Sketchbook

Above is a typical roadside drain in the older part of Singapore. The sidewalk is raised on one side, and steps bridge across the drain at various points. The objective of this is to provide drainage for the large amount of rainfall during the monsoon season.

I bring this up because I feel that this has an application to Montreal. Montreal receives a fair amount of snow in the winter, snow which makes walking on sidewalks difficult. By raising a sidewalk and providing a drain, the snow accumulation on sidewalks will be lessened. Furthermore, the use of an arcaded sidewalk similar to the one above will shelter the sidewalk and reduce the snow accumulation even further.

Food for thought in designing street-side buildings....

Christopher Huang, February 2001

e-mail christopher.huang@mcgill.ca