At a time when the logic of consumerism is permeating every sphere, voices are being raised. Among them is that of Gilles Perraudin, who denounces an ‘architectural massacre’: housing has become a mere consumer product. But, like any consumer product, can we not question the processes involved in its production? This is the architect’s conviction. Moreover, it lies at the heart of his work. A and BOZAR have invited him to give a lecture in Brussels on 6 February 2018.

Fascinated by vernacular architecture, Gilles Perraudin develops his practice off the beaten track, through an approach he describes as independent and experimental. His credo: to create architecture rooted in its context, in a world increasingly distant from its roots. However, bypassing official channels is not an end in itself: “I have no ideological agenda, just a strong sense of pragmatism.” A pragmatism that leads him to draw a clear distinction between local sourcing and energy efficiency. The use of locally available materials does not necessarily mean respect for the environment, and vice versa. Gilles Perraudin learnt this the hard way when he had stone transported between Lower and Upper Corsica, resulting in a higher carbon footprint than that of transport from the mainland. The difference lies, of course, in the distance, but also – and above all – in the environmental footprint of the material itself and the methods used to transport it. Hence the architect’s preference for natural materials, whose very low environmental footprint is due to the absence of processing. These materials have featured increasingly prominently in his work since 1998, the year the Vauvert wine cellar was inaugurated, where the use of solid stone was a natural choice.