Construction vs Context
Cressier © LVPH architectes
Laurent Vuilleumier, partner at LVPH architectes in Pampigny, was invited by Prof. Emmanuel Rey’s studio at the Laboratory of Architecture and Sustainable Technologies (LAST) to talk about his work as an architect through a selection of projects. Entitled " Construction vs Context", his talk gave students the opportunity to discover projects that tackled the challenges of transforming and reinterpreting existing buildings.
Laurent Vuilleumier is an architect who graduated from EPFL in 1995. In 2003, together with his partner Paul Humbert, he founded LVPH architectes in Pampigny. In 2010, the firm expanded with a new office in Fribourg. They have won several awards from Distinctions Romandes d’Architecture, including in 2018 for the redevelopment of the village center of Cressier.
With many years of experience working outside major urban centers, the practice of LVPH architects is based on a project approach that is firmly rooted in place. Through a detailed analysis of the context and the use of natural, local materials in construction, it is part of an architectural culture that emphasizes the quality of spaces and the relationship between buildings and the wider landscape.
The conference highlighted these motivations through three projects that approach transformation to different degrees: the EMS (retirement home) La Colline in Chexbres, which rehabilitates the old building and creates a new base facing Lake Geneva; the requalification of the village center in Cressier, which enhances a rural heritage; and the intervention on a prefabricated house in Marchissy, which questions the notion of landscape integration.
Resonating with the issues addressed in the studio RELIEFS URBAINS, the conference allowed students to put into perspective the didactic approach, from the urban project to the construction detail as a relevant process for the transformation of urban territories in transition.
