Projects / Dominique-Ducharme Building – formerly the Montreal Customs Building
Restoring a major heritage building with precision
Nearly 30,000 stones and more than 16,700 m² of façades: the rehabilitation of the Dominique-Ducharme Building was grounded in a detailed understanding of its building envelope. The team supported its restoration by balancing heritage conservation, public safety, and the long-term durability of the interventions.
Understanding a building constructed in two phases
The Dominique-Ducharme Building, formerly the Customs Building, occupies an entire city block in Old Montreal. It comprises two wings built nearly 20 years apart: 105 McGill Street, constructed between 1912 and 1916, and 400 Place d’Youville, built between 1934 and 1936.
Behind their Beaux-Arts façades, unified by a classical composition of granite and buff sandstone, the two wings differ in their structural systems: steel at 105 McGill Street and reinforced concrete at 400 Place d’Youville, both with solid masonry walls. These differences result in distinct behaviours and deterioration patterns in each wing.
Establishing a precise assessment of the building envelope
Commissioned by Public Works and Government Services Canada, the EVOQ | STGM consortium contributed to the rehabilitation of the building’s exterior walls, primarily its masonry.
The analysis drew on detailed surveys, previous studies, and an examination of the various building envelope components. With approximately 30,000 stones documented across 16,776 m² of façades, this detailed understanding of the existing conditions made it possible to identify priority areas of deterioration and establish appropriate intervention strategies.
Intervening where it matters
For each identified priority, three rehabilitation options were studied, along with cost estimates. The selected option aimed to ensure public safety and the long-term integrity of the building while tailoring the scope and access methods to the work that was actually required.
The work included masonry and the structural systems associated with the façades, as well as flashings, the main cornice, canopies, and architectural metalwork. The rehabilitation of the parapet cornice also included the integration of a heating cable system.
Restoring an occupied building
The rehabilitation had to be carried out while the building remained occupied by occupants sensitive to noise. This constraint influenced the planning and execution of the work across all eight storeys and four façades.
From the initial assessment and design through construction documentation, contract administration, and ongoing site inspections, the team supported the client throughout every stage of the project.
Keeping heritage alive
The intervention was guided by a simple principle: understand the building’s condition precisely in order to intervene appropriately. By targeting components that had reached the end of their service life or required repair, the approach sought to preserve the building’s architectural qualities while ensuring its long-term durability.
Toward the end of construction, an additional phase was added to the project: upgrading the access ramp at 400 Place d’Youville to ensure universal accessibility. This decidedly contemporary intervention establishes a dialogue with the building’s heritage character and its immediate context.
An approach in which the rigour of surveying and analysis becomes a practical tool for conserving built heritage.