Culture at the core

MS: We opened our office in 2019, and pretty soon after, we wanted to include a cultural aspect in our practice. And we opened our bookshop, in Carouge. The bookstore is a crucial part of our practice because it adds a cultural dimension to the work we develop through Associati. We also have a podcast, so we meet a lot of people. As a result, we hired someone to manage these cultural aspects, creating an association to oversee it. Nicolas is in charge of this association, handling all the management related to our cultural initiatives. This helps us focus more on the creative aspects of our architectural work, while also allowing us to enjoy our library. It’s been a major investment of time and resources to build our collection, and we don’t earn money from this project. For us, it’s a service to the community and the public.

As for the podcast, as a young practice, we struggled to know if we were doing things the right way and if others had had similar experiences. We had a great discussion with an architect in Geneva, Véronique Favre, who gave us the idea of sharing those experiences through the podcast. It was reassuring to see that we weren’t the only ones facing these kinds of challenges—budgets, construction work, client relationships, etc. So we talked it over and thought, OK, maybe we should invite young practices, with two to five years of experience, in the area to share tips, tricks, and experiences. We believe it’s reassuring for other firms and a great way to showcase the participants’ work. We talk about projects but as an excuse to discuss struggles with budgets, project execution, and theoretical approaches to architecture. This podcast has become a great way for us to share experiences and meet others. If there is one main concern among these architects, it’s how to survive.

LG: As we have these discussions, we see a wide range of high-quality work across projects of varying scales. It’s great to see that, even though these are young offices, the quality of their work is very high. They are all very talented. It's encouraging. 

MS: Certain topics can be quite private—conversations about money, salaries, and budgets are typically not openly shared. However, we’ve found that if we are open about these issues, others tend to be open with us as well. This allows us to say things like, ‘This budget isn’t good’ or ‘This one is good’, which helps each other improve and enhances the quality of architecture we produce. Ultimately, everyone we interview shares our goal of increasing the quality of architecture and the knowledge of young architects to elevate the overall standard of our work. For us personally, the biggest struggle, even now, is time. We have the opportunity to work on many projects, but the main thing that is missing right now is time. 

LG: I agree. I remember one of our first projects when we opened the office—a small extension of a villa. We had to pause due to COVID, which, for the first time, gave me the chance to delve into the details. This made the project stronger.

‘Cheap but intense’

LG: I think what sets us apart is that we are ‘Cheap but intense’. We like doing things by ourselves; we like to experiment. Cheap doesn't refer to being economically inexpensive, but rather to an economy of means and intensity. We strive, project by project, to do less while achieving more intensity, shedding the habits associated with traditional construction methods.

MS: Everything in the office was made by us: the bookshelves, electrical work, plumbing, desks—even the network and servers. But, it’s not a strict do-it-yourself approach, either; we recognise that we don’t have all the necessary skills or the time, and it’s not always essential for us.

LG: We emphasise reuse. For instance, all the shelves are repurposed from the previous bookshop. The office includes an old table, and we reused many elements from our previous office to build this one. We also try to implement this concept in projects for our clients, as long as they are open to the idea.

MS: While we can’t implement the ‘cheap but intense’ approach in every project, we strive to add something more each time and question our previous work. Collaborating as three people from different backgrounds and age groups is important to us because each discussion and project is unique. We aim to intensify our research and outcomes; even if the results aren't what we envisioned, they always represent progress. We view construction as a laboratory. That’s why we build all our projects ourselves; we never hand them off to others. Being on-site and interacting with workers is crucial for us to find solutions. We often visit shops, purchase materials, and consult with craftspeople to discuss ideas. This hands-on approach to architecture enables us to discover unconventional solutions and break away from traditional methods and rigid industry standards.

Of course, there are times when we face budget or time constraints, or clients who prefer conventional approaches, and that’s OK. It allows us to focus on other projects where we can explore our ideas further. We have projects we care about deeply, but we don’t always get to implement them, which gives us the opportunity to push boundaries in other projects that are also worthwhile. 

We don’t often discuss this, but part of what we aspire to with ‘cheap but intense’ is to create something affordable. Architecture often caters to a specific class of people, but I believe in the importance of affordable housing for everyone. When we talk about ‘cheap but intense’ or an economy of means, we are also addressing the issue of affordability, especially considering how expensive it has become to build or renovate in Switzerland.

Grow and learn, step by step

LG: We didn't start our office by winning a competition; we began with private clients. Over the past five years, we've taken on numerous projects, focusing on house extensions and renovations. This experience has become a valuable field of experimentation for our future projects.

MS: We have extensive experience in construction, building around ten projects per year. When we collaborate, people are often drawn to us because of this experience. We share a lot of information, such as cost estimates for projects, and we provide names of reliable companies to our friends and other offices.

Sometimes, hiring someone can be too costly, and doing it ourselves is cheaper. We have the skills to manage that. We’ve had experiences with clients where we presented projects, and they found them too expensive. In those cases, we said, ‘OK, we can do it ourselves.’ For instance, we’re working on a kitchen in Valais, using the same style as the bookshelves we created. I think this is a common approach; it’s not just our individual experience. Many young offices we've met have built something for their clients, often expressing regret about their choices later on.

LG: We do regret certain decisions. There’s a reason why you need a carpenter for some tasks. However, what we do ourselves is not in competition with skilled companies. Instead, we create something unique that you won’t find on the market. And as I said, we started with small projects and they are getting bigger and bigger. 

MS: Now, we are going to build a school for the first time. We are using all the knowledge we’ve gained, including construction and architecture techniques, and working with historical buildings, as they are protected structures. We’re implementing everything we know and moving forward with confidence.

Associati in action

MS: The project we had the most time to think about, plan, and build is a small house, which was a transformation in the region of Valais. Budget-wise, it was complicated, but in terms of optimism and the space and volume we needed to create, it was really significant. 

LG: It’s a small structure supported by four or five concrete pillars, originally designed by an architect, that we need to transform from a depot parking lot into a house. We had this starting idea from the architect and a specific shape due to the slope, which in Valais is typically at a 45-degree angle. We aim to create something using pre-existing materials, building with concrete and bricks. We tried to eliminate the traditional layers of construction and create something we might call neo-brutalism. It’s really a composition, and we strive to make it as simple as possible, though that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s easy in the end. 

MS: The process is guided by our approach; we don't want each element to be overly intense. Instead, we aim for the entire project to convey a collective intensity. Our decisions aren’t always about choosing a beautiful brick or a beautiful joint. It’s about how the brick, joint, slab, window, and other elements come together to create that intensity. Sometimes we see other practices that strive for everything to be meticulously detailed. While that approach can yield great individual components, it’s not our goal. We aim to portray a cohesive whole. For example, when we make decisions about plaster or joints, we always consider how they fit into the larger context. 

LG: Even though this project is more affordable, we strive to create something with intensity and beauty, but of course, it’s not perfect. The window frames are made of PVC, and we accept that this type of project accommodates small mistakes and imperfections.

MS: And sometimes you need to convince the clients. They typically have specific preferences, often influenced by what they've seen from neighbours. We’ve worked on projects that feature marble kitchens, marble sinks, and large tiles. We’ve done these with great care, but we’ve also been fortunate to have clients who are almost like artists.

LG: They are open to letting us try new ideas. Even when working with clients who have a common taste in architecture, we always aim to shift their perspective. We may deliver a good project, but not necessarily the best for us.

MS: Having a variety of projects allows us to work on many exciting ideas. As we mentioned earlier, some projects are great, and the clients may already have a vision, which is fine. We need those types of projects too because they build our practice and provide valuable contact. We always strive to create something great. We typically have two weeks between phases where we try to persuade clients to consider other options.

LG: Sometimes we get little wins. 

MS: For example, when it comes to revealing flooring or staining, or when renovating concrete walls that were previously painted. And in all our contracts, we include a clause that grants us the authority to make decisions on-site up to a certain limit. This is really important for us. Sometimes it’s purely practical; for example, if the tubing needs to be moved to avoid delaying the work. Other times, we draw something and realise on-site that we need to adjust it.

LG: Exactly. We accept that mistakes can happen. We might create images, 3D models, and drawings, but when we arrive on-site, we sometimes realise we were wrong. We discuss the changes, take photos of the construction site, and decide what needs to be adjusted. In the project in Valais, we changed many things on-site, including all the plinths and facades.