Architecture firm

ARCAD-Studio
Project management – Cost consultancy

An architecture studio rooted in the Mont-Blanc region

Based in the heart of the upper Arve Valley in Haute-Savoie (74), it is at the foot of Mont Blanc, in Sallanches, that this studio’s innovative momentum was born—one that aims to be far more oriented toward a craft-based, horizontal approach to architecture.

An architecture
of continuity

Out of respect for what already exists and for the place—whose environmental fragility is evident when one lives there—the agency’s objective is to build with restraint and, above all, to renovate and rehabilitate as much as possible, in order to limit human impact on the environment.

This approach is part of a more humble, fair and non-hierarchical outlook, with the desire to reconnect with local know-how and to sustain the knowledge gained through exchanges with craftspeople and local contractors, sometimes established here for several generations, in respect for local architecture.

An approach
of continuous improvement

Of course, the pursuit of sustainable growth cannot be achieved by resting on one’s laurels; the desire to seek, understand and practise with respect for the environment is no longer a passing trend, but a major challenge of our era that must be taken seriously.

Back to basics
and a horizontal practice

Returning to essentials and their fundamental aspects through design and construction using bio-based materials within a sustainable development approach echoes a desire to practise in a more “horizontal” way, taking into account every stakeholder in a project. 

Indeed, we could consider that returning to shared design and taking know-how into account amounts to building in a more fundamental way.

Integrating
local know-how

For example, working with a stonemason to design an anti-vandalism granite basin for a public toilet perfectly illustrates how design can incorporate ancestral, local, and technically compliant solutions.

Quote

“An architectural narrative is not built in an ivory tower. The architect needs the knowledge of those around them.”