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espace konect

Digital technology business incubator and accelerator.

Located at the heart of the Technum Québec innovation zone in Bromont, espace konect brings together a business incubator and accelerator dedicated to the digital technology sector. Commissioned by the Bromont Economic Development Corporation (SODEB), the project is part of an ambitious vision: to create the first biophilic innovation zone in North America, where performance and quality of life evolve in tandem.

As the first building to emerge on a previously undeveloped site, espace konect assumes a foundational role. Serving both as a welcoming point and an identity-defining landmark, it lays the groundwork for a legible, scalable ecosystem rooted in its natural environment. More than a standalone object, the building acts as an inaugural gesture, announcing the overarching vision of an innovation zone in the process of evolution.

Client : Bromont Economic Development Corporation (SODEB)

Location : Bromont, Quebec, Canada

Size : 2 367 m²

Status : Delivered

Date : 2025

Key points

Digital technologies.
Innovation.
Creation.
Development.
Biophilia.
Natural environment.
Collaboration.

The landscape as an active partner

Located on the outskirts of downtown Bromont, on a site offering unobstructed views of Mount Brome, the building adopts a posture of attentiveness rather than dominance. The project is set on a previously sparsely vegetated portion of the site and regenerates the area through an ambitious landscape redevelopment, marked by the planting of more than 3,000 plants, including approximately 65 trees, over 330 shrubs, and nearly 2,700 perennials and grasses.

A landscaped pond nearby structures the surroundings and serves both as environmental infrastructure for stormwater management and as a gathering place. Designed as a sensory pathway, it invites users to move and wander during their breaks, through a network of paths, culverts, benches, and a carefully selected plant palette. This landscape intervention naturally extends everyday uses outdoors and anchors users’ daily experience in a constant dialogue with the landscape.

montage schéma de l'incubateur de bromont

Nature and technology, a complementary relationship

From the outset, the project establishes a close dialogue between technology and nature, conceived as complementary forces. Within a universe of precision and control, living systems are integrated as a structuring component of the experience, serving well-being, creativity, and collaborative dynamics. This biophilic approach creates a balanced work environment, where technological performance is embedded within a calming natural framework and connected to the surrounding landscape.

This complementarity is expressed through the architectural composition. The stone base, solid and grounded, asserts the building’s presence on the site and forms both the physical and symbolic foundation of the project. Perforated and open, it allows light and landscape to enter, softening the boundary between interior and exterior and establishing a direct link between nature and innovation.

Resting upon this base is an upper volume with a contemporary architectural language, whose geometry evokes the lines of a microchip, referencing microelectronics and semiconductors. Its dark, smooth, and continuous metallic envelope captures light and subtly reflects the environment, while its aerodynamic silhouette reinforces the idea of acceleration and of a driver of innovation. Constructed using Stekar panels developed in Québec, this volume offers a unified architectural expression and delivers energy performance that meets the stringent requirements of the Building Code. The recessed ground floor, cantilevered above, shelters the entrances and functions as a sun-shading device.

The interior organization is structured around a central courtyard, the true heart of the project. It brings nature into the core of the building and serves as a constant spatial reference. Circulation paths, with fluid lines inspired by natural trails, guide movement and transform everyday journeys into opportunities for encounter and exchange.

Finally, the building’s narrow, through-building form ensures generous natural daylight and continuous visual connections to the exterior or the inner courtyard, reducing reliance on artificial lighting and enhancing occupant comfort.

Uses, flexibility, and materiality

The ground floor brings together the building’s collective functions: the reception area, the offices of Technum Québec, and a range of flexible shared spaces including a kitchen, a training room, a multipurpose hall, and a fitness room integrated into a workplace well-being approach.

Designed to accommodate approximately 250 people, the multipurpose hall can be divided by a retractable partition and converted into a cafeteria-bistro. Large glazed bays and sliding doors ensure a direct relationship with the inner courtyard and offer a high degree of adaptability to different uses and events.

On the upper level, offices and open work areas are located in close proximity to fabrication workshops, R&D spaces, and a clean room, fostering collaboration among teams, project follow-up, and the circulation of ideas. Meeting rooms, which can be transformed into lounge spaces, provide additional flexibility.

Material choices support these uses: natural wood, used as cladding and ceiling finishes both indoors and outdoors, brings continuity and warmth. The contrast between the dark envelope and the light-filled interiors enhances natural daylight and reinforces a sense of openness. Natural tones and the integration of plant elements—through built-in furniture, planters, and a green wall—extend the landscape into the interior and strengthen the connection to the surrounding environment.

Performance and accessibility

The construction and planning strategies contribute to the project’s overall performance. The partial excavation of the basement helped limit the impact on the site while optimizing the building’s footprint and the organization of spaces. This approach reduces the building’s overall footprint, preserves the existing terrain, and aligns with a development logic that is respectful of the landscape.

Universal accessibility is integrated in a seamless and intuitive manner. An elevator serves all levels, circulation areas are generous and continuous, and routes between the parking areas, the building, and the inner courtyard are fully level. Safety and access control are handled discreetly, with technical spaces grouped on the upper floor, while the ground floor remains open and welcoming.

Through its biophilic approach, espace konect fully aligns with the regulatory guidelines promoted by the City of Bromont for industrial development. The project goes beyond mere compliance, acting instead as a pilot project that demonstrates the relevance of these principles for future developments.

Team

Patriarche (Architecture, Interior Architecture)
Partners:
EMS | Structural Engineering
Artelia (formerly FNX) | Civil Engineering and Landscape Architecture
CBTEC | Mechanical and Electrical Engineering

Credits

Program

Offices

Craft

Condorcet

Photos of the construction site

espace konect