Philosophy

OÏKOS was founded by the architects Renaud PITHION and Benoit SERAPHIN, whose philosophy is oriented towards two strong concepts, which contribute to its specificity:

The development of an eco-responsible architecture and the enhancement of the built heritage.

The workshop designs architectures with a conscious approach oriented towards eco-responsibility, by associating for example the use of bio-sourced materials, thus developing energy-saving and healthy constructions for its occupants. This project design is part of a frugal approach to construction.

In this sense, OÏKOS develops the recovery and reuse of materials or architectural elements in an approach that develops the principles of eco-construction or participatory construction. They work towards the social involvement of the act of living, through participation in cooperative and participatory housing projects.

The architectural style of the agency is expressed by the nature of the materials used such as wood, earth, straw and by the diversity of their implementation. The office already works in close collaboration with specialized companies for the execution of this type of work. The architects are surrounded by actors with whom they work together to make the way of conceiving and living the buildings evolve.

Making the most of the built heritage

The patrimonial aspect is treated with the care linked to the act of conservation and the will to appropriate the character of the existing.

Indeed, many protected areas encircle the canton of Geneva and are developing in addition to the densification of the urban center. These zones, which are still not very well exploited, offer the possibility of developing collective housing in the countryside, within old rural dwellings or farmhouses.

The workshop works to perpetuate as much as possible by new uses of this precious cultural heritage, especially through the use of bio-sourced materials by adapting the implementation processes to the service of the architecture and its occupants.