Urban DevelopMontréal

Our approach

Six stages, from the first site visit to the end of the warranty period. Each has its own decisions, its own professionals and its own deliverables, and each is easier when the one before it was done properly.

Bundles of reinforcing steel on a construction site with workers and a concrete frame beyond

Who leads, and when

Disciplines overlap. The chart shows where each one leads and where it supports.

The common cause of trouble on a project is a decision made by the wrong person, or too late. Mapping responsibility by stage is how we prevent it.

Disciplines involved at each stageA chart with six stages across and eight disciplines down. Dark bars show where a discipline leads, light bars where it supports. SiteFeasibilityDesignApprovalsPre-constructionConstruction Development and financeUrban planningArchitectureEngineeringGeotechnical and environmentalCost and scheduleConstructionSales or leasing Leads Supports
Scroll sideways on small screens to see all six stages.

Opportunity and site assessment

Before an offer becomes firm, we find out what the site is, what it allows and what it hides.

Brick buildings and rooftops with Mount Royal behind, in winter

Key decisions

  • Whether to pursue the site, and on what conditions
  • Which building types the zoning and market could support
  • What investigations are needed before the price is fixed

Disciplines

  • Development
  • Land surveyor
  • Geotechnical and environmental consultants
  • Urban planner

Practical considerations

  • Title, servitudes and the certificate of location
  • Soils, groundwater and environmental history
  • Neighbouring buildings and site access
  • Servicing capacity

Typical deliverables

  • Site memo and zoning analysis
  • Due diligence plan and budget
  • Go / no-go recommendation

Feasibility and planning

We test more than one scheme against the bylaw, the cost and the market, so the decision rests on a range rather than a single number.

A pencil resting on a technical drawing with dimensions

Key decisions

  • Building type, height and suite mix
  • Conforming scheme or scheme needing relief
  • Tenure: condominium, rental or a mix
  • Delivery model for construction

Disciplines

  • Development and finance
  • Architect
  • Cost and schedule
  • Urban planner
  • Market advisors

Practical considerations

  • Borough bylaw and PIIA criteria
  • Housing requirements under the Règlement pour une métropole mixte
  • Parking and servicing costs
  • Approval timelines

Typical deliverables

  • Massing studies
  • Pro forma and cost plan
  • Master schedule
  • Approvals strategy

Design development

The architect and engineers develop the chosen scheme to one brief, with cost and constructability reviewed at each step.

Sketches and a site plan on a drafting table

Key decisions

  • Structure, envelope and mechanical systems
  • Suite layouts and common areas
  • Materials and exterior expression
  • What is fixed and what remains flexible

Disciplines

  • Architect
  • Structural, mechanical, electrical and civil engineers
  • Envelope consultant
  • Construction

Practical considerations

  • Winter performance of every exterior detail
  • Acoustic and fire separations
  • Maintenance access
  • Long-lead items

Typical deliverables

  • Design development drawings
  • Updated cost plan
  • Constructability review
  • Outline specification

Approvals and coordination

We treat approvals as a parallel stream of work, managed with the same care as cost and design.

A street of greystone buildings

Key decisions

  • Timing and content of submissions
  • Response to CCU and borough comments
  • Scope of public consultation where required

Disciplines

  • Architect
  • Urban planner
  • Development
  • Borough planners and City departments

Practical considerations

  • CCU and council calendars
  • Demolition review where an existing building is affected
  • Heritage authorization in heritage sites
  • Permits for servicing and public-domain occupancy

Typical deliverables

  • PIIA, variance or PPCMOI applications
  • Housing agreement where thresholds apply
  • Construction permit application

Pre-construction

Prices replace estimates. The construction plan, from shoring to the winter enclosure, is written before ground is broken.

Two people reviewing architectural drawings with a calculator

Key decisions

  • Trade packages and tender lists
  • Construction methods and sequence
  • Final budget and contingency
  • Start date, in light of the season

Disciplines

  • Construction
  • Cost and schedule
  • Design team
  • Trade contractors and suppliers

Practical considerations

  • Winter concreting and temporary heat
  • Crane, deliveries and street occupancy
  • Neighbour protection and monitoring
  • Safety program

Typical deliverables

  • Tendered budget
  • Construction schedule
  • Site logistics plan
  • Procurement log

Construction and delivery

We build, inspect, correct and hand over — and stay involved through the warranty period.

Wood framing and scaffolding on a building under construction

Key decisions

  • Responses to site conditions and design questions
  • Change management
  • Sequencing of finishing and occupancy

Disciplines

  • Construction
  • Trade contractors
  • Design team field reviews
  • Inspectors
  • Sales or leasing

Practical considerations

  • Daily supervision and safety
  • Envelope mock-ups and testing
  • Commissioning of building systems
  • Pre-delivery inspections with buyers or owners

Typical deliverables

  • Occupancy and handover
  • As-built documents and manuals
  • Deficiency and warranty follow-up
  • Registration under the new-home guarantee plan where the building is covered

For landowners

Ways to work with us on your land, and what helps us read it quickly.

Sale
We acquire the site, usually after a conditional period for due diligence.
Joint venture
The land is contributed to a project in which the landowner shares in its outcome, under terms agreed for that site.
Development advisory
We study the options and manage the early stages for an owner who intends to keep the land or build on it.
Construction only
An owner who has decided what to build engages us as construction manager, general contractor or design-builder.

Useful documents for a first reading

  • The lot number and civic address
  • A recent certificate of location, if available
  • Any existing surveys, environmental or geotechnical reports
  • Leases or occupancies currently on the site

Discuss your land

Every project starts with a conversation and a first look at the site. Tell us where yours stands.

Architectural drawings spread across a table

Where to reach us

contact@urbandevelop.ca +1 514 791 1274

275, rue Notre-Dame Est, Vieux-Montréal