From singular to collective

MM: The evolution and growing diversity of architectural practices is something I find particularly fascinating. In the early 2000s, fresh graduates often gravitated towards joining larger firms or those with established reputations, seeing it as the natural next step in their careers. But in France, we’ve never really had a strong culture of large firms like you see in the Anglo-Saxon world—places like the U.S., the U.K., or even Northern Europe. Here, most firms are intermediate in size, typically around 20 to 30 people, which is already considered large by our standards.

There’s also this deep-rooted tradition of the single-architect practice. Historically, that’s been a significant part of our architectural culture. But I think things have shifted since then. In the 2000s, graduates were looking to join these big or intermediate-scale offices. Today, though, there’s more of a focus on self-development and a stronger sense of what it means to be an architect. People now seek meaning and purpose in their work. It feels like many large and even intermediate-sized practices aren’t offering enough of that, and it’s driving younger—and even mid-career—architects to establish their own practices, to create something personal and independent. I see this as one of the reasons behind the growing diversity in our field. I personally feel part of this evolution; after working as an employee and then as a freelancer, I started my own practice with clear ideas of how I wanted to work. I think these individual visions contribute to the variety we’re seeing now.

Space calls 

MM: Our studio is based in La Courneuve, a suburb of Paris. This area used to have a reputation as a no-go zone, but things are changing. Our building is part of a collective of ateliers—workshops for artists, designers, cabinet makers, metalworkers, woodworkers, and even textile artisans. This setup allows us to connect and collaborate with others, which is something I really value.

One of the main reasons we’re here is space. It’s nearly impossible to find a place in Paris where you can have both an office and a workshop. For over ten years, I couldn’t find anything like that in the city, so moving to the suburbs made sense. I’ve also lived in the outskirts of Paris for 14 years, so it felt natural to create a new dynamic here in Seine-Saint-Denis.

This area is evolving rapidly with the arrival of new subway lines and stations, especially following the 2024 Summer Olympics. However, with that comes the gradual disappearance of industrial spaces. The industries and craftspeople are being pushed out to make room for housing and new development projects. We’re lucky to be in one of the last industrial buildings still being used for crafts and creative work. The shared wood shop and metal shop allow us to include 1:1 details prototyping as part of our studio's daily practice. We also design and fabricate small- to medium-scale furniture and functional objects or devices as part of our projects, and we can also rely on the other craftspeople.

New ground for small practices

MM: When thinking about the diversity of practices, I see a link between the small-scale offices and the small-scale commissions we’re working on. Big projects are often reserved for larger firms, but the smaller commissions have created opportunities for more intimate and specialised practices like ours. At the moment, we primarily work with public clients—schools, public spaces, administrative buildings, libraries, and cultural facilities. These institutions are asking new and interesting questions. For example, how can public spaces function with minimal construction? How can we incorporate temporary structures or objects into public spaces? There’s a growing need to rethink public spaces as people live in smaller homes and increasingly rely on shared outdoor areas. Public gardens and spaces are becoming everyone’s backyard, so there’s a significant demand for quality and thoughtful design in these areas. 

Cities are also experimenting more, which aligns with our approach. They’re looking to test ideas at an urban scale—what you might call urban acupuncture or prototyping. This involves creating small, experimental projects to test new uses for public spaces. We’re starting to see new types of commissions emerge, thanks to shifts in the institutions themselves. A new generation of urban planners and city officials are building on the experiments of the past 10 to 15 years.

When I graduated, I started out in a collective with other young practitioners from different fields—graphic designers, video editors, even lawyers. We worked on self-initiated projects and experimental installations in public spaces. This collective, called PZZL (read Puzzle), lasted for about four years. Through it, we explored creative ways to merge art, design, and functionality. By 2015, the collective ended, and I began teaching while continuing to grow my practice. Over the past ten years, we’ve developed a focus on public spaces, cultural institutions, and landscapes, working at an intermediate scale between furniture and micro-architecture. Today, we also collaborate with more traditional architecture and landscape firms, contributing to projects that emphasise creativity, innovation, and experimentation.

The design-build approach

MM: Our commissions usually begin when clients can’t find what they need in a “catalogue”. Essentially, we address the specific needs that aren’t being met. For example, when working on a smaller scale, like with objects, we often explore gaps in available designs to create entirely new typologies. One instance is a furniture project we designed for an art centre, which dealt with a recurring issue—seating kept disappearing from their park. In response, we created large beam-shaped furniture on wheels. These pieces were too big to steal but easy to move around, perfectly meeting their needs. We called it Les poutrelles, meaning “small beams”. Another example is a recent project titled 1000 PREMIERS JOURS (A Thousand First Days of Newborns). This initiative involved creating a set of carts designed to bring resources from institutions focused on protecting mothers and children to the public realm. These mobile units help institutions connect with diverse communities, especially in areas like La Courneuve, where language and cultural barriers often prevent people from accessing essential services. Through projects like these, we aim to bridge the gap between institutions and underrepresented communities, ensuring access to both medical and cultural resources. Our design-build approach allows us to engage deeply with materials. For smaller-scale projects that fit our workshop, we enjoy not just designing but also constructing. This hands-on process teaches us a lot—about materials, precision, and responsibility. When you’re the one building, any failure is entirely on you. 

Processes over products

MM: We prioritise working with reclaimed, low-carbon, or recycled materials. For public commissions, we’ve also embraced research into innovative materials. A recent project in Bordeaux involved creating benches for a high school courtyard. The client’s focus on low-carbon solutions pushed us to collaborate with Materrup, a company specialising in clay-based concrete with minimal cement. The result was a durable, visually distinctive concrete that met both aesthetic and sustainability goals. Beyond functionality, we think about the lifecycle of the materials we use. For instance, we design objects to be disassembled and repurposed—ensuring they can have new lives after their initial purpose. Even a small bench can contribute to a larger vision of sustainability and adaptability.

Another big focus for us is ensuring people understand our process and involving them at every stage of a project. This includes the commissioners, the future users, and the makers—whether it’s us or contractors. This involvement is crucial to creating successful projects. Our approach is very user-oriented, which is more common in product design than architecture. In architecture, the commissioner is often not the end user, so we work to connect those dots and bring the users’ perspectives into the process. On a broader level, we rarely create isolated objects. They often consist of systems or families of objects and spaces that interact with each other. These elements respond to one another, creating a coherent whole. 

While we’re not aiming for a strong visual statement, we focus more on the protocols and structures behind the designs—how they’re developed, how people are involved, and how the final outcomes reflect those processes. This project development process is central to what we do, and we hope it’s visible in the final results.

Scaling up

MM: In terms of the studio’s evolution, we’re only just beginning to explore larger commissions, and part of our goal is to build confidence and stability as we grow. We’ve always approached our work from a slightly unconventional angle, operating at the margins of traditional practice—but we’re now looking for ways to expand while remaining true to our values.

One potential direction is expanding into construction. This could involve creating a contracting company alongside our design and architectural work, which would allow us to handle larger projects and provide guarantees within the building industry. Currently, as licensed architects, we’re limited to service-based work, but moving into production could open up new possibilities. This trend of architects starting construction companies is something I’ve noticed among younger professionals in France, particularly those working with natural materials like straw or earth. They’re stepping into the construction field to ensure their projects are built the way they envision. It’s inspiring, though also very demanding, as it requires balancing design, construction, and the legal responsibilities of the building industry. Emerging practices operate in a unique space, navigating the construction and legal fields simultaneously. It offers the potential to create projects under more comfortable and controlled conditions.

For our studio, partnerships are another key area of growth. We’ve been collaborating with landscape designers, urban planners, and other architecture offices to fill gaps in expertise. These collaborations often focus on areas where we bring a unique skill set, such as furniture design, small-scale constructions, or micro-architectures for public spaces like kiosks and playgrounds. This complementarity between disciplines enriches the work, pushing projects further than either partner might have achieved alone. Whether it’s designing playgrounds, benches, or smaller architectural elements, the dialogue with these partners allows us to expand the scope and impact of our projects. 

Design-build in academia

MM: Teaching has been a significant part of my life for the past 10 years. Building is rarely a solitary endeavour; it’s inherently collaborative, and I try to pass this ethos on to my students. Through international workshops like Hello Wood in Hungary and Mood for Wood in Poland, and teaching roles in France at institutions like the Versailles School of Architecture (ENSAV), I’ve been able to merge practical building exercises with pedagogy. One example is a design-build project where 150 students worked on inflatable structures. Despite using the same materials and addressing the same design prompts, the diversity of outcomes was incredible. These experiences teach students not just technical skills but also awareness—of materials, site conditions, and collaboration.

Currently, I’m pursuing a practice-led PhD focused on design-build protocols. These protocols explore the interplay between designing, hands-on building, and personal growth. Building isn’t just about creating physical structures; it fosters self-awareness, shared values, and even happiness. Additionally, we’ve been involved in a large Erasmus+ project called Builder Method. Partnering with institutions like École Supérieure du Bois (France), Hello Wood (Hungary), and Szechenyi University Gyor (Hungary), Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania, we compiled “the installation manual”, featuring 40 design-build projects. This manual, which is available online for free, includes insights from interviews with experts like Sami Rintala  and Peter Pozsar. It’s a collaborative effort to share knowledge and inspire new approaches to design-build activities worldwide.