Architecture built

SCI PALASO, SARTHE, 2012

It’s deplorable that architect’s fees often relate to building costs. The right advice may even preclude building !

Do nothing but drainage, I advised these clients, whose budget was tiny. But they wanted well-lit interiors.

As for the headaches of contract administration —managing cash flows & dealing with contractors — they made it their own business, and so much the better.

Finally they invested over 10* original provisions, because I managed to “draw out” what they really wanted. Truly, a genuine role for the designer.

FAMILY HOME IN PERIGORD, 2010

A ground-level barn conversion, to meet 01-01-2008 accessibility regulations for new residential planning applications, given that the existing house was structurally unsound and almost irrecuperable.

Load-bearing walls (with incoming ventilation orifices) in lime-stabilized unfired brick. A then-new product, sourced locally, of exceptional mechanical resistance (9 Pa), unfortunately no longer available due to lack of demand.

Project regretfully but necessarily suspended (then completed by 3rd parties) by virtue of unauthorised modifications undertaken (i.e. client-contractor collusion) falling outside the established PII framework.

VERTICAL EXTENSION, OPIO, 1999

First-floor addition to a house relatives purchased as I was leaving for London to work.

Planning application in record time (5 weeks) simply by sticking to the rules.

EPE, GRASSE, 1999

A protestant assembly acquired a bar and adjacent shop, which needed connecting.

Pointless to undertake major structural works when only minor demolition (openings) and inverting the stair was needed.

Executed 100% by professional volunteers to lowest possible cost.

EEB VICTOR CHEVREUIL, PARIS, 1993

Modifications to façade and interior layout for fire security purposes.

Works built with economy, corresponding to the capital gift offered by handicapped individuals.

REFURBISHMENT, NANTERRE, 1992-1994

Farm buildings typical of Ile-de-France, the property was in such a state of dilapidation that building works were necessary, of which, some judicious demolition.

To profit from the exceptional view at 1st floor level, I had a terrace installed in lieu of the pitch, which also gave access to the upper rooms.

The clients were delighted to discover this unimagined amenity, the courtyard being usually occupied by their vehicles.

Their accountant however — offended that the clients had taken my advice over his — was dead against the project, which seriously strained and ultimately sundered the relationship. And a lot more too.

Compare with later proposal for a townhouse in Paddington, Sydney, 1999.

SCI TROIS BORNES, Phase II

As designer & assistant, for Arch. François BELLET, Paris.

The new-build part of this housing project (known as collecteur 1% in view of employers’ contributions) was erected to my 1:50 tender issue drawings — with a number of modifications I regret (suppression of the loggias, pompous ground-floor banding….) — after I had left FB’s employment.

From the outset, FB had given me carte blanche to design whatever seemed right and possible within regulatory parameters both urbanistic (planning) and programmatic.

SCI TROIS BORNES, Phase I, 1987-1989

As designer & assistant, for Arch. François BELLET, Paris

The externally-insulated refurbishment part of the project was a long process, taking a full 3 years, of which 15 months negotiation of tender offers, mostly due to under-estimation of costs by a professional économiste (before I had even been hired). By raising the courtyard façade, and reducing the pitch of the roof an extra floor was carved out. Site supervision largely fell to myself, who had in any event detailed the scheme far beyond usual considerations.

VILLA P., TEANO, 1986

Consultant for Arch. Mimmo LERRO.

ML had the commission for a one-family new house and wanted us to design it together. We defined the overall scheme during an August holiday meeting in Monaco MC.

Once built, we chose the internal paint colours with the proprietor, some years later.

IBA ’84, BERLIN, 1981

As designer & assistant at SDA Aldo ROSSI & Gianni BRAGHIERI, Milan.

To design the “urban villas” of his proposal for a site south of Tiergarten, Rob KRIER gave AR first choice of site.

Given the one he picked was L-shaped & irregular, to manage the geometry at roof level I proposed a “widow’s walk” belvedere. Likewise that the missing corner serve as entrance, the flank walls treated as if abutting a vacant lot.

CAPELLA MOLTENI, GIUSSANO, 1980

As designer & assistant to Arch. Aldo ROSSI, Milano.

This project required a lot of work, especially in calculating the joinery details according to Palladian proportions, from which I had devised an algebraic model allowing me to set out dimension every profile accordingly.

Despite copious large-scale details, the contractor managed to mess up the capital of the half-engaged columns. AR was genuinely embarrassed when I pointed this out to him.