A time of readaptation

RA: One-third of French architects are based in  “Le Grand Paris”, when only one-sixth of France's population lives there. And there are 6 architecture schools based in Paris and 14 in the rest of the country. Of course then, Paris is an important place that catalyses discipline, especially in my field, as a builder of hospitality spaces. 

In terms of how we practice architecture, Paris offers many opportunities, from large-scale projects to small, intricate works. Everything built, every drawing made, is part of architecture. Paris provides a unique energy that makes it easy to express ideas, much like any emerging city. There are amazing small boutiques, bakeries, and independent shops. 

All things happen in Paris. Even though Parisians work outside the city, many practices are established here. Some firms based elsewhere still maintain an office in Paris because so much happens in this city, politically and architecturally. Paris functions this way not just for architects but for the entire country—one-sixth of France's population lives here. The city also hosts a significant number of architecture schools, with five or six in Paris compared to about ten in the rest of the country.

Lately, the focus has shifted away from massive projects toward renovation. The city of Paris has introduced strong initiatives to encourage building reuse, renovation, and the revitalisation of abandoned structures. This shift marks a significant evolution. Meanwhile, we also see an unusual crossover between office buildings and the new ways of working. For example, in La Défense, some office buildings were conceived before the pandemic, but by the time they were completed, remote work had changed everything. Many buildings are now shared spaces or lack a clear program, making it difficult to define their purpose. Architecture requires adaptability and speed, yet the profession itself is slow. Between design and delivery, projects can take years—even decades. The challenge is to prevent designs from becoming obsolete by the time they are completed. Personally, I enjoy working on quick projects because they allow me to stay in sync with contemporary life. For larger projects, it’s much harder to predict the future and ensure that by the time a building is ready, it still meets contemporary needs.

We are moving toward more flexible buildings that can change functions quickly. At the same time, we must reduce carbon footprints. Concrete presents a significant challenge, and we may soon encounter similar issues with wood. The political timeline also plays a crucial role. Sometimes, projects are delayed for years due to policy changes before they even begin construction, which adds another layer of uncertainty. Anticipating these complexities is extremely difficult and remains one of the primary challenges for both our profession and our studio.

Beyond standard sustainability

RA: I opened my first practice with a friend, and we worked together for more than ten years. Two years ago, I started this new rodaa studio. Our focus is primarily on hospitality and residential projects, and I enjoy how these two sectors complement each other. Hospitality work is financially viable and allows us to take on residential projects, which typically require more time and investment. Otherwise, we’d have to rely on luxury residential projects, which is not our main focus. Hospitality is exciting because it reflects changing lifestyles. People live in smaller spaces, travel more, and own fewer properties than previous generations. Instead of large homes, they spend time in restaurants, hotels, or rented vacation properties. Working in this sector allows us to anticipate future living patterns and collaborate with talented professionals, especially as the restaurant industry improves year after year. Most of my hospitality work involves restaurants and hotels, with occasional projects in sports and leisure facilities.

Sustainability is becoming increasingly important in this sector. Clients want low-carbon, environmentally responsible solutions. For me, local materials are essential. A supposedly eco-friendly product loses its value if it has travelled across the world. I’d rather use a slightly less efficient local material than import a high-tech solution from far away. In my last practice, we designed a vegetarian restaurant built entirely from local earth and sourced stone from the Pyrenees and Belgium. It was fascinating to push the limits of local sourcing.

A recent project, YOUZA, is a hotel with treehouse-style cabins. The sustainability challenge wasn’t just about introducing solar panels to make the building more efficient—it was mainly about using local materials and insulation, such as recycled denim fiber, and also to keep the site, which is a forest, intact, without killing trees. Sustainability isn’t just about technology but about the full lifecycle of materials. Solar panels, for example, may provide free energy but require complex and polluting processes to manufacture and recycle. It's a highly complex issue, and we do our best to navigate it.

More importantly, sustainability is no longer just about cost savings. People are beginning to understand that spending more upfront can lead to better living conditions, improved construction quality, and fair wages for workers. For example, building with earth was once a traditional method in Africa, but today it has evolved into a high-end technique in France, driven by established firms that have invested in it in recent years and are now pushing its boundaries. However, like electric cars, once the technology becomes more widespread, it will become more affordable and accessible. As architects, we now find ourselves in an exciting phase, marked by rapid advancements in the use of these materials and techniques.

Adapting to place

RA: Right now, I have projects in Paris but also in the south of France, on an island in Vendée, in London, and in a few remote locations. It’s refreshing to work outside of Paris, as it allows me to engage more with landscapes. In Paris, we focus on history—working with existing structures, restaurants, and residential buildings. But outside the city, we engage more directly with nature and geography. Currently, I’m working on a hotel in the south of France in a stunning, wild location. There’s also a project in the French Jura, which is equally fascinating due to the dramatic landscape.

Regardless of location, the process remains similar. We always consider the history of a place, and the program remains the core element of any project. In Paris, the focus is history; in the Jura, it’s the landscape. Each place has its defining characteristics, but the experience and function of the space remain the priority. Right now, I’m building houses near Paris, in Garches, and in Brittany, along with hotels in the Cévennes and just north of Paris. Interestingly, while I don’t have any hotel projects in Paris, I am working on restaurants there.

Residential and hospitality projects require different approaches. In hospitality, clients understand budgets and business goals. In residential work, it’s more about managing expectations within financial constraints. For example, on Île d’Yeu near Vendée, a family with four children wanted a house within a modest budget. Given strict local building regulations—white facades, low height limits, uniform roof styles—we proposed a more brutalist, minimalist approach. By focusing on essential materials and spatial efficiency, we provided them with a larger, more functional home. They embraced the idea, and the project is progressing well.

Looking ahead

RA: Our practice is still young, therefore we are still defying ourselves. We now have several projects, and I’d like to focus on slightly larger ones while maintaining a strong sense of responsibility in our approach. Good architecture is difficult to achieve; many external factors can compromise a project, and architects must work hard to preserve quality.

The number of stakeholders in a project keeps increasing, and architects need to reclaim their role as key decision-makers. At our practice, we are fortunate to work on projects with relatively fast timelines. This allows us to experiment with materials, architectural languages, and design principles, building a knowledge base we can apply across different projects. I want to maintain this aspect of the practice while expanding into new areas and programs, possibly in sports architecture or museums.

One of the challenges in architecture is avoiding specialisation that limits creativity. Clients often assume that if you’ve designed one type of building, you should only do that. But cross-pollination between project types adds value. The knowledge we gain from one program enhances the others. Every architectural project is unique. Even if we were to build the same house twice in two different locations, it would turn out completely different due to context, climate, materials, and human factors. Architecture never repeats itself, and that’s what makes it so compelling and passionate.