AV Monographs 283 Bruther Technical Culture

Stéphanie Bru and Alexandre Theriot emerged from a frugal France that, in the wake of the Great Recession, had become demanding in its approaches and austere in its means. Generic plans and dry assemblies however do not keep their buildings from acquiring a distinctive character, which has remained unchanged largely thanks to the exposed installations, ingenious furniture, and the sparse use of color textiles. They do all this without compromising their strong environmental awareness, with clear determination to draw an unwaveringly contemporary line, where culture and technique come together naturally. A modus operandi that the new issue of AV Monographs dissects through a chronological journey with fifteen stops, beginning with the founding proposal for a low carbon house; covering key works such as the multipurpose buildings in Saint-Blaise and Caen and the exemplary residences in Paris and Palaiseau; and culminating with the recent Frame Center in Brussels and a selection of their latest projects. Their oeuvre to date traces an unswerving path that, together with Ludo Groen’s article and the architects’ own reflections, allows us to understand the strength of constant values, which they imprint with equal intensity on projects, competitions, and lectures.