Building new partnerships

AG: One of the reasons many people come to Switzerland is the prevalence of open competitions. In France, accessing public competitions can be quite challenging, as you need a strong background and references. However, in Switzerland, we can apply to open competitions, providing a valuable opportunity for us to pursue larger projects. When we began entering competitions in Switzerland, we were simultaneously participating in ones in France with Robin, our former partner who now has an office in Annecy, and the experiences were quite different. In Switzerland, while access was easier, there were a lot of firms competing for a single competition. This implied a significant time investment, and if you didn’t win a prize, you weren’t compensated for your efforts.

In France, the competition process is more administrative—you must submit extensive paperwork just to be accepted to participate. The greater challenge, however, was having sufficient references, as we initially had only two houses to showcase. Fortunately, the CAUE (Conseil d'Architecture, d'Urbanisme & de l'Environnement) in Annecy, an association that promotes regional architecture, encouraged young architects to apply for competitions in France. With their support, we had the opportunity to participate in smaller, closed competitions with just four or five firms, focused on transforming rural projects. During this time, the jury considered not only references but also the firm’s approach. 

We received assistance from another office, Loïc Picquet Atelier Architecte in Alsace, which is located near Strasbourg, quite far from Haute Savoie. For this competition, we partnered with him; he served as the lead architect while we acted as his associates.

DB: At that time, we were submitting about ten applications a day—it was crazy.  

AG: In Switzerland, we had a similar experience with a competition for an ice skating rink in Salvan. We had to partner with a landscape architect, but since we didn’t know any locally, we met one in Geneva. He was more experienced and the collaboration was really valuable. We took second place, and we are still collaborating with him on urban-scale projects such as footbridges in the Fribourg region. We have continued to collaborate on competitions since then; the last one was with Sara Gelibter's office in Biel; we met her at competition openings.

From utopia to reality, learning through experimentation

DB: We had the chance to study in Grenoble, where there’s a laboratory focused on earth construction research. Alice and I had the opportunity to participate in several workshops. Earth is a local resource that does not require fossil fuels or energy-intensive processes to be transformed into a building material. After our studies, it was clear we wanted to involve this material in our projects.

AG: I participated in a summer earth school with Anna Heringer and Martin Rauch, which was a wonderful experience. They brought together a diverse group of students from countries around the world. Together, we built two small projects near Gmunden, Austria.

DB: We also participated in the Solar Decathlon, a student competition where we constructed a small passive house in Madrid. This experience allowed us to meet young students from various backgrounds. It was incredibly rewarding to design and build the project ourselves.

AG: The master’s programme also emphasised new ways of living, addressing environmental challenges and shifts in urban living, such as reducing costs and limiting urban sprawl. This had a significant influence on us, and we felt quite utopian upon graduation. We believed that using earth construction could be a promising approach, particularly in countries like Switzerland, where the economic landscape allows for more flexibility compared to France. We thought there would be greater openness to experimenting with new materials since France tends to be more structured in this regard. However, while it was intriguing to observe a different approach, we quickly realised that concrete remained dominant in Switzerland. Even wood construction was not widely developed in Wallis, but it is now quickly changing.

From charred wood to earth

AG: Initially, we continued to participate in small competitions, such as one for a wooden cabin. These were modest projects that didn’t provide financial rewards but allowed us valuable on-site building experience. We won a project near Lake Annecy to construct an observatory cabin made with the Shou Sugi Ban wood Japanese method. This type of charring involves the precise burning of the wood's surface to form a protective, weather-resistant layer. This ancient Japanese technique not only increases the wood's durability but also enhances its natural grain and creates a deep, striking texture. At that time, we were eager to experiment with burnt wood construction, which was not well established—this was about eight years ago. By the end of the project, we were covered in black soot from the construction process. This project marked the beginning of other more formal housing projects. 

We continued our material experimentation and research, particularly with earth. We had the opportunity to collaborate with BC Materials in Brussels, engaging in both a workshop and a building site. Their strong focus on processing excavated soil was incredibly enlightening, and we learned a great deal from the experience. 

Working with alternative materials can present various challenges. In the case of the burnt wood project, convincing the clients was relatively easy, as they were particularly attuned to environmental considerations. Many clients are also interested in stabilising wood. Burnt wood requires minimal maintenance, making it a compelling choice. In contrast, despite the fact that rammed earth construction has been used for thousands of years, this material is sometimes misunderstood and often relegated to the status of a mediocre material. Also, developing earth construction poses significant challenges due to its high expense and the lack of local firms experienced in this technique.

Currently, Terrabloc is being developed in Lausanne, allowing us to integrate this innovative material into our designs at a more reasonable cost (prefabricated clay bricks and panels). The emergence of high-quality public projects has helped to develop the industry around this material. In 2021, we participated in a nursery competition where we incorporated earth construction, earning second place, which was very encouraging. 

DB: Things will change. That’s why we aim to incorporate these materials for both public and private projects, when the context is right. We believe that certain projects will demonstrate the interest and feasibility of this material. Thanks to this sensitivity, our aim is to promote local industries (e.g. the wood sector) and showcase the work of craftspeople.

AG: It’s very interesting because clients are increasingly aware of local materials, which provides a strong argument for projects that emphasise local sourcing. For instance, wood construction is being developed with local timber, which is fantastic. We hope this trend continues to grow in Valais. Material costs are very high in Switzerland, leading to situations where Swiss stone from Valais is exported to Italy for processing due to lower costs and then re-imported into Switzerland. This approach simply doesn’t make sense to us.

DARE to do more with less

AG: In the coming years, we aim to focus more on transformation projects, as we are particularly passionate about them. Currently, most of our work revolves around housing. However, we have a transformation project that allows us to experiment with local materials and earth construction. The typology is quite flexible and modular, which adds to the project’s appeal. It’s located nearby and features typical stone walls that require significant transformation, as the barn appears in old photographs from the early 20th century.

This project presents quite a challenge. It will consist of three levels: an office on the ground floor and a residence occupying the two upper levels. The form is trapezoidal rather than rectangular, which adds to the complexity. Consequently, we need to create a flexible space with a strong central element to stabilise the house. Although we could have constructed this using concrete—especially given the seismic demands in Valais, where seismic activity is a significant concern—we are eager to experiment with earth construction to demonstrate that it is possible to build with local soil while meeting these requirements. This poses a double challenge. Using local earth construction is particularly difficult when balancing costs. To address this, we decided to build part of the project ourselves, which is manageable given our extensive hands-on experience from our school years. Working with these materials requires considerable time, which isn’t always financially viable for our practice. To offset the cost of materials and insulation, we are looking for cost-effective solutions. 

Budget-conscious innovations

AG: Instead, we considered that if the house is well-designed and passive, we might not need a heating system at all. For the last two house projects, we chose simpler solutions, such as a mass stove (masonry heater) which offers an interesting combination of heating and atmosphere if it is well positioned in the space. Alternatively, we could invest more in insulation and materials, focusing on comfort during both winter and summer. We also considered reducing the size of certain spaces and creating shared and flexible areas. It’s fascinating to have the opportunity to work with open-minded clients with smaller budgets. 

For instance, we constructed a small villa on a reduced budget compared to that of the initial programme request, and the client was particularly conscious of the material choices. The house is designed to be passive and is equipped with a solar heating system. We organised visits to the house, allowing potential clients to experience the project first-hand. They could see that, despite its small surface area, the house felt spacious.
In the future, we would like to pursue this approach on a larger scale, including in collective projects, which would also make more sense in terms of saving land.