Less room, more innovation

SG: Emerging architecture in France is experiencing a paradoxical moment. On one hand, it is subject to strong economic, regulatory, and environmental constraints that reduce architects’ room to manoeuvre. On the other hand, these constraints stimulate innovation and strengthen the sense of responsibility. The result of this context is a type of production that is committed, frugal, contextual, and fully architectural.

A generation of practices, including ours, strives to go beyond the simple programmatic response to address broader issues, like rehabilitation, reuse of materials, frugal construction, connection with local resources, and resilience in the face of climate change. At the same time, this generation works towards the permanence of architecture: It questions context and landscape, works with form, light, atmosphere, and material. It loves design and extends it through to the construction site.

Our generation of architects questions everything, in the spirit of this quote from Robert Venturi: “I prefer ‘both/and’ to ‘either/or’; to black or white, black and white, and sometimes grey. Contrast is the basis of meaning.”

We share the same committed stance as other young practices, accepting modest projects, often rooted in the existing fabric, to infuse them with architectural solutions that are sober, durable, and adapted. This generation stands out for its ability to hybridise methods: craftsmanship, research, low-tech innovation, and a relationship to time that favours “better” over “more.”

To do good work

SG: I founded Samuel Gloess Architectes in 2015, after two years of learning in architectural offices—mainly on building sites. This experience allowed me to see to what extent projects are often constrained and shaped by short-term economic logics, but also sometimes access genuine opportunities to create architecture.

The creation of my practice came from a clear desire to experiment and propose useful projects, rooted in their territory, without giving in to the ease of standardised solutions. It also reflected a search for freedom and autonomy, driven by a personal quest: to do good and beautiful work through architecture.

The key milestones of this journey have been my first house rehabilitations, the arrival of the first employees—bringing other perspectives into the making of projects—the first public contract won (the extension of a boulodrome in Amiens), which opened up new possibilities, as well as experimental projects in restructuring, rehabilitation, reuse, and bio-sourced materials, which gave us local visibility. The creation of a multidisciplinary network bringing together craftsmen, engineers, and researchers further enriched this dynamic.

Each failure was an opportunity to learn and rethink our methods; each success, a confirmation that commitment pays off and a source of strength to continue without compromise.

The beauty of simplicity

SG: Our practice is characterised by a contextual methodology, where each project begins with a detailed analysis of the site, existing buildings, landscape, history, and available resources. This analysis, placed in perspective with programmatic, economic, and regulatory constraints, raises intimate questions linked to the project’s various challenges. Our work is to provide a response that considers all these aspects.

We place central importance on rehabilitation and reuse, prioritising materials from local deconstruction and the use of bio-sourced materials. Our approach always questions the notion of garden and landscape. It is based on a low-tech design, favouring simple, repairable, and adaptable solutions rather than over-technological ones. Formally, it is expressed through freedom of form, and work on light, structure, views, and materials. It is a global approach, aming to be exhaustive, and the result of significant time investment.

We have just won a competition in Laon for the construction of a commercial facility in earth, concrete, and wood, nestled within a grove in a social housing neighbourhood. At the same time—and always—we continue with modest and contextual heritage rehabilitations.

We also integrate strong involvement of users and know-how—both craftsmen and engineers—in the design process, ensuring that projects are perfectly suited to their real uses. Finally, our work is expressed through a frank and narrative representation, where sketches, models, and images tell a story, rather than being limited to a simple marketing rendering.

I believe that encounters have been fundamental in shaping my approach. First, the foundations of my training at Saint-Luc Tournai, a school oriented towards both free and technical architecture. Many teachers, whether in studio, structural engineering, or architectural theory, have left their mark on my vision of the discipline.

Then came different collaborations, notably with my first practice, Murmur, entirely dedicated to sustainable development, which opened my eyes to the necessity of building for tomorrow.

Last but not least, meeting architect Pierre Bernard, with whom I had the honour of developing various collective housing projects, but also sharing countless hours of passionate discussion about Architecture.

Themes, positioning, and best practices

SG: My practice has been shaped over time by a series of recurring concerns, which continue to inform the way I work. The agency asserts a position in which architecture is embedded within historical and cultural continuity while confronting today’s challenges: ecological transitions, economic constraints, and changing uses. Architectural permanence is not seen as a static inheritance but as a living foundation, onto which contemporary responses are grafted. This dialogue generates projects that combine memory and innovation, long-term endurance and immediate relevance. Each project emerges from a careful and attentive reading of its site. 

Context—understood in its geographic, cultural, social, and constructive dimensions—constitutes the raw material of design. Rather than the application of formal recipes, the approach privileges a nuanced interpretation of the territory, the existing fabric, available resources, and local practices. Architecture is thus conceived as a contextual and situated response, always specific, never detached. Design is nourished by a sensory and spatial approach, where structure is not only technical but also expressive, where form conveys intention rather than effect. Light—natural, shifting, and alive—is considered a material in itself, revealing spaces and enhancing textures. Landscape, whether urban or natural, is conceived as a continuity of the project: not as a backdrop, but as an active partner of architecture. The agency cultivates a genuine curiosity for constructive processes and a close relationship with craftsmanship. Technique is regarded as a field for experimentation and innovation, but also as an opportunity for dialogue with builders and artisans. The constructive detail becomes an expression of architectural rigour, ensuring the durability and habitability of buildings. Projects are embedded within a logic of frugality and circularity. The reuse of materials, the valorisation of local supply chains, and the reduction of construction waste all contribute to a virtuous economy. 

Beyond environmental impact, this approach produces a specific aesthetic, enriched by the traces and stories carried by materials. Each reused element becomes a fragment of memory reintegrated into a new composition. The agency advocates for a sober architecture, one that rejects formal and technical excess. This sobriety does not mean minimalism, but accuracy: the right dimension, the right material, the right use. Buildings are designed to endure, but also to adapt—providing the ability for evolution in the face of changing lifestyles and uncertain futures. Constructive simplicity becomes a lever for resilience and flexibility. The construction site is not considered a mere phase of execution, but rather the living continuation of design. It is on-site that intentions confront the reality of materials, craftsmanship, and constraints. The architect’s presence allows for adjustments, refinements, and sometimes even inventions. The project gains precision and coherence, and artisans become full partners in the design process. We conceive from sketch to completion, in the spirit of the teaching received from Pierre Bernard Architecte.