Architectures! Inventaire collectif, Vidy Pavilion &Annen Head office

The publication of this new book, which brings together a selection of constructions, produced on the basis of a participatory and democratic process, highlights the social but also sustainable issues that increasingly influence contemporary architecture every day. Faced with the countless challenges, some building professionals are in favour of stopping: in other words, stopping building new, promoting the reuse, renovation and reuse of existing buildings. Others advocate a new way of building, and integrate into their projects very strict criteria for the choice of materials, provenance, end-of-life enhancement, etc.
This collection offers contemporary and recent examples of architectural works that are socially, ecologically or politically committed.

Initially, it offers a selection, by citizen juries, of 45 constructions distributed by programme (houses, collective housing, workplaces, collective facilities, public spaces). But also 45 actions described as "committed and engaging to coconstruct this world to come", which question the boundaries of architecture, the design process, or the reappropriation of the landscape. This chapter aims to document the current resurgence of politically-engaged initiatives taken by architects and inhabitants alike to transform their environment.
This selection of 45 actions split into four themes: arts and architectures, ecological transitions, empowerments and temporary occupancies. Most of these actions question traditional architectural programmes and the segmentation of our society into hermetic categories (art, ecoloy, public authorities, private property). By definition, they are not subject to any classification and their impact can be simultaneously social, ecological, political and asthetic.
The Pavillon de Vidy and the Annen Hall take place in the chapter "ecological transitions".
Participatives building sites, social design, manifesto actions, circular economy, ephemeral or sustainable installations all have the capacity to transform te approach to building and thinking. They pave the way for a shared responsibility for our environment. These 45 actions are invaluable models for the re-co-construction of the future.*

The studies carried out at the EPFL's Laboratory for Timber Constructions on manufactured timber and integrated mechanical joints have led to the emergence of pilot projects using wood panels.

Projects such as Annen and Vidy stand out as new possibilities for the future of timber construction. This material, which in the collective imagination very often refers to the traditional, the old and the implicit lack of comfort, is making a strong comeback in the architectural debate.
The Vidy Pavilion project is the world's first realization of a large structure assembled entirely using wood-wood joints. This pavilion is the manifesto of new horizons and new forms for contemporary wooden architecture, made possible thanks to new technologies. Its origami shape, with sloping sides and sharp edges, contrasts with the strictly vertical and horizontal surfaces, the cubic volumes, the traditional column-beam system and truss structure. Wood and its industrial by-products are a multifunctional material, which can be, in turn and simultaneously, façade, envelope, structure and roof.

The Annen project is in line with the Pavillon de Vidy, and is a real structural feat that was unthinkable just a few years ago. The multifunctional hall consists of a series of 23 double-curved beech panel vaults with spans of between 22 and 53 metres. The height of these arches is 9 metres and their width is 6 metres. The project thus offers almost 5800 m2 of surface area, including a production hall for carpentry.
Thanks to digital advances and the collaborative work of architects and research engineers, each vault has been discretized into singular boxes, made with industrial wood panels. The entire structure was studied and tested beforehand, and the project is currently being carried out in Manternach (Luxembourg).

Through experimentation and the questioning of our achievements, and with the examples of rich and varied works, this book broadens the panorama and the field of action of the builders, by opening the way to the active participation of new actors, who are the users, but also the owners, the researchers or even making room for new technologies. It shakes up the usual objectives to define the future of eco-construction, socially, ecologically and politically more committed.

*see also: chapter 45 actions.