The Process

Between April and June 2024, New Generations carried out a mapping phase across several European countries, including Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, UK, and Austria, with the aim of gathering data and strengthening its international network of emerging practices. This series, titled Studio Lists, is available on our Instagram channel (see here the French List) and is still ongoing, with new maps published on a monthly basis.

The outcome in France proved especially significant: over the course of about three weeks, New Generations identified approximately 600 emerging practices across around 45 French cities. From these, 130 studios were selected and invited to participate in the research. Ultimately, 100 of them agreed to take part in the interview series.

Context

The French architectural context is characterised by the centrality of Paris and its surrounding areas. During our mapping process, we found that more than half of all identified practices were based in the Île-de-France region, with around 300 offices located in the capital alone. It is an astonishing figure: Paris remains the most attractive city for architects, both emerging and established, offering a wide range of opportunities in architecture and related fields such as design, fashion, scenography, and art—disciplines in which many architects are actively involved. The city has also undergone a new wave of development, reinforced by the 2024 Olympic Games, which brought investment and opportunities to access public competitions or collaborate with private investors. Private clients continue to offer numerous possibilities for young practices, particularly through small-scale projects such as apartment refurbishments, roof extensions, and other interventions dealing with the existing built fabric.

Paris is also home to six architecture schools, with more than 5,000 students in total, reinforcing its attractiveness through the quality of its education and its concentration of cultural and professional opportunities. The city serves as a testing ground for innovation, where new buildings and neighbourhoods constantly emerge. Quartiers de demain, an international consultation launched in 2023 as part of Plan Quartiers 2030, invites multidisciplinary teams to transform ten priority neighbourhoods across France into demonstrators of social and ecological transition. Focusing on participation, sustainability, and the reuse of existing heritage, the programme aims to redefine urban regeneration through inclusive and forward-thinking design processes. Similar in spirit, Réinventer Paris, launched in 2014 by the City of Paris, called on architects, developers, and innovators to reimagine underused sites across the capital, promoting experimentation and new forms of collaboration. Together, these initiatives signal a shift towards a more open, experimental, and socially engaged model of architecture and urbanism in France.

Yet our research also highlights a counter-tendency: while Parisian architecture schools remain highly appealing, since the pandemic there has been a noticeable shift among graduates and young practices towards other, often rural, regions of the country. Many architects interviewed by New Gens, particularly those not originally from Paris, are seeking to reconnect with their home territories, where smaller, open competitions and stronger local ties offer fairer and more meaningful opportunities for young studios to establish themselves. The rural context has become a new field of experimentation, particularly for sustainable construction and low-impact design. Many young practices are applying their knowledge and ecological approaches to peripheral areas that require new forms of infrastructure and spatial care. The École nationale supérieure d’architecture de Clermont-Ferrand stands out as a reference for this new approach, with a strong focus on rural territories shared by both students and professors. Many emerging practices have studied there or joined SANA, an incubator that supports new offices through exchange and collaboration. Similar initiatives, such as Échelle Un (ENSA Paris-Est), are appearing across the country, reflecting a growing network of young architects who are choosing independence and collective support structures.

A parallel with Switzerland also emerges through the strong competition system, still seen in France as a key tool for entering the profession. However, French competitions are often closed, requiring prior built experience—a condition that limits access for newcomers while fostering collaboration between emerging and established practices. These partnerships encourage the exchange of knowledge and perspectives, creating fertile ground for innovation and experimentation.

New Gens has also visited practices in other major cities such as Bordeaux, Nantes, and Strasbourg, revealing an effervescent architectural scene that, while often looking to Paris, maintains its own independence by addressing regional and territorial questions rooted in the local context. So far, New Gens has conducted around two-thirds of the total interviews—approximately 70 in all—primarily covering the central regions of the country. The project will conclude in early 2026 with a final round of 30 interviews, focusing on smaller cities and the southern areas of France.

Outcomes

Our research reveals a dynamic landscape: while Paris continues to dominate as a centre of opportunity, education, and experimentation, a new generation of architects is actively rebalancing the map—rediscovering regional contexts, engaging with sustainability, and establishing new collective models that reflect the evolving identity of French architecture today.

The interviews, conducted by Gianpiero Venturini in four rounds, have been transcribed and edited and will be published between November 2025 and September 2026. They offer valuable insights into the thinking and work of a new generation of French architects. Two to three interviews will be released each week via our website and Instagram channel (@NewGens) through the end of 2026. The full series will culminate in a printed publication compiling the interviews, to be presented in 2027.

Credits

A project by New Generations

Interviews: Gianpiero Venturini

Editing: Kimberly Kruge and Gianpiero Venturini

Proofreading: Kimberly Kruge

Web & Communication: Marta Hervás Oroza, Elisa Montani

A special thanks goes to the participating practices, who actively supported the interviews and contributed to the editorial process—engaging in an open exchange that shaped the final outcome of each conversation.