The rise of architects in Switzerland

LC: We’ve been teaching for quite some time, and we’ve noticed that student groups are steadily growing. However, I don’t feel as though the numbers have doubled, as the statistics suggest. Part of this rise in the number of architects in Switzerland could be attributed to students coming from abroad and choosing to stay. Yet, I’m unsure if this fully explains or justifies such a significant increase. After all, since 2010, I don’t believe the demand for architects or the volume of work has grown substantially.

PR: On the other hand, I believe more people are questioning the profession itself, showing less interest in joining large firms and instead seeking to establish their own practices based on their values.

SG: When I started teaching at EPFL in 2014, we had fewer students—around 240 at that time. By 2018-19, the number had dropped to about 190, but now it’s increasing again.

LC: One thing that has remained consistent throughout Switzerland’s history is the strong culture of construction and the reliance on architects. This has been well-preserved, in contrast to places like France, where trust is often placed in builders—essentially construction workers or companies. In Switzerland, even for small projects where it’s not legally required, people often seek out an architect. This has a significant cultural impact. I’m not sure if it’s political. I’d argue it’s more cultural, given that architects haven’t generally been very effective at defending their profession politically. Interestingly, in some parts of Switzerland, the title of ‘architect’ isn’t regulated—anyone can claim to be one.

Together is better

LC: It’s no longer exciting to say that an architectural firm from Rotterdam can work anywhere in the world. Architectural practice, like everyday life, is becoming more localised. My generation was at a turning point where we didn’t all prioritise joining large firms after graduation. The idea that you must work at one of these places to learn from ‘perfect examples’ isn’t as compelling anymore. Instead, many of us considered going to smaller firms, where we could gain broader experience and apply it independently. Mobility plays a role in this shift as well. You can run a small firm and stay in Lausanne, but for instance, we rarely have projects in Lausanne itself. We often end up working in the suburbs, and moving between these places is easy. This kind of flexibility helps: a firm with a home base that moves around for the work it needs or chooses to do.

SG: We had independent firms before emixi, but we worked and taught together, often in the same room, continually exchanging ideas. We lived together and developed a friendship built on trust. Then, we collaborated on a specific project and realised, ‘It makes sense; we should work together.’ So, we did, in 2022. Our primary concern was the quality of what we built, focusing on doing it to the best of our ability, rather than seeking a label. Ultimately, it’s about teamwork, collaboration, and shared values.

LC: The question of collectivity was always present. For me, the model was never about being an architect working alone or having a team working under me. This relates to ALICE, a laboratory at EPFL, with which were all involved at some point, emphasises collectivity. At the end of the first year, we have the students engage in a collective construction project involving around 250 participants. This experience significantly influences the way we work because it encourages us to question authorship in our projects. While working with Philippine, the atmosphere was positive, and the work felt rewarding. We thought, ‘Let’s collaborate and change our structure.’ So, we merged our two practices and welcomed Philippine as an associate, marking the beginning of emixi.

PR: Concerning the question of authorship, I have a strong aversion to ego; in fact, I don’t like it when people put their own name on a practice. I truly believe that teamwork is what brings us together. While Stephane and Laurent were working for two separate entities, I was dividing my time—50% with one firm and 50% with the other—collaborating on common projects.

Crafting their path

PR: We like to get our hands dirty. For the mock-ups of the public community hall, which was the first project we truly worked on together, we wanted to demonstrate the possibilities, so we didn’t hire a woodworker—we built it ourselves.

SG: From the very beginning, we had a strong interest in working with our hands. Laurent worked on a project with three other people, creating small-scale art installations themselves. Meanwhile, I gained experience in carpentry and metal construction in Zurich. I believe our desire to do things ourselves is linked to our ambition to push architectural boundaries, as it allows us to bypass conventional standards. For instance, a window manufacturer will dictate how a window should be constructed, but we might question that approach and seek simpler solutions. We’ve built all the furniture in our office ourselves. Taking this hands-on approach helps us find solutions and learn along the way. We also try to incorporate elements from smaller projects, such as concepts of colour and materiality, into our larger undertakings.

LC: You start with smaller-scale projects for festivals or temporary installations and then think, ‘To what extent can we scale this up?’ Eventually, you reach a point where it either makes sense to expand or it doesn’t. It’s also crucial to know how to communicate effectively with workers—those executing the job. You can present something physical that you’ve produced yourself, rather than simply sitting in front of a computer, drawing plans, and instructing someone to create what you envision. We’re actively trying to move away from that traditional approach as a firm. Of course, we also need to be realistic; we can’t build all of our projects. However, we strive to do as much as we can and rethink details in a less complicated manner. Maintaining simplicity is particularly important to us. We rarely create extremely complex details; our work is quite straightforward in its expression and easy to understand. This emphasis on simplicity may stem from our desire to do things ourselves.

Community, craft, and collaboration

PR: One of the most representative examples we mentioned earlier is the community hall. We were exploring how to effectively communicate what we could achieve and what the results could look like. This project marked our first significant milestone, allowing us to demonstrate our capabilities not only to ourselves but also to the client, especially since we collaborated extensively with the woodworkers on the ceilings.

SG: This project was located next to the woodworking shop I was involved with before founding emixi. We established our operations there and acquired an adjacent building, giving us two spaces to work with. The previous community hall had burned down in 2019, which led to a selective competition for the new project, and we were fortunate enough to win it. Although the budget was limited, we successfully linked the project with the local community and the surrounding countryside, incorporating elements of colour and a sense of joy. However, introducing these ideas into the context and convincing the community proved to be challenging. To gain their support, we constructed several 1:1 scale models, which significantly helped in our efforts.

LC: We collaborated with the construction workers. This kind of physicality was important. We’ve been talking a lot about one-to-one design, and that’s a tool we use a lot. You can see we have many models here in the office, as they are central to our development process. We work at scale, starting with models before creating mock-ups. The volumes we design are intentionally kept simple. We are more interested, I would say, in the tectonics of the corners, how materials touch, the relationships between colours and materials. Most of the models we have are partial. I think what interests us most is the details—exercises in how to resolve a connection, integrate things, balance colours, textures, and materials. 

PR: Private clients appreciate this attention to colour and materials, especially when applied to public elements, spaces, and furniture. We like to introduce colour to our materials to create something unique, as we believe that colour brings joy to the public.

LC: I was studying at ETH in 2009, and that was the first year Caruso and St. John were invited as teachers. To be honest, I believe they have had the most significant influence on the Swiss architectural scene in the past 15 years. They won many prestigious competitions, introducing a refreshing perspective that contrasted sharply with the prevailing trend of concrete-centric Swiss architecture. While concrete was still widely used, they began incorporating decorative patterns and vibrant colours. They collaborated extensively with Thomas Demand at the time, creating paper models that showcased these colours. Their approach helped break the austerity often associated with Swiss architecture, and I learned a great deal from them. Their influence remains ever-present.