Bridging cities and skills

FC: I am a French designer. I conducted my studies at L'École de design Nantes Atlantique and worked in Milan before moving to Paris, where I focused on refurbishment projects, global rehab, and primarily luxury residential projects. We met in Paris and started working together on architectural projects—first on refurbishments of flats and competitions. It was going well, so in 2019, we decided to move back to Nantes.

JB: I graduated from Ecole d'architecture de Versailles and began my career in Paris, working on metropolitan concerns. Nantes and Paris offer two completely different scenarios. In Nantes, we have access to a wide variety of projects at different scales—rural and vernacular architecture, and urban projects. We moved here for this diversity and also to improve our skills in construction supervision, which I hadn’t done much of in Paris.

FC: While Judith comes from an architectural background, I bring technical expertise in construction management, complementing our practice. That’s why we decided to establish the company—we are a balanced team. Today, we are based in Nantes, but we work in Paris and western France, and sometimes we even do competitions in Switzerland. We don’t see our location as a limitation, and we often collaborate with architects and with landscape designers from other cities.

Figures as foundations

JB: "Figura" is the Latin word for "figure." We see figures as a language, and we try to create a language through the implementation of architectural, technical, and philosophical figures. This is the foundation of our methodology. We consider architectural projects to be intellectual endeavours, and figures are integral to this way of thinking. We embed our projects in meaningful narratives and shared stories that we communicate with our clients and team.

FC: These figures guide the project from start to finish, providing freedom in explaining, living, and developing the design throughout the process.

JB: Our methodology is structured around three key aspects. First, architecture as an intellectual project, where figures shape the design. Second, architecture as a strategy—before we begin designing, we work closely with clients to analyse the program, site, and existing buildings. Instead of immediately drawing, we guide our clients through the initial phases.

FC: We examine the broader context of the project—economic, social, and environmental factors—to define the best program that leads to the best architectural outcome. Sometimes, we push beyond the initial brief to refine and develop the core vision of the project.

JB: This approach is especially relevant for reuse and rehabilitation projects. Many of our clients are not professionals and don’t know how to handle existing buildings. Our role is to help them navigate these challenges.

FC: It’s also about heritage—how to deal with historical structures. Defining what to preserve and what to alter is crucial for us. This strategic approach ensures that our projects offer meaningful and well-informed architectural solutions. 

JB: Lastly, the third aspect of our methodology involved the construction supervision, as a continuation of the design process, ensuring that the project remains coherent through to completion.

Figures in thought and space

JB: We had the chance to work on a traditional house in Nantes where modifications to the exterior were restricted. The project focused on the interior, and we developed the concept around the image of Alice in Wonderland, imagining Alice stuck inside a house that is too small for her. This metaphor helped guide the design, influencing how elements of the house were revealed or concealed. The project is now nearing completion, and the story we created has remained central throughout the process, shared with both our clients and our team.

FC: It started as a simple reference but evolved into a deeper architectural intervention. The narrative helped maintain coherence from concept to execution, embraced by manufacturers, constructors, and clients alike.

JB: A similar approach shaped La maison autour de l’arbre, a small, low-budget home in Héric, designed around a dialogue between a large tree and the building itself.

FC: The concept was to wrap the structure around the tree while preserving it. The design consists of three volumes, each serving a distinct function—common areas, circulation, and private spaces. The house was designed to frame views exclusively of the surrounding landscape and the tree, which became both a structural and conceptual centrepiece.

JB: Our approach evolved organically across different projects. We began with residential design, working on house refurbishments in Nantes, but each project became a research opportunity to explore architectural solutions and figures.

FC: The environmental context is shifting rapidly, driven by the pandemic and climate change. We must rethink architecture, particularly in rehabilitating existing buildings, considering materials, technical elements, and thermal solutions for sustainability.

JB: A key example is the rehabilitation of an abandoned 18th-century agricultural building near Nantes. Many similar buildings exist in the French countryside. Our client wanted to transform it into a home, but regulatory hurdles made the process complex. We eventually secured the permit and designed an extension that maintained a dialogue with the original structure.

FC: We preserved the irregular window placement, retained original stone elements, and applied an earthen finish to the exterior walls. This was only possible because we took the time to understand the building’s existing qualities. That’s the essence of reuse and rehabilitation—working with the past to create something relevant today.

Residential projects serve as laboratories for experimenting with new design solutions. We rethink architectural elements—such as the role of windows in space—and apply insights from single-family houses to larger-scale collective housing projects, introducing new ideas into broader residential developments.

Learning, improvising, and learning again

JB: Improvisation is part of every project. We anticipate challenges but allow for flexibility in the methodology. Each project requires a unique approach, and we adapt accordingly. Construction supervision, in particular, forces us to stay flexible. We know from the start that things won’t go exactly as planned, so we embrace the process and adapt as needed.

FC: For instance, in one of our office projects, we uncovered layers of historical construction during demolition. Instead of covering them up, we decided to leave the walls exposed with minimal intervention. This approach is not just about aesthetics—it also aligns with political and economic considerations of reuse.

JB: In the future, as the design process becomes increasingly standardised, architects may be needed less. In France, they often work only up to the permit phase, with minimal involvement in construction. However, we don’t see our role as merely obtaining permits and stepping away. We strive to remain engaged throughout the entire process, and reuse enables us to do so in a more technical and hands-on way.

FC: Reuse demands experience and technical knowledge. We are continuously learning, and we’ll keep learning throughout our careers. Regulations also need to evolve—right now, they often force us to think outside the box to find logical solutions for existing buildings. We need to relearn how to build with stone walls and adapt regulations to support reuse, rather than working against it.

A foray into industrial architecture

JB: We’re particularly interested in the transformation of production areas on city outskirts, where land is scarce and expensive. This is a newer area for us, one we began exploring about two years ago.

FC: We’ve been working with a craftsman who manufactures tables for bars and restaurants. There are only three such companies in France, and we were tasked with designing their entire production facility. We’ve been involved starting with the earliest stages, helping shape the program and considering how to densify the site with vertical production units.

JB: This is an ongoing research topic in our office, and we see exciting possibilities for how production architecture can evolve in urban contexts. Our aim is to optimise production by enhancing the quality of the building itself—such as the structure and insulation. Construction quality is often very poor nowadays. When we met this manufacturer, he had a large building on a plot he wanted to reuse, but it contained asbestos, which complicated things.

FC: Initially, we aimed to upgrade it. Our strategy was to build a new structure around the existing one, on two levels. The idea was to continue operations, construct the new building, and then demolish the old one. He moved operations upstairs, and we demolished the original building. 

JB: It seemed like a good idea in theory, but it was expensive and risky—especially since he had 50 employees who needed to keep operations running. Now, we’re working on a new project: a two-level manufacturing facility on a different site. Vertical production involves integrating lifts and other logistical considerations.

FC: We also have to rethink the production chain itself. But beyond providing functionality, architecture plays a role in defining a company’s identity. A simple box could be anything—a fast food chain, a warehouse—its purpose is dictated by its owner. Our client referenced a project by Hermès in Louvain, northern France: a factory with a wooden structural framework and a secondary brick envelope, designed for low carbon impact. Unlike a typical industrial box, it was designed to integrate with the landscape and offer real architectural quality. That was our client’s vision—he didn’t just want a box, he wanted a complete project with thoughtful landscape and architectural interventions.

JB: There are also questions of adaptability. Industrial buildings often house both production and office spaces—can we design them to be reversible over time, allowing for program changes? Another issue is the lack of activity outside working hours. These areas are busy during the day but deserted at night, on weekends, and on holidays. Car parks are only used during the day, and then they sit empty. There’s very little densification.

FC: We're exploring these questions from a forward-thinking perspective. Could we introduce residential units in industrial zones? As cities expand, we may have to. The real question is: can we create liveable spaces above factories? Should we? In France, public commissions often serve as testing grounds for new techniques and frameworks. But to push these ideas forward, funding is crucial. In the end, this evolving conversation about production architecture is a starting point that we aim to explore further.