Nicolas Gilsoul is Grand Prix de Rome. He is an architect, a doctor of science and a landscape designer. He is the founder and president of the agency in Paris.
Since 1996, his work has received numerous international awards. Since 1997, he has combined an operational practice with a consulting activity in more than 18 countries in the field of architecture, urban landscape and exceptional gardens.
His precise know-how as a craftsman and his scientific knowledge of the living world are at the service of dreams. Combining creative methods from the cinema and a prospective analysis of the future of cities, his vision is now sought after in Europe, India and the Middle East.
He is a professor at the Beaux Arts de Bruxelles, the Ecole d'Architecture Paris Malaquais and the Ecole Nationale Supérieure du Paysage de Versailles.
His latest book:
The architect Nicolas Gilsoul offers an erudite and original bestiary of the animals that inhabit our cities. He invites us to reconnect with the living, to draw new perspectives on the art of designing the city of tomorrow with animal genius.
Biomimicry: an innovative approach for resilient territories
For several years, drawing on its experience with pioneering local authorities, Cerema has been helping to develop and evolve, in partnership, methods to assist in the emergence and design of projects. In 2019, with the help of the Dreal Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes innovation laboratory, it has formalised a "Different projects" approach, which proposes 5 principles to mobilise the resources of collective intelligence and resilience for the benefit of the project.
In this spirit, it has initiated and is engaged in collaborative research-action dedicated to territorial biomimicry. The ambition is to make this trend, which is inspired by life, a new art of designing projects for resilient territories.
This action research is part of a historical moment when the issues related to climate change and the collapse of biodiversity are making us aware that we are reaching our physical, natural and biological limits, with the irreversible degradation of resources.
The Alveolar Density Variation Structures, inspired by living organisms, make it possible to save material, thus weight, CO2, waste, etc.
MODULATIO' has formed partnerships with industrialists in all sectors to help them develop frugal solutions (in terms of raw materials, energy, CO2, weight, waste, etc.), inspired by a strategy that has been developed by living organisms for millions of years: Density Varying Alveolar Structures.
Whether in the aeronautical, medical, electronic, automotive and other fields, the Modulatio' process has many industrial applications: lightening of critical parts, optimisation of mechanical strength, saving of expensive materials, assembly of dissimilar materials, thermal dissipation, vibration absorption, dissipation of kinetic energy...and more to come.
IN SITU ARCHITECTURE is an architectural firm run by two associated DPLG architects, Nicolas Vernoux-Thélot and Jérôme Lanici. The firm works on a wide range of programmes: housing, hotels, offices, facilities, mainly in France and occasionally abroad.
IN SITU ARCHITECTURE won the Prix grand public de l'architecture in 2010 and the European 40 architects under 40 award in 2016. IN SITU works in close collaboration with the RDP laboratory, Reproduction and Development of Plants, which is one of the biology laboratories of the Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRS. RDP is one of the world leaders in interdisciplinary analysis of plant development.
IN SITU ARCHITECTURE is the 2016 winner of the European 40 under 40 architects award. Its Nianing church project is a winner of the international Architecture Masterprize 2019, Global Architecture and Design Award 2019 and nominated for the Green Solution Award, Carré d'Or and the AFEX World Grand Prize in 2020.
IN SITU LAB IN SITU LAB is a technical and research consultancy led by two partners, Nicolas Vernoux-Thélot, architect DPLG, and Teva Vernoux, Doctor of Plant Biology. IN SITU LAB has expertise in the fields of :
the design of new materials, passive devices and construction systems with a very low environmental footprint
the design of biomimetic methods and software tools to assist in the design of passive and low carbon building forms;
and more generally, sustainable architectural and urban design (resilience, self-sufficiency, natural light, bioclimatism, biomimicry, recycling...)
IN SITU LAB is a subsidiary of IN SITU ARCHITECTURE
Some video clips
Join the Vernoux brothers in tandem on this podcast:
BIOMIMETIC ARCHITECTURE: THE NEW BREATH OF BUILDING
For this new episode: biomimicry & architecture. Or when our buildings are inspired by living things to better integrate into their environment.
Two brothers, an architect and a biologist, are combining their research efforts to develop solutions for the construction and renovation of energy-efficient buildings that are directly inspired by nature. An interview to find out how biomimicry can bring architecture into the era of ecological and energy transition.
THE MONITOR / March 2020 / The newspaper announces the 10 nominees for the AFEX World Grand Prix and begins its ranking with the church in Nianing: Afex Grand Prix 2020: the 10 nominated operations
CNRS JOURNAL / January 2020 / Article on the work of IN SITU and RDP, illustrated by the church of Nianing: When architecture imitates nature
CONSTRUCTION 21 / September 2019 / Special mention to the church in Nianing and article on passive ventilation in a hot climate: The context of the church in Nianing
FOR SCIENCE / May-June 2019 / Double page on the Nianing church and its bio-inspired passive ventilation principle from the Senegalese termite mound. The biomimetic approach and the partnership between IN SITU ARCHITECTURE and the RDP laboratory are highlighted: Church, termites and shells
The research programme :
A MULTI-SCIPLINARY TEAM: a unique partnership between an architectural firm and a biology laboratory that brings together architects, biologists, engineers and researchers in a transversal manner.
TAKING INSPIRATION FROM NATURE FOR BIOMIMETIC ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM
Plants are our main source of inspiration. Their analysis allows us to understand and reproduce the underlying mechanisms of biodiversity in terms of ecological resilience, robustness, productivity, energy efficiency, stability, self-organisation, intra-population communication, etc.
Depending on the climate and their geographical location, buildings are designed according to forms adapted to environmental stimuli: sunlight, light, wind, temperature, humidity, etc.
The implementations are designed to avoid waste and to use simple and economical technologies with the aim of achieving optimal and sustainable energy efficiency.
Like plants, we conceive biomimetic architecture as a system that optimises its form and habitability in response to geoclimatic constraints.
CASE STUDY: A bio-inspired architecture based on plant phyllotaxis:
The layout of the buildings and their orientation are based on the same organisational principle as the plants. Like leaves, the flats all benefit from direct sunlight. This layout was calculated by a biomimetic algorithm that optimises the density of the building and the solar gain.
The benefit is twofold: it reduces energy consumption by using the passive energy of the sun and increases the health of the users by regulating their biorhythm.
INNOVATIVE TOOLS :
Modelling of biological systems
Transfer to an architectural, urban or territorial model
The Biomim'City Lab is a working and prospective group led by a college of experts aiming to promote and intensify innovative collaborative approaches applying the principles and methodologies of biomimicry, in the service of the reinvention of virtuous, regenerative and resilient cities, inspired and designed by and for living things.
The Bechu & Associés agency emanates from the Anthony Bechu Architecture Agency.
It is directed by Anthony Bechu who, together with his daughters, Clémence and Aliénor, and his associates, devotes himself to the development of urban planning, architecture and design projects.
Family-owned and centenary, and therefore naturally rooted and forward-looking, our agency cultivates a sustainable approach and we pursue various research projects internally through our R&D centre on sustainable development, parametric design, new materials, biomimicry, the digital factory, etc.
We like to create optimal conditions for the curiosity and creativity of our teams to flourish. The transmission and sharing of knowledge are among our founding values. Open to the academic world, we train students in the new techniques and challenges of architecture.
We are internationally renowned, thanks to numerous awards and prizes, but also to a strong local presence in China, Iraq, Morocco and Russia. Inspire, reinvent and innovate" is how we seek to root out what has been uprooted and connect history to the future.
The Biomim'City Lab is a working and prospective group led by a college of experts aiming to promote and intensify innovative collaborative approaches applying the principles and methodologies of biomimicry, in the service of the reinvention of virtuous, regenerative and resilient cities, inspired and designed by and for living things.
A graduate of the Marseille Luminy School of Architecture, he worked for Corinne Vezzoni for a time before joining Tangram Architects in July 2010 as an "architectural agitator" working on the overall coherence of the architectural production.
PROJECTS
He has participated in various public and private competitions such as the Monthyon Law Courts in Marseille, the Voyage Privé headquarters or the Plan Campus operation in Aix-en-Provence.
Since 2013, he has been in charge of the Tangram Lab, Tangram Architects' Research & Innovation lab. Inspired by the genius of Nature as a design tool, he conducts work on bioclimatism in partnership with public research.
The Living Building Challenge, the most demanding label in bio-inspired architecture?
LBC workshop: technical and detailed presentation of the Living Building Challenge criteria matrix for a building designed by nature and integrated into its local ecosystem. A key to reading and operational applications for your next specifications or projects.
Lead facilitator :
Oscar HERNANDEZ
Innovation Development Manager - ALTO Ingénierie
Living Building Ambassador and Facilitator / RESET AP / FIWEL
He has a PhD and specialises in living environments and ventilation. He is currently in charge of innovation development at Alto Ingénierie. Oscar is also a Fitwel Ambassador, RESET ASP and an Energy-Carbon referent.
Over the years, Oscar has acquired experience and know-how in the design and construction of high energy and environmental performance buildings. He has contributed to numerous operations in France and abroad. He is convinced that the sharing of knowledge, teamwork and respect for our environment are the keys to the success of a high-performance project.
Accompanied by :
Lenna LOCKWOOD
WELL AP, LEED GA, Living Building Ambassador
Lenna works in the furnishing, design and well-being team at ARP-Astrance. Ella brings an in-depth knowledge of biophilia and materials and their impact on indoor environmental quality, and participates in professional dialogues on transparency, labels, and standards. Ella believes that design and the built environment are essential elements for well-being, and an important lever for transforming society.
Andromache SIMON
Andromaque has a dual career as an architect and a sustainable construction consultant. She has led numerous BREEAM operations in Belgium and France and has acquired the BREEAM AP title. Her technical environmental training and her knowledge of construction without certification give her a pragmatic and ambitious outlook. Always concerned about the over-investment required in construction projects, she has followed a training course on global cost calculation and is keen to develop the integrated design process, the Cradle to Cradle approach and biomimicry. In parallel to this role, Andromaque leads the French Breeam Assessor network through the Breeam Group France and the organisation of the OFF du Développement Durable. She has recently been trained in WELL, GRESB and WiredScore.
Because the world is changing, because our living and working environments must be rethought with respect to our environment and our individual and collective well-being, because the world's cities are subject to growing tensions and because tomorrow 70% of the population will live in them, we, as developers, must anticipate these changes and accompany them.
We want to build greener, more resource-efficient, more caring and more beautiful cities. We want to put people and their well-being back at the heart of cities.
XTU is an award-winning architecture and design firm founded in 2000 by principal architects Anouk Legendre and Nicolas Desmazieres. Located in Paris, France, XTU specializes primarily in academic and environmental research in addition to residential and cultural buildings.
The portfolio of the firm displays several museum projects beginning with the Jeongkok Museum in South Korea followed by the Museum of Civilizations on Reunion Island and the Cite du Vin Museum in Bordeaux. The firm is also responsible for the French Pavilion at the Milan Expo in 2015. In these projects, XTU explores complex geometries with the integration of parametric design. A free and organic approach encourages the use of a wooden structure synchronized in 3D.
Convinced that living organisms will be the biotechnology revolution of tomorrow, XTU engages its innovative research on the themes of bio-inspired and photosynthetic architecture. In addition to these innovations, XTU also develops biofacades for cultivating plankton species on the exteriors of buildings and creating new architectural ecosystems.
The PARISBLOOM project, developed by the XTU architectural firm, specialises in urban algae cultivation and innovates with the development of a biofaçade system combining nature and technology. Its objective is to develop the microalgae sector in the urban environment while improving the energy performance of the building. Interview with Anouk Legendre, architect and leader of the PARISBLOOM project, finalist for the Grand Prix for Sustainable Construction and Living Environment Innovation organised by the Technopôle Domolandes.
Anouk Legendre: " We are looking for partners to develop the market for seaweed for food and medicinal purposes, and for the construction of other buildings" .
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