A single firm, several offices

Profil

First and foremost, Patriarche & Co is a firm that favours a streamlined and contemporary style.
Our work philosophy is embodied in these two mottos "Less is more" by Mies Van Der Rohe and "Form follows function" by Louis Sullivan. Functionality is the foundation of the project, and is enhanced by the poetry and know-how of the firm's architects. We pay close attention to the choice of materials, and the influence of light in order to achieve an architectural project that is inwardly livable and outwardly striking.

Patriarche and co studies projects of all shapes and sizes, in the following fields: offices, housing, factories, laboratories, sports/culture, education, for our clients ; Boiron, bioMérieux, Fournier Mobalpa, Genzyme, Décathlon, Somfy, Silvaco, Chambéry Métropole, Department, Region...

The architects at Patriarche & Co are committed to to drawing pure, modern, elegant and timeless projects, whose streamlined contours will blend in with their environment, whether it be urban or natural.

Patriarche & Co is intent on designing modern, elegant and timeless projects that blend in with their environment, whether it be urbanized or natural. We stand by the idea that "sustainable development" is only the consequence of the constant interaction between the specifics of place and purpose of the project. Sustainable design has never been considered to be a new thing or a trend, but an inherent part of a conceptual approach that is formed in the very first drafts.

We insist on a very thorough approach to project development and construction, all the while promoting a lively work atmosphere. A project results of a rich and fruitful exchange between the contractor and the project manager: in order to enable this communication we use virtual scale models, high quality 3D imaging and animation.

History

The firm was founded in 1960 by Bernard Patriarche DESA architect (1931-1985) and under his lead opted for modernity and functionalism, whether to develop public housing projects, or buildings dedicated to education. He often traveled to South America, and North America for inspiration. He was a pioneer in the field of bioclimatic architecture.

After his passing in 1985, his son Jean-Loup who was 28 at the time (also an architect who graduated from the Ecole Spéciale d'Architecture de Paris, and studied under Paul Virilio) took over and steered the firm towards public architectural contests as a means to obtain state commissioned architectural projects. The compelling successes of the past decade have established the firm's credentials by reinforcing both its national and international stature.

Philosophy

"Patriarche & Co has a solid experience rooted in its 50 years history. Nevertheless, it is essential for us to assess each new project with humility and candor. We never build twice on the same site, we never have the same programme, although fortunately we often have the same customers.

What ties everything together is the project framework : each time we try to understand what makes it unique. Its geography, climate, urban or non urban nature, will all be essential guidelines that will justify the project and ensure its sustainability. We usually say that before defining what whe are going to build, we should define what we are not going to build. The space defines the structure and not the opposite. That is the reason for which our references show streets, patios, atriums, interstices : they organize the projects around its space. These principles reliably produce air, natural lighting, clarity of function, and clarity of flows. The project organised this way is enjoyed from within as much as from the outside.

Following this sensitive approach to the site, our guiding rule is to organize the layout in a strategic manner, separating the serving areas and served areas, by using the module system without forgetting the flexibility required to breathe life into the project. After endlessly going back and forth between the plan, sections and elevations, it finally takes shape.

The layout organizes, the section provides volume, the elevation harmonizes. In the end, the whole must bestow the perception of a clear, transparent, modern or ultra- modern architecture, that blends in with the site."

Jean-Loup Patriarche
Architect - President