A teaching pavilion rooted in heritage and contemporary medical education

A new teaching pavilion has been completed at Hôtel-Dieu de Lévis, a historic medical complex located in Lévis, Quebec, Canada, for Université Laval’s medical program. Designed by Canadian architecture firm Anne Carrier Architectes, the project accommodates nearly 90 students and responds sensitively to its historically layered context while providing an interactive, inclusive, and practice-oriented learning environment for contemporary medical education.

Photo credit: Adrien Williams

The project was developed by Anne Carrier Architectes in consortium with Coarchitecture. It establishes a respectful dialogue between the Augustines’ places of memory and the successive expansions of the Hôtel-Dieu complex, while addressing the needs of a forward-looking academic environment focused on collaboration and innovation.

Architectural continuity and spatial connectivity

The new pavilion functions as a connective element within the site, linking Anne Carrier Architectes’ recent interventions, including Maison Dessercom and the Lévis CLSC–CHSLD, and reinforcing the overall visual cohesion of the precinct. A 13-metre-long glazed bridge, suspended across three levels, provides a seamless transition to the historic Augustines pavilion while also connecting to the north–south outdoor pedestrian route. Shaped by the site’s topography, the building requalifies the surrounding outdoor spaces and extends the institutional history initiated in the 19th century by the religious community. Through its carefully balanced massing, clear spatial organization, and restrained yet contemporary material palette, the pavilion aligns with the continuity of the site while asserting a confident contemporary identity without overpowering its context.

Photo credit: Adrien Williams

Photo credit: Adrien Williams

Photo credit: Adrien Williams

A learning environment connected to its surroundings

Overlooking the historic Vieux-Lévis district, the pavilion establishes a strong relationship with its immediate environment. The façade alignment along Wolfe Street ensures a coherent reading of the historic ensemble, while subtly angled inner façades frame carefully composed views toward key landscape elements. To the northwest, generous openings capture expansive views of the St. Lawrence River and Quebec City, allowing the surrounding landscape to become an active and sensory component of everyday experience. To the southeast, the building opens onto the Augustines’ Garden, forming an intimate inner courtyard that serves as a place for reflection and informal encounters.

Photo credit: Adrien Williams

Photo credit: Adrien Williams

Spaces supporting learning and well-being

Designed to support both education and well-being, the pavilion offers flexible and secure spaces filled with natural light. Its spatial organization and circulation encourage spontaneous interaction among students, clinicians, and faculty through a variety of collaborative areas. The inclusion of a patient-partner clinic, specialized laboratories, and teaching spaces adapted to active learning pedagogy creates an environment in which theory and practice intersect naturally. At the heart of the building, a four-storey central atrium functions as a social hub—a bright, legible, and welcoming space that provides intuitive orientation and constant visual connections to the outdoors.

Photo credit: Adrien Williams

Photo credit: Adrien Williams

A lasting contribution to the community

More than an academic facility, the teaching pavilion is conceived as a sustainable lever for attracting and retaining future physicians in the Chaudière-Appalaches region. By offering a high-quality learning environment that is human-centred, luminous, and deeply rooted in its territory, the building strengthens students’ sense of identity and belonging within the academic and medical community. By bringing together heritage, modernity, and humanity, the new teaching pavilion contributes to improving access to healthcare in the region and to enriching community life in Lévis.

Photo credit: Adrien Williams

About Anne Carrier Architectes

Anne Carrier Architectes enriches Quebec’s architectural landscape with bold and refined projects designed to resonate across generations. With more than 30 years of experience, the firm combines sensitivity, creativity, and leadership to meet its clients’ highest ambitions for architectural excellence.