a systemic organism with a functional, technical, regulatory, economic, social and symbolic composition. As a result of these multiples forces, our new city presents an ecosystem integrating different variables while taking into account the refine art of living and friendly character so distinctive of the Algerian culture.

About Lemay
Founded in 1957 as an architectural firm, Lemay is now a leading integrated firm with broad services in architecture, urban design, interior design, landscape architecture, branding and project management. Based in Montreal, the firm also has offices in Quebec City, Toronto, San José (Costa Rica) and Algiers (Algeria). The 150-person multidisciplinary firm brings together a wide range of specialists, from urban planners to interior designers, from architects to graphic specialists.

The firm is well-renowned for its ability to realize large-scale projects with complex issues. It has extensive experience in healthcare, institutional, cultural, residential and commercial projects, as well as well-established reputation in interior design. Urban design is also emerging as a driving force, gathering large-scale winning commissions and competitions.

Defying conventional wisdom that size is incompatible with innovation, Lemay uniquely combines the capacity and expertise of a large firm with the creativity and personalized service of a boutique outfit. Lemay’s core mission is to create enduring value through the design of built spaces. Therefore, creativity and sustainability are the firm’s main drivers and leitmotiv of all projects.

Therefore, lemay is a the Lemay is at the heart of numerous major urban projects in Montreal, such as the urban revalorization as part of the celebrations for the 70th and 75th
anniversary of the establishment of Université de Montréal on the Mount Royal, the new city of Bourouag, Constantine, Algeria, and the initial development vision for the Quartier des spectacles of Montreal.

About exp
exp is a multinational consulting firm which formed originally as a result of the merger of 25 companies including Trow Global and Teknika HBA, a Quebec engineering firm created in 1928, that merged with Trow Global in 2008. With if 3,400 professionals and technicians, of over 1200 employees in Quebec, exp offers a wide range of services in the fields of buildings, sustainable development, energy, transportation, industry, infrastructures, buildings, soils and environment, for projects of all sizes around the world. In Quebec, its team of design, urban planning and sustainable development team has been recognized for decades for its innovative and modern solutions.

Sources:
Louis T. Lemay, president and facilitator of excellence, lemay
Michel Lauzon, partner, chief creative officer creation and director of urban design studio, lemay
Donald Bonsant, associate urban planner and senior director of design, urban planning and sustainable development, exp
Reynald Castonguay, associate engineer, vice-president of special projects, exp