Lacaton & Vassal facts for kids

Lacaton & Vassal is an architecture company started by Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal in 1987. They design many different kinds of buildings. These include homes, schools, and public spaces. They are famous for changing old buildings, especially social housing. They also use materials and building methods that save money.

Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal won the Pritzker Prize in 2021. This is one of the highest awards in architecture.

About Anne and Jean-Philippe

Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal in 2017

Lacaton and Vassal first met when they were studying architecture. Their first project together was in Niamey, Niger. They built a simple hut from local branches. This hut was not very strong. It was damaged by wind within two years.

Anne Lacaton was born on August 2, 1955, in France. She finished her architecture studies in 1980. She also got a master's degree in city planning in 1984. For several years, she worked as a researcher and architect.

Jean-Philippe Vassal was born on February 22, 1954, in Morocco. After finishing architecture school in 1980, he moved to Niger. He worked there as an architect from 1980 to 1985. Vassal learned a lot from his time in Niger. He said it was like a "second school of architecture." He saw how people there were creative and found ways to do things with very little.

Anne and Jean-Philippe started their company, Lacaton & Vassal, in Bordeaux, France, in 1987.

Their Special Way of Designing Buildings

While Jean-Philippe Vassal was in Niger, Anne Lacaton often visited him. It was there that they developed their main idea about architecture. They decided to "never demolish what could be redeemed." This means they try to save and improve old buildings instead of tearing them down. They want to give existing buildings a "second life." This is especially true for social housing.

Lacaton explains their view: "We never see the existing as a problem. We look with positive eyes." They believe there is always a chance to do more with what is already there.

The Pritzker Prize jury praised their "restorative architecture." They said Lacaton & Vassal always start by looking closely at what already exists. They find value in it. This humble approach respects the original designers. It also respects the people who live or work in the buildings.

The jury also noted that Lacaton & Vassal changed what it means to be an architect. They don't aim to build fancy or showy structures. Instead, they observe, improve, and serve the community. They do this in a way that saves money and is good for the environment.

Cool Projects They've Built

Lacaton & Vassal have worked on many interesting projects.

• Latapie House (1993): In Floirac, they used greenhouse technology for a private home. They added a winter garden. This expanded the living space at a low cost. This house shows how they use simple, inexpensive building methods. Greenhouses or winter gardens became a common feature in their designs. Lacaton said they were inspired by botanic gardens. They loved the light and how greenhouses could change the outdoor climate.

• Cité Manifeste (2005): In Mulhouse, they worked on a big social housing project. Their goal was to create high-quality, affordable homes. They built 14 low-income apartments. These apartments were much larger than typical social housing units. Many were 50 percent bigger. They also had better layouts and features, like large open spaces and winter gardens. This project showed that social housing could be spacious and well-designed.

• Architecture School of Nantes (2009): For this school, they designed flexible spaces. Besides classrooms and offices, they included 5,500 square meters of open space. This area could be used for different purposes as needed. It allows the school to change and grow.

• Bois-le-Prêtre Tower (2010): This was an old low-income housing building in Paris. Lacaton & Vassal renovated it without moving the people living there. They added balconies and winter gardens to every apartment. This made the apartments bigger and brighter. It also improved how well the building kept warm or cool. The building's total size grew a lot.

• FRAC Grand Large (2013): This is a modern art museum in Dunkirk. Lacaton & Vassal were asked to put the museum in a large boathouse. They decided to keep the old boathouse as it was. Then, they built a new, twin building next to it for the museum. The original building can now be used for other public events.

• Palais de Tokyo (2003 and 2014): They renovated this modern art museum in Paris. They made the space more open by removing walls and false ceilings. This brought in more light and made it easier to move around. They also showed off the original concrete structure from 1937.

More Recognition

Lacaton & Vassal have received many awards for their work.

• In 1999, they won the national grand prize for Young Talent architecture.
• In 2008, they won the Grand Prix National de l'Architecture.
• In 2018, they received the Global Award for Sustainable Architecture. This award recognized their focus on improving buildings and letting residents have a say in the changes.
• In March 2021, Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal were given the Pritzker Prize. This award honored all their architectural work.

Completed projects

• Latapie house, Floirac (1993)
• Day center for young adults, Bègles (1994)
• Archeological Museum, Saintes (1995)
• Place Aucoc, Bordeaux (1996)
• Pierre-Mendès-France University of Grenoble (first stage, 1995 / second stage, 2001)
• House in Dordogne (1997)
• House in Lège-Cap-Ferret (1998)
• House in Coutras (2000)
• Contemporary art exhibit space in the Palais de Tokyo, Paris (2001)
• Café Una de l’Architekturzentrum, Vienna (2001)
• Office building, Nantes (2001)
• Residential building, Floirac (studies in progress, 2003)
• Residential building, Cité manifeste à Mulhouse (2005)
• House, Keremma (2005)
• University building for management studies, Bordeaux (2006)
• Cave Castelmaure, Embres-et-Castelmaure (2007)
• Exhibition hall, Paris Nord Villepinte (2007)
• School of Architecture, Nantes (2009)
• Transformation of the Bois-le-Prêtre tower, Paris (2009)
• Redevelopment of the Palais de Tokyo, Paris (2012)
• FRAC Nord-Pas-de-Calais, Dunkerque (2013)
• Le Grand Sud, multi-purpose hall, Lille (2013)
• GHI-Quartier du Grand Parc: transformation of 3 towers, Bordeaux (2016)