(n)certainties – Columbia – Fall 2007

Francois Roche / R&Sie

“Making with…” is their way of describing their research into a critical experience of architecture through a mutation of contextual parameters. Scenarios of hybridization, grafting, cloning, morphing give rise to perpetual transformation of architecture which strives to break down the antinomies of object/subject or object/territory. Experimental and inventive, the architecture of R&Sie… seeks to be profoundly critical and “deceptive”: an architecture which “contrasts a non-form which seems made of material from each situation”…

R&Sie(n) is an architectural office sey up in 1989 and lead by François Roche (1961, France), Stéphanie Lavaux (1966, France) and Jean Navarro (1971, France) is based in Paris. The organic, oppositional architectural projects of their practice is concerned with the bond between building, context and human relations. Roche explains his concept of ‘’spoiled climate’’ chameleon architecture, which links and hybrids the human body to the body of architecture by a re-scenarization on the rules of all the natures of each situations. They use speculations and fictions as process to dis-alienate the post-capitalism subjectivities, in the pursuit of Toni Negri. R&Sie(n) consider architectural identity as an unstable concept, defined through temporary forms in which the vegetal and biological become a dynamic element. R&Sie(n) are currently undertaking a critical experiment with new warping technologies to prompt architectural “scenarios” of cartographic distortion, substitution, and genetic territorial mutations.

R&Sie(n) held(s) several professorships with François Roche, in London at Bartlett School, in Vienna at TU, in Barcelona at ESARQ, in Paris at ESA, in Philadelphia at UPenn, and is teaching now in advanced studio at Columbia NY, USA. with speeches at MIT, Havard, AA School, UCLA, Sci-Arch…

Their projects have been exhibited at the Tate Modern (London 2006), Columbia University (New-York, 1999-2000), UCLA (Los Angeles, 1999-2000), ICA (London, 2001),   Mori Art Museum (Tokyo, 2004), the Pompidou Center (Paris, 2003),  MAM / Musee d’Art Moderne (Paris, 2005, 2006), Pavillon de l’Arsenal (Paris, 2006), Orléans/ArchiLab International Architectural Conference (1999, 2001, 2003). R&Sie(n) were among the architects selected by France for the 1990, 1996, 2000 and 2002 (refused) Venice Architectural Biennale, and were also featured in the 2000, 2004 international selection.

 

François Roche – Born 25-02-1961 in Paris / Licensed Architect (DPLG), diploma 1987 Versailles, France, U.P.A. no. 3.

Stéphanie Lavaux – Born 11-06-1966 in Saint Denis, La Reunion / Leave the French National School of Fine Arts (ENSBA) in 1990, Paris, France.

Jean Navarro – Born 28-05-71, in Neuilly / Licensed Architect (DPLG), diploma 1999 Versailles, France, U.P.A. no.4