Upon availability: building with what already exists
Rénovation et extension d’une école à Uster © Martin Zeller/baubüro in situ
Benjamin Poignon, architect at baubüro in situ in Zurich, 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 "Selon arrivage : construire avec l’existant", his talk gave students the opportunity to discover projects that tackled, in particular, the challenges of building with reused elements.
Benjamin Poignon completed his double degree in architecture and civil engineering in Lyon in 2014 (INSA / ENSA). After graduating, he founded the architecture collective “Pourquoi Pas!?” with fellow students to further develop the Vaulx-en-Velin district together with the residents. In Paris, he specialized in circular construction and reuse and acquired basic carpentry skills. Since 2018, he has been working as project manager at baubüro in situ in Zurich. Since 2020, he has also been co-president of the Cirkla association, the umbrella organization for reuse stakeholders in Switzerland.
The practice of baubüro in situ is based on projects that develop through encounters. It is through dialogue with users that their ideas grow, together. Four themes drive and characterize the office's work: adaptation, transformation, modularity and circularity through the reuse of building materials.
The conference highlighted these motivations through three examples of new projects based on recycled and unused materials: the vertical extension of an industrial building in Winterthur, entitled K.118; the renovation and extension of a school in Uster; and the renovation of the outbuildings of a former spinning mill in Flums. These projects show how circularity - a process characterized by constant iteration - is a way of both saving energy and making the most of what already exists.
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.