Paris between constraint and opportunity

JL: France has a highly centralised market, particularly around Paris. With its six architecture schools, the capital propels graduates into a profession shaped by a housing crisis, and a relatively stagnant construction industry. Many young architects spend many years freelancing between jobs, gradually launching their own firms. There are generally two routes into practice: some spend years in established offices before striking out on their own with a strong portfolio and references, which allows them to target projects of a certain scale right from the start. Others, like myself, start a practice after only a few years of professional experience. In those cases, they often begin with small-scale private commissions, gradually working their way up. I think this second path is becoming increasingly common for our generation. 

Our generation also seems to have a different attitude towards architecture. There is a strong desire to sensitively work on the existing, rather than produce new monumental buildings. This calls for greater sobriety in construction, with less emphasis on grand gestures, prioritising thoughtful intervention instead. Perhaps this is connected to a growing awareness towards sustainability, also encouraged by innovative regulations. 

Paris is aligning with this shift, developing policies that reflect this newer attitude. For example, a new policy encourages the vertical extension of the city, freeing up ground-level space, and promoting green and public areas. Although very promising on paper, these regulations can be difficult to implement, due to heritage protection. For example in Paris, traditional Zinc roofs are subjects of preservation, and, in the case of vertical extension, there is an ongoing negotiation between conservation and transformation.

In fact, it is becoming increasingly difficult to build in this city. This is due not only to its challenging, and conflicting regulations or goals between the different municipal departments, but also due to the growing involvement of neighbours, local associations, and various stakeholders (which is not necessarily a negative thing, but it does add complexity). I think it is often hard for people to understand the complexity of a project and all the stages that lead to the final result. For this reason, I believe it is important to speak more openly about the design process and the many constraints that shape a project, which can also generate opportunities and lead to innovative solutions. 

Perhaps because of this, many architects are also choosing to establish themselves outside these urban complexities. My practice operates between Paris and Hauts-de-France, about an hour north of the city. I really appreciate having this dual presence: it allows me to experience two very different ways of practising architecture. 

New beginnings within the existing

JL: After graduating, I started working in Paris at Hardel Le Bihan Architectes. I worked on several residential projects, including collective housing and individual homes, and also some office spaces. Those years were extremely formative, giving me the confidence to start my own practice. I learnt new methodologies, management and coordination of projects, and many of the skills that I still rely on today.

Four years into my time there, I started receiving personal commissions in the north of France. I still worked full-time at Hardel Le Bihan Architectes, and developed these projects in my spare time, which made for a very intense period where my own practice began. Gradually, the number of requests grew and I had to make a decision. Although I had always wanted to set up with a partner, none of my potential collaborators were available at that time. I found myself debating whether I should wait longer. I ultimately felt that opportunities should be seized when they arise, and finally founded my practice in 2022. 

From the beginning, I wanted the practice to have a clear structure rather than exist as a temporary side activity. I rented an office immediately, organised the studio professionally and planned to build a team as soon as the workload allowed it. About eighteen months later I hired my first employee, who is still working with me today, and I now also collaborate with freelancers when projects require additional support. It is rewarding to have a team around the practice.

One aspect of founding a practice that surprised me was how much of the work happens beyond architecture itself. I had never really considered the role of being a “business leader” - in larger firms, this responsibility is often a role in itself, but as a sole founder I had to assume it myself. Running a practice requires making decisions about contracts, communication, finance and management - skills that are rarely taught during architectural education. In 2024 I joined the SANA incubator programme, in Clermont-Ferrand an initiative supporting emerging architectural practices working across both urban and rural territories in France, I could be supported and accompanied on broader management and development questions, while also becoming part of a lasting network. SANA invites participants to continue to meet through events, trips and conferences, bringing together practices from very different contexts.

Rural Grounding

JL: Joining the SANA programme in 2024, a year after founding the practice, was definitely an important turning point, helping me take the leap. Around the same time, in response to the influx of new projects I was deciding whether to collaborate with freelancers or hire my first employee. Until then I had been managing every aspect of the office myself, which made this first year particularly intense. That year I gained the confidence to invest in a permanent team rather than continue to work alone. Looking back, hiring my first employee fundamentally changed the practice, enabling me to take on larger commissions but also freeing up time for the development of the practice.

Working in rural areas offers a very different relationship to place than the city. There is a direct connection to materials, resources, craft, and local businesses. Scale and proximity create another way of practising architecture, making way to a respectful approach to the existing. At architecture school, we were taught by a generation whose projects mostly focused on new builds of museums, towers, and large public interventions. I only started working on renovation projects at Hardel Le Bihan, where I learnt skills that still shape my practice today. 

The two independent projects I began with were both domestic renovations of vacant houses, located in the north of France. The first, Les Ecuries, consisted in transforming former stables into a house. The second project, Maison BR, comprised the renovation of an abandoned rural house. Maison BR was particularly remarkable: nature had completely reclaimed the ruin, its domestic life felt frozen in time. 

When entering spaces like that for the first time, it is easy to imagine the lives that once unfolded there. Small details - a light switch, a curtain, a piece of wallpaper, an old washbasin, allow to reconstruct the daily life of previous inhabitants. I often photograph these spaces before construction begins because they reveal so much about how people lived.

It is also fascinating to observe how domestic spaces have evolved over generations. Some of these houses did not even have indoor toilets. Over the decades, standards of comfort and domestic life have changed considerably. The challenge is always to determine what should be preserved, what can be transformed, and what must unfortunately be removed. Sometimes that involves difficult choices, but it is impossible to keep everything. I systematically try to reuse materials and resources found on site and respect original construction techniques whenever possible.

Caring for two landscapes

JL: My studies belong to a separate chapter of my life: my current practice completely diverges from what I was taught at school. Since founding my office, I have been focusing on renovation projects, which reflect the kind of commission I enjoy. This work varies from refurbishments in agricultural settings in rural France, and rehabilitations of homes and even entire apartment blocks in Paris.

I am particularly fond of our ongoing project, Maison LG, a renovation of a central farmhouse surrounded by barns and agricultural structures, located in central France. Although the roof structure had completely collapsed and the floors were beyond repair, we still preserved the beautiful thick stone walls. We retained the original volume of the building, as the site is located on protected agricultural land and extensions cannot be constructed. We raised the walls by thirty centimetres to inhabit the attic, and introduced generous openings, framing the surrounding landscape. One aspect I appreciate about this project is the sourcing of materials and craftsmanship. All the new windows are solid oak joinery manufactured by a local carpenter using timber supplied by a sawmill in the neighbouring village. The entire process is rooted in local resources and expertise. 

The second project I would like to discuss, ABG is both a renovation and a vertical extension of a vacant two story building intended for a 19-unit residential building with shared common areas. It is located on a corner parcel in the 15th arrondissement of Paris. After being uninhabited for many years, the building’s interior is in a highly deteriorated condition. Its elevation still remains a typical Parisian immeuble de faubourg, a traditional housing typology from the Eighteenth century. 

Although it is neither a Haussmannian landmark, nor a listed structure, this typology is particularly protected by the Comité du Vieux Paris, as very few examples remain intact in their original state. Our proposal seeks both to preserve its identity and to embrace the new through a contemporary language in harmony with its period of construction. The intention is to respect the layers of Parisian densification whilst avoiding a pastiche of historical architecture or a generic contemporary reinterpretation. The project also complies with new building regulations, only allowing to add one storey. Again, this illustrates the contradictions that currently exist between ambitions for urban vertical densification and the restrictions imposed by regulation. However, these constraints can sometimes produce architectural solutions that are beneficial. In ABG, we proposed relocating both vertical and horizontal circulation to the exterior courtyard to comply with fire safety and accessibility regulations. We believe that this solution has become a positive addition to the overall design and to the quality of the apartments’ interior spaces.

Towards a Public Practice

JL: My ambitions for the future would be to diversify our portfolio, and expand towards the public-sector. As of now, all of my work comes from private clients. Our practice is now developing around six or seven projects, all at different stages. In addition to the building extension and the farmhouse renovation I mentioned earlier, I have other interior renovation projects in Paris, as there is a constant demand for apartment refurbishments. One of which is the renovation of a three-storey apartment with rooftop spaces. Recently, I completed Maison CLF, a vertical extension for a house in the north of France, and the renovation of our new office in Paris. 

Looking back, I can now see how my practice started mostly thanks to opportunities in the north of France. The work then gradually shifted towards the Parisian region, as there is higher demand there. Today, the balance has moved nearly completely towards Paris, and I would like to reestablish my activity between the two territories, working both in urban and rural contexts. The two settings offer very different briefs and ways of practising architecture, and I would like to continue developing within both. 

Hauts-de-France has a low density of architects in France, making it easier for a young practice to access opportunities in the public sector.  Small public commissions - such as school canteens, community facilities, or modest municipal projects - would be ideal to gradually develop a portfolio of public projects. In Paris, young practices are a small fish in a very wide ocean.